The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-06-12
WHAT KATE DID.
How a Dear Little Girl Helped Re-
store Her Mothers Sight.

When it first flashed through her busy
brain and spread itself out in all sorts
Of pretty shapes and possible colorings,
II nearly took her breath away. 1t was
n recess, while all the other girls were
eoaxing the boys to let them coast down
the famous incline behind the school
bouse on the Lions" '.Antelopes,"
npuritans, /" ''Dexters" and Lightning
Expresses," or whatsoever their sleds
hanuened to be named, and Katie had
the whole warm school room to herself
n which to think. Even Miss Hyacinth
had zone to Farmer Bassett's, across the
read lit had come her turn to board
round with HIM for something she had
forgotten, and Katie and the old clock
had the whole warm school room all to
themselves. I doubt if Katie's heart,
when she first thought of it, didn't dis
tance the beating of the prim wooden
clock. which, with its 'Home of Wash
ington" painted in CHASTITY, chalky white
and fearful emerald greens on the lower
half of its glass door, stood in solitary
splendor on bracket-shelf just back of
and above Miss Hyacinth' S orderly desk.
But Katie's thoughts were upon neither
heart-beats nor clock-beats, so absorbed
vas she in the charming idea that was
daRning into a sweet and real possibil-
ity with every seconds hurried fight.
ALI afternoon she found herself hav-
ing to do battle with it-for it crept be-
tween herself and the personal pro-
nouns, it sat upon the very curves that
kept the divisor and quotient from
slipping into the dividend, and hid even
the big straw-eolored map of Africa!
You see, Katie was very ambitious
little girl, and very much of Yankee,
as far as wholesome thriftiness, or a
getting on in the world, was concerned;
and though she went to school regularly,
she managed between times to do many
odd tasks for the childless neighbors in
thatsparsely settled section that brought
her in good many pennies, and every
penny was needed, now that her mother
had become blind. But it wasn't pen
MES she was thinking of now-it was
niekels and dimes and even quarters of
adollar, that should grow, gradually,
into pile big enough to pay the famous
d. Optic to perform an operation on the
dear, dark eyes of her mother, whose
one cry was to look once again upon the
face of her only child
twas their own good doctor who had
unknowingly shown her the possible
way in which to earn the twenty dollars,
which, he said, he would persuade the
great man to accept for the difficult and
delicate work.
That was only yesterday, when, so
chilled through from his long journey
70 see patient out of town that he felt
he must stop to warm himself at Mrs.
Aeene's kitchen fire, DR.. Sa1tus had
gladly accepted the cup of hot coffee
hatie offered him lit being noon and
Katie having her mothers and her own
luncheon ready, and, slipping a bright
new silver dime into the cup before he
handed it back, had said:
I fear shall never be able to pass
lals house hereafter without thinking
q that cup of coffee, Mrs. Keene; so, if
should become regular customer you
must not be surprised. Your little
aaaghter brews most excellent coffee,
ana there's nothing more grateful to a
man alter long, cold ride.''
% little ever happened at the home
g tne Keenes that, after the doctor had
kindly looked at Mrs. Keene's poor eyes
ana told her that very speedy restora-
non to sight was possible, had left the
house, clambered into his buggy set on
runners and driven away, Katie could
said
ene saw his kind face in the very bot
som Of the bright dish-pan instead OF
aef own round, rosy little one, when,
'as dishes washed, she wiped out that
aselul utensil before hanging it on its
ssh particular peg. All that evening
aas tnought at intervals of their unusual
aasl1ation, and at night she dreamed
.aas sne was offering coffee to a whole
s1l15 OF gray-haired doctors, who, al
~ severally, dropped dime into theil
snptled cups with little metellic clang
~ y was really only Jack Frost trying
spilt the little mug of water she had
laced upon stand near her beds head
.-ss made her dream of that sort of 6
l the way home from school mex
u ler project full-fedged and hel
asy brain teeming, Katie counted 81
any asas chickens before they were matched
80 sne had become, in imagination, :
sssOa of great wealth and distinction
~ uia the sight of small frame house
;sss. 1s ssOod IN such a ''poverty-strickeI
g, gon, as she had always before
ssgns close up to the very road itself
90. 9 aaunt her gay spirit. For nov
os.s was a splendid reason why tht
W should set upon the roadside