The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-12-25
LOUIS opPORTUNITY,
Helpful Hiatt VINO are good s s.s
Heart, Bat ConIess wish Their

Heart, Hut confess wsrh Tleirs
Tongues.
20 mamma, said Lou Sherman,
with little sigh, as she dropped the'
paper she had been reading u SENS
to me would almost be willing 70 pc
an Invalid, if I could do as much good
as the girl in this story did. She was :
q real blessing to every one in town.S
and yet she could not leave her pee:
1t is so beautiful to think how they I'll
came to here with their troubles ana
she always helped them some way 5.
"I agree with you, dear, ~ answered &
her mother, "but is there any reason
why one in health should not do the
same ?"
"People would not be so apt TO come
to you if you were well and strong and
busy" said Lou.
"Why not? If one Is In the ha5its
of being helpful, / think people VIII
come to be helped. they come any
way, Pm sure. heard Hattie Etiiss
telling you long story only yesterday
how cross and disagreeable her Aunts
Martha Is. Now r know that Mtsst
Martha Ellis is thoroughly: COED at Z
I cart, but she is not used TO children
at all, and it is very trying for her st0s;; t;
have the care of four wide-aWake
mischievous boys and girls. y snps
pose now If You had been.a bed dftiddeIs'
invalid, you wonld had suggested thlsa
to Hattie: and have tried TO induene
her to help her aunt all she could. But
beiug only perfectly healthy girl, you
her in erfaultd ndings and
so made poor Miss Martha's 3 task harder
than ever" / -. -
20 mamma, Pm so ashamed Sex5;
claimed Lou with crimson cheeks. 3
did not really think was doing harna
and Miss Martha is SO fussy. Il ss
~ know, dear, she may be but Ere-
member, as say, she Is not used to
children. She has lived quietly by her
self these many years and we cannot
change our habits easily, you now!
Hattie could help her very much II she &
would try, and you could have helped
Hattie. Don't waste any more time
thinking what you could do IL you were
an invalid, but be on the watch to seeS
|hoW you can help those about you now
Very often word,or two will turns thes
scale one way or the other ask God to-
keep you from letting any Of your turn
lit the wrong way sy1
Lou, sat thinking for long time
Things which had happened came back
to her as she thought. She had hall
envied this girl; but, after all, had she
not had much the same opportunities ~
Yes, there had been plenty of times
when she might have allayed trouble 4
antsmoothed rough places, OF made
kind suggestions but as far as she
could remember, she had done Just the
opposite. Her eyes filed with ears,
and from her heart went an earnest
cry for help to do better In the future.
Only a short time before, q neN1ami-
ly had moved into town who had
tested from the. first q decided g0biec-:
tion to giving to any one any 'of their
past history. II had, of course, created
considerable curiosity butas they were
without doubt refined cult yated peo-!
pie, they had been slowly admitted M
to society. The oldest daug ghter Was
one Of LOUIS schoolmates.
The next morning after LOUIS talk
with her mother, she found q knot of
girls in the school ,dressing-roo talk
ing very excitedly.
20 Lou, what do you think ~ asked
one. as she came in. We've found
out why, the Rawsons have been go
private about themselves. Heien,s
brother Arthur is in prison for forgery
don't think / Ishall care to have much
to do with her now.n ~ q 81
1t was on Louis tongue 70 say,
|''Neither shall II when something
| held her back. Her talk with her.
mother the night before flashed into
hekmind. "a word or two will often
turn the scale one way or the other.0
Was not this an opportunity Butshe
had secretly felt jealous Of Helen all
the time because her oyrp particular
friend Lizzie Ames had BEEN 80 taken
with her. Lou was very jeaaous OF fer.
friends, and wanted them all herself.
Why need she interfere aba Helen i
very likely she was nstesgirl
ga word will often turn the scale
ask God to let none of yours turn u
the wrong way"
How those words of her mothers
rang in her ears. Lou turned sloWiys
and resolutely around.
"It will make it SO hard for Helen,
Jennie" she said earnestly, III the
girls cut her; ana 1 cannon see Why
She is to blame for her brothers. sin.
I think we ought to be all the kinder
to her; don't you?"
IF we epretend to follow the Golden
Rule, I suspect we had" answered
Greta Parks promptly.
"I'm glad you spoke as you did.
Lou only I'm ashamed that did not
see it myself. 1 know I should feel
bad enough if / were Helen, and It
would be more than cruel for US to
give her the cold shoulder now
IT found little opportunity, to-day
mamma" said Lou that night. l
tried to use it, and I think / did help
some but, o mamma, to think how
many times I have let my words go thef
wrong way !" sas