Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-07-05
PREFERRlNG ONE ANOTHER.
Mabel's Victory Over SELF, and tho G ood
Her Loving Words Accom- piisIied.
IL choose the hammock"


MabeIs Victory Over Self, and tho G ood
Her Loving Words Accom- piishod.
II choose the hammock"
mo. | want il"
Bat I'm the oldest. so Pm going to
have it,"
'Tm the youngest. aud you ought
to give up to me. "
well, I'm not going TO this time,
any how" and Mabel seated herself
in the hammock with determined
air and commenced to swing back and
forth.
Pm going to tell mamma" said
Bessie. in fearful voice. turning To-
ward The house; but as she did so she
raised her eyes to her mothers win
dow where the blinds were closed and
the curtains drawn. Then she re-
membercd that in that darkcnel room
lay mamma with one of her dreadful
sick headaches, and she knew that at
such II time she must not be disturbed
in any way, for it always made her
worse Bessie couldn't SEQ why
mothers ALWAYS had sick headaches.
Her mamma had them so often and
Cora Lanes mamma did. too. 1t
seemed very inconvenient and uncom-
Portable to her, particularly now when
she had grievance TO tell. If she had
known of the heavy throbs of pain
that beat in the OR aching head, as
the angry words were borne in
through the closed blinds, she might
hay, FELT consciousness mitten, but she
did not know and she only paused
and commenced boring her heel into
the smooth turf of the lawn while a
dark frown disfigurel her usually
bright little face.
She wished that she was bigger than
Mabel, then she would show her what
it meant to have an older sister who
never gave up 10 her-thats what
she would do Bessie forgot then how
often and how kindly Mabel yielded
to her; it is so easy TO forget kindness
in the face of an injury.
Mabel lay in the hammock swingin 9
gently to and tro, apparently per
fectly contentcd, so Bessie knew there
was no CHARGE for her; and she saw
her little white kitten walking about
in the garden, springing now and ther
to catch some unwary fly or grass
hopper. She cast one resentful glance
at Mabel, then running TOWARD
the kitten she took it in her arms and
commenced to pour her troubles into
kitty's patient ears.
Mabel did not feel as contented ~
she looked. for she was really a very
unsclfsh little girl, and gave Bessie
the preference far more than was fol
her younger sisters good. But some
thing was wrong that day; mamma
had headache, her door was closet
and her curtains drawn, and there wa
no one to set things right. 1t was no
really desire to thwart each othe
that had caused the conflict between
the two little girls. but it was tina
feeling of rufilod spirits that is know
to us all, which grown-up people cal
nervousness in themselves but in tn
little ones is too often designated a
ill-temper.
Mabel. too. looked up at her mother
window. Poor mamma! How she di,
suffer when she h;s,. :. heaaache' Sh
thought of time when she slippe
: into her mothers room and saw tn
= pale face lying on the white pillow
= She wished then that she could d
something to ease the pain. and sh
| wished it now with all her heart; bu
she was such little girl, and knee
nothing about sickness. As she locke
; down into the garden, and saw Be:
{ sic wandering about with the kitten i
p her arms, she wondered what she wa
| thinking about Was she angry wit
her for not giving her the hammock
=, She almost wished she had given it NJ
, for she really did not care for it yer
= much. But why should she Away
: give up every thing to Bessie' 81
had some rights. even if she was I'll
. elderp Bessie never thought of gi'
: ing up to her. And then like fias
: it all came to her mind; how could 81
have forgotten!
For when they were both sick wit
scarlet fever. and Cora Lane. Bessie
dearest friend, sent her beautif
{ red rose, she would not keep it by h
D bedside-only one little minute-b'
I made mamma carry it to Mabel al
Z insisted that she should keep it uni
T it withered;. and Bessie loved fowe
a so much, particularly red roses. 81
could never do any thing for Bessi
y she was sure. that would be so swe
a and self-sacrificing as that. aud 81
n felt very sorry now that she had N
e let her have the hammock. What W
r a hammock on lovely summer da
e when there were so many nice thin,
:. all about her. compared with a beau
n full, fragrant rose when she lay bur
e ing with fever in darkcned room?
Bessie" she called. as she saw h
" sister moving aimlessly about with t
l. little white kitten still held fast in b
r arms. Bessie turned at the sound
+ her voice. How small she look
+ among the tall dahlias and hollyhock
q and how forlornl
N Come here. please" called Nab
N in winning voice.
4 Bessie shook her head rather resel
5 fully. but kitty vas purring soothin
" in her ear. aud, after momen