The morning call., 1891-06-14
THE KINGS DAUGHTERS
SILVER CROSS.
A Girl Who Thought She Could Not Do
One Kind Act a Day.
" Whatsoever Your Hand Finds to Do, Do Il
With Your Might" Is What the Little
Cross Says to the Kings Daughters.

| Thornton to herself, as she started to put
the cosy Sitting-room in order; you're kept
| so busy there's no chance to do the one kind
| act a day. Here I wanted to run down this
afternoon to see how poor Mrs. Brown is,
and mother has to go to bed with head
ache and leave me all the work to do. We'll.
! III get through it in hurry and then go.
must keep that pledge"
About an hour later Mrs. Thornton came
downstairs looking very pale, and found
Clare dressed for the street.
Are you going out, daughter?" she said,
with disappointed air; II hoped you would
stay in to-day and relieve me. Besides. you
have scarcely put this room in order Sup
| pose some one should drop in
hadn't time to do any more, grumbled
Clare 81 can't do everything. If any
callers come can't you take them in the par
lor?''
Is the stove there all ready for a fire ?"
Oh. mol L forgot it. L should think
Daisy might do that much"
daisy is hardly big enough to be trusted
with the parlor fire" said Mrs. Thornton.
signing. Never mind. so on; I'll manage
somehow"
Il don't know what good being Kings
Daughter has done her." thought the tired
- 1t seems to me that she is more selfish and
thoughtless than ever" Then she dragged
herself around the house and did the many
things that Glare had left undone. In the
meantime her daughter, with companion
whom she had appointed to meet, was wend-
ing her way toward ''pOOr Mrs. Browns"
Together they visited a few others that were
on their poor list, and tea was ready when
Clare returned home. Mrs. Thornton looked
more tired then ever, but the girl was so
full Of her own concerns that she failed to
notice
HER MOTHERS APPEARANCE.
Afterward, when Clare was washing the
dishes with her sister as an auxiliary, the
child said: "Oh, Clare, won't you help me
with my examples tonight? Miss Brown
says il get little help at home l shall be
able TO skip class
Il am going to be too busy tonight; l
have some york to do" replied Clare, with
decision that chased the smiles from
DaiSy's sweet face
why, what are you going to do?"
well, you know Mrs. CrOnn that lives
down in Poverty Hollow? I'm to make
lovely toboggan for her little girl You
know, I'm Kings Daughter now, Daisy,
and l have promised to do one kind act
day. OF course, if can do more than one
it is all the better. Wouldn't you like to be
Kings Daughter, child, and wear a silver
cross like mine?"
Daisy reflected for a moment. Then she
said: docs being a Kings Daughter aud
wearing a cross mean that you're to help
everybody out your own folks? Because,
if it does. l don't care to Join
"Why, you bad child" exclaimed Clare
"what do you mean by that? Pm always
helping my own folks, but l can't let any
thing interfere with my one knd act. I've
solemnly vowed TO do that every day."
''Well, CLARE. perhaps 1 don't understand
it. but it seems to me that it would have
been kind act for you to have stayed and
helped mamma this AFTERNOON. She was
awful sick and after you went away she
was crying"
"Daisy, l don't believe you know what
you're talking about, and | shan't hear any
more. It's presumptuous in a little girl to
be debating TO her siXteeD-year-old sister,"
The child was silenced, but not convinced,
and all the evening as she sat pulling over
work that Clare could have made 50 easy
for her, she could not help wondering what
the little silver cross really meant. SAT
any rate" she concluded, ''if IL would make
me neglect mamma
I DON'T WANT ONE"
The following week the kind lady who had
organized the band of Kings Daughters in
the church which the IhOTntons attended
said to Daisy. "Some of the little girls are
going to be Kings Daughters Wouldn't
you like to join them, dear?"
''No, ma'am," the child promptly an
swered. Mamma isn't very we'll and the
children are troublesome, and it's all ws can
do to let Clare be Kings Daughter NAM
ma couldn't possibly spare us both"
Mrs. Jennings looked in surprise at
Daisy. "N hat do you NEAR? ?" she asked.
well. you see just at the time mamma
needs Glare most she has to be off doing her
one kind act And she isn't satisfied with
that; sometimes she does three or four and
brings one home to do in the evening You
know it really wouldn't do for both of us to
act like that"
Mrs. Jennings patted the earnest little
face and decided to say no more inst then
on the subject She saw that something
was wrong, so made ND her mind TO have
talk with Clare at the first opportunity.
The prospect presented itself sooner than
she expected. The very next morning a
caller was announced and Clare Thornton
appeared. looking very much troubled.
Its no use, Mrs. Jennings" she cried.
bursting into tears, and laying down her
silver cross. 81 cannot be Kings Daugh-
ter"
Mrs. Jennings took Clare right into her
motherly arms, and said in a tone that was
very soothing, Take oil your things, dear,
and just show me where the trouble is. Per-
hapS we can make it come ont all right"
you know" sObbed Clare, as she re-
| moved her wraps. mamma is sick in bed.
and have everything to do, and the baby
to take care of, and Johnnie is always want
ing his clothes mended, and Daisy wants
me to help her with her lessons. and"
Here she broke down. The enumeration of
these many trials was
TOO MUCH FOR CLARE.
but you are not compelled to go away
from home to DO your kind acts, SAID Mrs
Jennings, gently smoothing the girls hair;
you can keep your pledge and at the same
time be doing your duty to the loved ones
at home"
Clare looked up in astonishment. Do
those things cOuntP" she asked; ." those
little everyday thlngSp / thought 1t meant
something unusual"
Whatsoever your hand finds to do do it
| with your might That's what the little
silver cross says TO US. We must do the
nearest duty frSt and then God will show
Us the next Our acts OF kindness are Tor
the dear ones at home, just as much as for
the outside world. We mustn't neglect ouI
home duties, Clare. Don't you think that
your mother required your attention the
other day more than did the sick persons on
whom you called? The other girls have
been attending TO them. And the tOboSgan
you made was very pretty, but am afraid
that your little sisters and brother needed
your help more than Mrs. Cronin'S chHd
needed the pretty cap.
"0h, Mrs. Jennings! cried Clare, and
her face frightened wonderfully, what an
awful mistake have been making. But
feel so much happier now that understand
what TO do. | see that | can be Kings
Daughter after all, even though home duties
occupy my whole time"
From that morning Daisy marveled at the
change in her sister. shes the right kind
of Kings Daughter now, the child de-
cided, as she saw Clare patiently taking
upon herself the many duties. And Mrs.
Thornton, from her bed on the lounge, to
which she was carried in the daytime,
watched Clare thOughtfully, and telt that
she had reason to thank God that he had
given her such asdaughteT.-S. Jennie Smith
in IntellgeneeT.