The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-07-18

UI N4E| NURSING q SICK nEUIEEt EnA
looked and felt as Gross as two sticks
nefore Winnie had fairly told her err
rand the girl looked pleasanters be-
fore the parcel was done up she smiled
and as Winnie disappeared through tho
door the girl really looked IS though.
she thought the world a very nice
place.
And al that Winnie had done wal to
make 8 few pleasant remarks about the
weather and prevent the girl from TAX
ing down q lot Of unnecessary boxes
from the shelves, because she saw the
girl was tired, and to smile and nod q
good-by when she turned TO 60.
As Winnie came out Of the store she
caught sight Of a little ragged boy sit
ting on the curbstone. A large tear
was rolling down bis grimy check, and
he looked the picture Of woe. Winnie
stopped and spoke to him and ques-
tioned him, and found that he was cold,
yes, and hungry.
Dear me, this will never dol" said
Winnie. .Come with me, my little
man." and she led him across the street
into the grocery store. AS her school
was at a considerable distance from her
home. Winnie usually rode in the cars
one way, and SO she had just five cents
with her. With the five cents she
bought q puffy mince turnover and a
shiny bun, and when she had asked
the storekeeper to let the boy sit beside
the radiator while he ate these delica-
cies, she went IN her way rejoicing.
The little boy guzed after her, his
cheeks distended with pastry and q
grin of perfect content on his dirty
little face.
The storekeeper, too, who had been
scolding his chore boy in a frightful
manner when Winnie opened the door
now looked as mild as any lamb, quite
benevolent, in fact, and the chore boy
was whistling softly to himself as he
wiped the dust from ashelf.
Winnie walked briskly along, for il
was getting near school time. Agoot
many of the people she met glanced
at her as they passed, and the glanci
seemed somehow to have a cheering eff
feet on them, for their eyes brightenet
and they stepped more quickly and hell
their heads a little higher.
When quite near the school hous
Winnie overlook n of her classmates
There was a cloud ON his face, but tn,
instant she spoke to him it disappeared
and he actually smiled as he turne,
toward her, though the tone OF his voic,
was still somewhat lugubrious.
Have you done those two problem
An algeebEa2 ~ he asked.
mo-" laughed Winnie; have you?
Il sat up half the night trying, an,
4 don't believe they can be done" sal,
the boy, bitterly.
"Oh, yes" answered Winnie. Evil
Bailey told me last night that he ha,
done one Of them and I mean to 20 a
them ia good earnest as sOop as / &c
the history lesson Of my mind. Ithinl
NE can do them.
. Perhaps we cam, said the boy, MOI
4 hopefully, and by the time they reach
the schoolhouse steps he was not onl
convinced TINT he could, but resolve
that he would do them, and was quit
cheerful In consequence.
As I said before, It was q cold morr
ing and the schoolroom felt the effeC
( oft. The heat didn't come es it SHOULD
and the teacher and all the scholars ha
blue noses and their shoulders wer
drawn up.
{ Winnie and the boy were two second
late, and Miss Miller frowned as sh
{ heard their footsteps in the hall, bu
! when she saw Winnie her frown fade
CUT Moreover, as Winnie walked /
I her seat nearly every pair Of shoulder
J In the room went down a trihe, i
! though her coming had. IN some my
~terious way, tempered the prevailin
. frigidity.
Nothing Of particular moment ma,
pened during the forenoon, unless
was the falling out Of Nellie Patterso
and Julia Davis at recess. Their eye
8 were flashing and they were maxim
t the most ill-natured remarks to eac
+ other, when Winnie CHANGED their wa,
r I don't know whether she said an,
Q thing or only looked in their eyes ii
+ they couldn't help laughing, but /
know that two minutes later Nellie an
Julia were pacing the hall arm in ar
and on the best Of terms.
g There were seven scholars who live
SO far away that they always brougI
5 their dinner, excepting when they 70
got it, as did Annie and Frank Cairo
on this particular day. Winnie spis
them standing apart from the other
staring disconsolately out Of a windol
y and Immediately OWNED the troubl
Almost before you could say "Jac
Robinson" she had gone to them al
d before you could count so the thr,
= were seated, with Winnie's lunch ba
ket in their midst, making merry ovl
d the shortness Of their commons. The
r the other four Joined the group and d
= yided their lunch also, and as the mot
a ers OF some of them had been particula
" bountiful in the matter Of food TIL
day the whole seven Jared well enoug
E and / dare say ate all that was good I,
!. them.
On the way home from school
q night Winnie saw two boys on the sid
walk ahead Of her slyIy upset a fru
! stand, behind which sat an old Iris
woman. a policeman who had con