The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-13

SIH nearly enough money W
y go round. Flossy, or
Florence, Rand was the most ambit-
ious of the family. She was the
second child, Tommy being the Oldest
and Kate and Eddie the little folks
of the group. Flossy was always
dreaming, thinking, planning how to
help father and mother Many
bright idea ran through her busy
brain = bright, but impracticable.
She thought of going about the
country as book agent; or perhaps
she would buy little stock and pack
it in basket and go peddling; or
she would go out to work for one OF
the neighbors. She even imagined
herself writing letter to some rich
man, telling him of the peculiar cir
cumstances in which the family was
placed She couldn't quite bring
herself to do this without consulting
her mother, and she knew that IMAM
ma would never consent"
She often talked over the situation
with her mother, but Mrs. Rand said:
"You are needed at home, dear. You
can help most efficiently by doing
each days duty as it comes along; by
helping me about the work; by being
kind and gentle to the children, and
by learning your lessons perfectly in
school"
All that was very commonplace to
a girl who desired to be heroine.
Tommy was very mean spirited in
Flossy's estimation. He said very
little about helping; but he was a
boy whom his mother could trust,
and great was her comfort in his
steadiness and reliability.
II don't know what should do"
she often said, "if Tom was harum-
scarum, wild, careless boy, or if he
contented himself with wishing and
dreaming instead OF dong.
One of Flossys favorite imaginings
concerned the coming of some rich
unknown relative who would sudden
iy appear and shower money upon
them all. Or, perhaps, carriage
would be overturned by vicious
horse at their very door and the own
er's leg broken. She, Florence, would
nurse theinvalid with wondrous skill,
be adopted as a reward, and ever
after load her parents and Tom and
the little ones with constant benefits.
One day, when Flossy was coming
home from school with Tom, they
saw suddenly in an angle of the road
side fence woman sitting on fiat
stone, leaning against the bars. She
was very plainly dressed in black,
faded cashmere dress, scant in the
skirt and oldfashioned as to the
waist. Her crepe-trimmed bonnet
was very rusty, and her gloves showed
many darn. Tom paused to speak
to the stranger and offer his help.
Come along" said Flossy, in
loud whisper, Glow do you know but
we might catch something's"
But Tom persisted in his inquiries.
"What if mother were all alone,
tired out as this poor woman seems"
was his thought Il am going to
help her if she needs help"
la reply to his questions as to
what he could do for her, the woman
said that her name was Merrill, that
she had come from a distance, and
had by mistake left the train at the
wrong station. She had tried to
walk to her relative, Mrs. Abial Mer-
rill, but had been obliged to stop.
Tom knew there was Bal Merrill
in Cooks Corners, a little village
three miles further on, but he wasn't
going to let the poor weary woman
struggle on that distance without
food or sleep. No, his manly heart
forbade such thing, and with per-
feet courtesy he escorted her, supper
ted upon his arm, to his mother.
She was at once made comfortable in
every possible way, and told that she
must remain till the next day with
the Rands.
The children in the kitchen con-
suited each other in whispers Tom
heard them and smiled at their talk.