The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-01-17
A FRIENDLY LETTER.

i
A FRIENDLY LETTER.
| How CecIlc Showed Her Love and Did
| Som ething to Comfort Her Afflicted
Friend.
Lucy had been in bed six weeks with
sprained ankle. The trouble came
just as the summer holidays began.
.'Oh!' she cried. lit took only a
moment to sprain my ankle, but yet /
| must lie here ever SO long before it can
be strong again."
Still Lucy tried to be patient. She
knew that her illness gave her mother
much extra care. When she wanted
| to cry, she would hide her face in the
pillow till the tears were all wiped
away, and a smile had come instead.
Lucy's illness gave her friends an OPP
portunity to show her how dearly they
loved her. The school girls were very
kind. They We're sure to come in,
some two or three, at least, every day.
They would bring flowers or fruit, or q
new story book to cheer Lucy through
the long summer days
But Lucy missed her cousin Cecile,
who was far away on the other side Of
the ocean. One day she was thinking
great deal about Cecile, wondering
what she was doing, and trying to
count with her fingers how many weeks
and months must pass before she would
be at home again.
Now, it SO happened that just then
Cecile was thinking about Lucy. Let
tiers had brought the news OF her
sprained ankle, and Of the doctors
orders that she must keep very quiet
for several weeks.
Poor Lucy!' cried Cecile. Just
think, mamma. how can she keep still
for SO long? | wish that / could do
something for her. But. Of course, |
can not away off here in Switzerland"
Il know very mica thing that you
might do for her." said Cecile's mother.
..And you might do it to-day-the
sooner the better"
'.Bnt, mamma, am thousands OF
miles away from Lucy" cried Ce,ile,
greatly surprised.
"You might open your little new
desk, now, and write her n letter.
''Oh. mammal Cccile did not like to
write letters
Il know, dear. that it will be hard
thing for you. But when we love 9TH
ers, we are willing to do hard things
for their pleasure That was a new
idea to Cecilc,
Il am sure that love Lucy" she
said.
Then am sure that you will write
her a letter. Think how delighted she
will be to get it, all in your own writ
ing. and with the foreign post-mark."
That was how Cecile came to write
this letter to Lucy. She was not used
to letter-writing. and she did not know
just how to begin. But her mother
said:
III Lucy were here you would have
a great many things to tell her. Now
try to write just rs though you were
talking to her.
'.Shall l say any thing about the
sprained ankle, mamma? You know
this letter is meant to turn her
thoughts away from it little while"
And yet you want her to know that
you have heard about it, and that you
feel sorry for her.
'aOh, yes, mamma; I'll say that
much, ut least
Cecile was busy with her letter all
the morning. Once she felt like lay.
ing it aside till another day. But she
had been taught that a kind act loses
much Of its value if not done at the
right time. She told Lucy about the
beautiful Swiss mountains, and val
leys and lakes; and also about the
quaint little towns. She promised to
tell her many little stories about the
little peasant girls, who live on the
mountains through the long summer
|. days to watch the cows, and to help
make the butter and cheese.
I'VE are in the town of Basic now. !"
she wrote, where they manufacture
SO much silk, besides leather and
paper. Years ago. an army was out
side trying to get into this city, but q
thunderstorm came just in time to
save it from the shells of the army. The
people were SO thankful to God for
sending this storm that they gave
money to establish school to teach
those who wanted to be missionaries.
Some Que says that five hundred men
have gone from that school to teach in
heather lands"
! When Cccile had finished the letter
she gave long sigh and said: There,
mamma, have done it, and ! feel very
happy. Do you suppose that God al
lows persons to be i'll SO that Others
may do something loving for them?"
I'VE ought not to wait till others arr
i'll to show love, and yet, perhaps, j
there were no sick ones to care for, We
might grow to be very selfish. Nov
put your letter into IN envelope. dear
and direct it yourself. Lucy will value
it much more If it is your own work.
IN y Observer.
|