Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-10-15
SAVED FOR A RAINY DAY.


fidences and Then Part Company.
''What is that?" called the umbrella
from the hat stand, hearing a slight
noise near by. Its only ne" an
swered penny that had just been
dropped in a child's money-box that
stood on the hall table.
you should say 1T is only t. cor
rected the umbrella, and then went on,
in friendly voice: well, since we
are such close neighbors, let's be soci-
able. Who put you in there? My head
being turned toward the front door,
couldn't see.
Master Harry" answered the PEN
ny; ''he found me in the pocket of his
old jacket, which he is wearing while
his new one is being mended, and said
to his mother as they passed through
the hall from lunch See, mamma, I'm
going to put this penny in my money
box for a rainy day.
"Why, how strange" said the UNI
brella. II belong to Harry, too, and
that's what he keeps me for, "a rainy
day. Many people, my friend, the
gold-headed cane-who is now out
walking-tells me never think about
the rainy days and never have their
umbrellas handy, or if they are handy
ten chances to one they are in need of
repair. Now, l am quite sound and
ready for use, though the sun is shining
as if there were no such thing as rain in
the world All! Master Harry is pru-
dent lad"
YES" agreed the penny, 81 think
he is. But ! must say that / don't
see what special good l, or the COM
panions / find in this box, could do
on rainy day. OF course it's all right
about you, but pennies are made for use
in all sorts of weather"
''Oh in your and your companions
case" explained the umbrella, the
saying For a rainy day means that
you are to be saved for a time when
you are very much needed"
well, l hope that time will come
soon, for it is very cramped quarters in
this box" said the penny.
But weeks went by and still there
came no rain, though everybody and
everything prayed for it,
One sultry afternoon the penny and
the umbrella talked softly together
II wish it would COME said the
penny. II mean your rainy day, Mr..
Umbrella, for the sake of the dear lit
tie baby upstairs who, they say, is very
i'll and gasping for breath of cool air.
What a comfort it is in such weather to
be made of metal"
'Ah! yes, it is indeed" sighed the
umbrella, ''or of silk. whalebone and
metal |, too, wish that the rain would
come Though it isn't exactly agreeable
to be carried out with ones head down
as an umbrella always isl for that suf-
fering child's sake"
And then they heard slow steps de-
seeded the stairs, and in an instant
hand lifted up the money box. IL was
Harry's
81 can't ask mother for money now,
she is in such trouble, he said; land
surely this is rainy day" And, grasp
ing the UNI rella by the curiously-
head on the end of its handle, he went
out into the street
Heavy clouds were gathering and big
rain drops falling as he hurried along.
st has come" whispered the penny
from larry pocket. aye! aud
should welcome it with unmixed joy"
said the umbrella, ''if | did rot know
that now we shall be parted"
And so it was for when fruit store
was reached the penny and some other
money was given to the storekeeper tor
a bunch of beautiful white grapes, and
then Harry fastened home again.
Very lonely did the umbrella feel for
several days after for though in that
time dozen pennies had come clatter-
ing into the box, they were not friendly
ones, and either did not or would not
hear the remarks it made.
81 do wish, it said sadly to itself one
morning when it had been thinking OF
its departed friend, that that sociable
penny could have stayed here long
enough to know that the baby got well.
But then as it helped to buy the grapes
that did the little one SO much good, it
fulfilled its mission and surely /. made
above all things for rainy days, should
be content Kathleen r. Wheeler, in
Detroit Free Press