Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-23
morrow, q little earlier" she said and l
viii helm Won 70 start r.inht ;,

Babes in the wood. if ever there wert
any r exclaimed Miss Barnard as she
closed the door.
Strangely enough it was only the even
ing before that Miss Barnard had said tc
herself, as she figured up her receipts fol-
the half term: What selfish creature ]
am Making one hundred dollars a month
clear, and nobody to take care of but my
self and Efie and yet my mite i'll the con-
trihution box is all l give for charitable
purposes. If l only had time to look up
people that need help, | should certainly
do it. But there it is. I never have the
time, and / cannot bear to subscribe to
these big associations that take in and do
for the just and unjust by machinery. l
like to see where my money goes and what
1t does, and make sure that | am not buy
ing new carpets for director or new bon
nets for a InatTCn.
A bit of CynIc was Miss Barnard Ex-
clusively business relations with the world
are apt TO have that effect on one.
When, therefore, two scarcely more than
babies presented themselves at her door
demanding III all innocence their education
free gratis, Miss Barnard's mind reverted to
her thoughts of the evening before, and
something said to her plainly, This is
your opportunity Use, however. had
bred such a habit in her that it was not
easy 10 do o thing so manifeStiy unbusi-
nesalihe. hence her momentary hesitation.
When the kindergarten department
closed At noon for the day, and Miss Bar
nard had leisure from her higher classes
she stepped into the room where Ellie
Bambury, her young halfsister. had charge
every day of the little folk Etfie had been
so absorbed in her music that she had
scarcely noticed the entrance of her sister
with the two children that morning, and
so was quite at loss to understand when
Pauline said, smiling shamefacediy, as one
does at joke on ones self:
We'll, I've taken them |"
Taken what?' said Fife, whirling
around. =" hope, Pauline, you haven't
been stealing at your time of life; but can
| infer nothing else"
No; I'm afraid you'll think It's worse
than than. I've taken those two children
into the school"
Oh. is that all? You take in one or
two nearly every day. That is not sur
prising,'
All, but these are little indigents, and
can't pay their way
And you are admitting them for moth
ing?o
Yes; I couldn't very well help it, they
was the best school she ever saw. We
shall never miss the money"
No, it isn't that; but the Rykers, and
the Scots, and the Paneiords-t!Ipy viii be
certain to object. Those dirty little things
among these dainty, cotton wrapped bis
OF jeNelry How will they look 81
- Dirty little things :" exclaimed Pauline.
" You surely didn't see them They were
perfectly clean and whole, not in Mother
Hubbards nor with poke bonnets. but
they looked as respectable as two children |
could
They will teach all sorts Of street talk |
and bad grammar TO our children, depend |
upon it said EHie, then, drawing her ar
guments from probabilities since facts had |
failed her
Street talk indeedl I wish you could |
have heard the little things The most |
innocent pair / ever saw; the danger of |
contamination viii all be the other way"
Miss Barnard would soon have made |
cherubs out of her young applicants had !
her sister continued to attack them. but
Etfie simply shrugged her shoulders at this
last remark, and said presently
We'll, its not my affair; do as you like.
But take my word for it, Pauline, you have
taken steps in path that you don't see the
end Of"
DO yon know Ellie" said her sister,
5oftening, that I've felt for long time as
If were very selfish to be laying UP so
much when there are SO many people who
need help and deserve it2 And it really
seemed as if these children we're sent to
give me chance 10 do something, because
matters. l haven't felt comfortable for
some time, but I didn't know what the
trouble was until to-day"
Dear, dear; you are incorrigible r.
sighed Ellie. " If you had Socrates demon
you would never be cOntented to wait till it
checked you; you'd be forever looking
round, and saying Where Is that demon
OF mine? Why doesn't he come and checl,
me? I'm sure I'm doing something l
oughtn't to-
But as she said this. the younger woman
put her hands aftectionately on the elders
shoulders, and looked with loving reproof
into her eyes. There was motherly feeling
oftentimes in Pauline Barnard's heart to-
wards this haii-sistcr, ten years her Junior,
but she did not know mOtherly ways of ex-
preston, and that made 4 troublesome re-
serve between them at times, for Ellie was
by nature demonstratiye and fond Of de-
from others. When q Child |
she had once complained to her mother {
- Pauline puts ont her hand sometimes as {
II she was going to pat me and then she Just ! 8
buttons my dress or straightens my collar, {
and | feel SO disappointed"
hen, IN later years, during EfIic's col
.ege days, there came 10 her a real disap- :
pointment III the shape Of lovers quarrel
and broken engagement, the mother who r
had listened TO her complaints was dead. q
and She felt that she could tell only the 5
bare facts to Pauline, who had always been | c
so absorbed n making her own way as
scarcely 10 know that such a class rs lovers
existed. 30 She had simply mentioned in I
ler letters that the young senior and her r
elf We're hcnceforth to be nothing to each y
'ther and had added, Please do not b
peak OF this to me-the sooner it /, for [,
GOTTEN the better Il
Pauline had looked upon this az a very n
sensible way OF taking 1t, and had expected II
ler sister home again the same gay. saucv +,
,irl as before; it took her long time 20
,ccount to herself for the change in Effie's il
ooks and tones and ways but she accus- a
omed herself 10 it gradually and kept 81 T,
ence as she had been hidden. r,
1t had all happened five years ago. and g.
" this time the lives of the two women
lad settled into rut so deep that they st
ould " barely see over the edge of it." as s;
1.-THE said. There was nothing to look for II
yard TO, very little that was pleasant TO re- a,
member every Christmas found them buy il
nc gifts for each other in perfectly open
nd abovebOaFd way, by which all the dis q
nCtlvely Christmas flavor of surprise was ST
)st, every summer they took the same trip h
, the'Same farmhouse. where no one came II
ut themselves, and where they spent the N
lmmer months. iamenting inwardlv that
was not fall and they had no work to do. 4"
That Fanny and haIy, sitting in her little q
=Ccption-room, were angels, whom she was
Entertaining unawarcs, Miss Barnard had
o idea-if she allowed herself to dwell up-
Il the matter OF Obligation al all, She rather
bought that the role Of beneficiary was h
leirs Sc
At the end of the week. FHfe said ob- sc
lptly, rs she sat crotcheiing by thc study ~
mp. Pauline, something must be done OF
those shabby skirts in tie midst of all Sc
le tiuery look like blotches on painting, IL
nd simply can net stand it, OF
" What do you mean IN
Pauline looked up from the evening pa m