St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-11-08
Srlrrtrh Stnru.
Katie.

pea Hau DceT SO Olten repeated and
as often repulsed.
The woman on the steps of the lit
tie Dakota home looked up apatheti.
calIy, hardly hearing the words or
noting their import. The girls voice
again broke the stiffness.
eye dlnna ken, mistress; Gamma We
gle me Wark, and bite and a sup
for the wark haze walked sac far.
and am sair worried WI it a." The
sweet voice grew pathetic this time
the woman had heard, but she still
looked alphabetically at the girl.
"Nay, lass, Gamma gle anythin',
| am sair troubled mysen' and |
Gamma pay the wage to any; nay,
nay, | Gamma, Gamma" And she
relapsed into hopeless brooding
thought again.
"Ye maun be i'll, mistress" the girl
said looking thoughtfully at the wan
face and lustreless ewes. "Ye maui
be ailin, and We maun let me COON
in an helpit We bit. It's no wage
III ask, just bite and a sup fore
nenst meal time"
20, but We dinna ken, We Gamma
enter here. There's sair sickness,
and it is sair tired and troubled be,
lass, but not so sair daft as to let
We in. Ye dinna want the fever, lass,
and dlnna want twa to care for
instead O. ane. Nay, lass, nay" as
the girl pushed the woman gently
aside and entered the door.
"Ye maunna tex it sac hard, mis-
tress,' the gentle voice said, but if
We are sair troubled and burdened,
then 1t is for me to help We wi your
care. We ken, mistress, the Master
tellt us in his Bulk to bear each
ither's burdens" The girl spoke
softly, but with quiet insistence, and
and she took of her sunbonnet and
hung it up and laid her little bundle
of clothing in one corner.
The room was untidy, but Katie
Macpherson did not at once begin
its setting TO rights. Through the
open door she could see figure lying
upon a dingy bed; the face was
drawn with pain and flushed with
fever, the bright eyes met hers and
she went into the room and to the
bedside.
1t is sair pain We are bearin'," she
said gently with infinite compassion
in her blue eyes as she looked at the
mans face before her But | ken
hoo to care for the seek. cared for
my ain feyther lang, and he thocht
name could comfort sac well as me. "
Ano Katie softly moved the hot head
to cooler place upon the pillows,
and straightened the tumbled bed
clothes moo, | maun get We to
drink, for We are sair parchit WI
thirst, and she went out quietly,
ana finding a pail, went tor water,
The fevered man drank greedily, and
then Katie drew the shades in the
little room, and closing the door left
the sick man alone.
"And moo, mistress, Gamma We tell
me ABBOTT things a bit, and then We,
too, sail hae sleep and wake
refreshit" And the woman laid her
tired head upon the girls shoulder
and wept for the first time in many
DAYS. Little by little she told the
girl how they had come to Dakota,
and had lived very well until John
had sickened, how there were no
neighbors near, how the scorchrng
heats had come and withered the
grain and burned the grass until 1t
cripsed beneath the feet, how the hit
tie garden was neglected, the cattle
had wandered off, and how now she
wasin the last straits OF desperation
The food was nearly gone. She could
get no doctor. There seemed no help
from heaven or earth, and death
seemed so near that she could not
leave her sick husband for help.
"And We would haze turned me
awa'?" Katie said INDEPENDENTLY
aye. weel, most wenches will hae
the siller for their work, whether
they earn it or not. carena to live
if Tohn dees." And again the tears
dropped from the tired eyes that
were losing their CLASSY, despa'rine
look.
"Didna We pray? asked the girl II
an awed voice.
INA, lass, couldna, | haena llvee
.oo. ,,d 7 couldna ask tor things