The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-16
HELPING HERSELF.

Nan Was Girl Who Did Not Sit Down
and Cry, But Went to Work and Earned
Good Time.
81 am sorry to deny you, my
daughter, but can't possibly afford it
Business is very dull just now, and it
is hard to get hold of any ready
money"
''Never mind, father answered
Nan, cheerily, as she saw look of
care resting on her fathers brow.
'1'll set my wits to work and see if l
can't find some way to earn the money
myself, and if l can't well, it won't
break my heart not to 60"
"Thank you for being so brave about
it, DEAR" answered her father, giving
loving pressure to the little gloved
hand that rested on his desk, and Nan
babe him good-by as brightly as if tears
We're not very near her eyes.
She did want twenty-five dollars so
badly. The graduating class at the
academy had planned to have a camp
ing party IN the mountains, and as the
expense was to be shared by several it
was comparatively light.
Nan knew her father was very in
dulgent, and that it was a real pain to
him to have to deny his only daughter
any thing, so she did not let him guess
how keen her disappointment was, but
bore it bravely.
1t was a sore disappointment,
though, for all that, and her pretty
eyebrows met in straight line as she
frowned, a habit she had when she was
thinking deeply. If there was only
some way in which she could earn the
money, but what could she do? She
pondered the question as she walked
down to the post-oflice. The mail was
not quite ready for distribution, and
she waited for it, gazing abshactedly
at the jars of stale candy in the win
dow, that she sometimes thought had
been there since the beginning of the
store. The mail took longer to dis
tribute than it used to, for the hotel
was full of summer boarders.
''Have you got any caramelsp" Nan
heard a young lady ask of the post
master, who was storekeeper as well.
'1sn't there any fresh candy to be
bought in this placer"
''If you would like to try little of
this" began Mr. Weldon, going to-
ward the dusty jars, I'VE have no car
amels on hand Just now"
"No, l don't want any of that, :"
was the decided answer, as the young
lady swept out.
81 shouldn't think she would, :"
thought Nan disdainfully. 81 could
make better than that myself"
Nan was quite renowned for her skill
in candy-making among her acquaint-
ances, and this was no vain boast
Perhaps some subtle connection be-
tween the young lady's demand for
caramels, and the consciousness of par
ticular skill in making that especial
CONNECTION, brought the next idea into
Mans head.
Her face grew radiant.
Eureka she cried. 81 have it.
see the trip rising before me. l smell
the pine forest, for | am sure now that
/ can CO."
The next morning Nan arrayed her
self in huge gingham apron that
threatened to engulf her trim figure
and went into the kitchen. She spent
the warm morning in hard work, and
the result of her labors was seen that
afternoon when she took large box of
delicious caramels of several varieties
down to MIR. Weldon's before mail
time.
''Mr Weldon, have come to make
business arrangement with you if l
can" began Nan, bravetJ, though she
was conscious of little shyness.
'Well, what can | do for you, Miss
NannieP" he inquired, eacouragingly.
81 want to make candy to sell, be-
cause | want to earn little money for
a particular purpose" began Nan,
blushing, land | want to know if you
would be will ng to sell it at forty cents
pound, and keep ten cents a pound
to pay yourself for the trouble"
''Well, l would do that with pleas
ure, only, Miss Mamie, though don't
doubt your candies are excellent, you
see, homemade candies are hard to
sell, because they are never as attrac-
tive in appearance as the regular con-
fectioners make, even though the latter
may be inferior"
do these look home-madeP'
With conscious pride Nan opened
her box.
''Bless me, did you make these your
self?" exclaimed Mr.. Weldon, in en-
thusiastic admiration. "Why, these
are very shipshape. You leave them,
and well see what success we have
this afternoon"
Tho 1ive-pound box was empty when
Nan returned see the result, and
everybody had been enthusiast over
them, Mr.. Weldon declared. He was
very well contented with his share of
tie profits, so Nan went into the bust
ness in q wholesale manner. 1t was
weary work and trying work some
times. but she kept to it faithfully,
thinking of the accumulating funds in
n lttle Dor in her bureau drawer. The
trip had boon planned in September
and she had two months in which t.
earn the money, and she had no fea
t6at she would tall short OF the desired