The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-01-17
A LITTLE BENEFACTOR.
BY MARY l.. IL. BRANCH.

1.-THE days are so long and weari-
some!" sighed Mrs. Harmon. She had
been confined to her room a long time
by chronic ailment. She could not
go upstairs or down. She could not
visit her kitchen, where woman hired
by the week now filed her place.
Her husband was at work from morn
ing till night out in the fields, and her
grown-up daughter was away teaching.
She could ring a bell for Mrs. Grigg
if she wanted anything, and she could
move her chair from the window that
looked out on the back yard to the
window that looked out on the road.
But it was "a road on which there was
not much passing, and the chief event
each day was the strolling by of per-
haps a dozen children to school with
their dinner pals in the morning, and
their return home in the afternoon.
For want of other amusement she
watched them languidly at first, and
after that with increasing interest.
''Almy Chaplin and Grace Clark look
to be pretty intimate" she often said
to herself, as two little girls in plaid
aprons went by, sometimes each with
her arm around the others waist, and
sometimes studying from one book ass
they walked. well, / used to be init
mate that same way with Almy's
mother when | was girl. She was
Lucy Gray then. And now don't see
her once in six months. Folks around
here aren't very social
Mrs. Harmon said this resignedly.
She knew how busy all the housewives
were in their homes. When she was
well she had not gone out visiting very
often. There were the hens, the pigs,
the milk and the buttermaking to see
to, besides the meals for the men and
the housework.
But now, forced to give up work, time
passed YEARLY. She had few resources;
sewing made her nervous, and she
cared little for reading, though she had
been a bright scholar when girl, and
had taught the district school for two
summers before she was married. Here
she was, a clear-headed woman of As,
tied down to an invalid chair waiting
for what?
II declare, | won't spend another
minute watching that hen scratch up
the grass!" she said one morning, as she
rolled her chair away from the back
window. Its time for the school chill
dren to go by. Jimmy Grigg is swing
ing on our gate now, waiting for Benny
Chaplin to come along. There's Benny
now. Lucy Chaplin must have big
washings. Benny goes to school every
morning in a clean apron, and home in
dirty one"
She watched the boys saunter oil,
and then she watched till Alma
Chaplin and Grace went by. Presently
Tommy Cobb followed, running and
stumbling, with his hand done up in
red handkerchief.
He was the last, and for more than
two hours after not even dog passed
the house. 1t was tedious.
But in the afternoon Mrs. Chaplin
came into Mrs. Harmon's room with
Benny. She said there was going to be
mothers meeting at the schoolhouse,
and she wanted to leave Benny with
Mrs. Harmon till she came back.
Hell be good" she said. "You sit
there, Benny, and If Mrs. Harmon wants
anything you can wait on her."
She FASTENED away, leaving her in
valid friend looking at the little round
eyed boy who sat on a low chair OBJ
posite her. He sat very still, for he was
being good boy.
Benny" she said at last, chow old
are your"
''Six and hail. he said. 81 had a
birthday in December. Did you know
l was born in December just before
Christmas? My mother always calls
me her Christmas present. l had a
sled and six agates on my birthday"
do you like your school?"
Yes, do. I'm in the third reader
Jimmy Grigg and | began the primer
together, and pretty soon l went into
the first reader, but Jimmy stayed in
the primer. Then | went into the sec
ond reader, and Jimmy stayed in the
primer. Now | am in the third reader,
and Jimmy is in the primer yet. The
teacher says it's because he doesn't pro-
nounce well, but | think he could pro-
nounce well if he would only take
palms."
Mrs. Harmon felt that she was get
ting very interesting replies from this
talkative little boy.
1--WE read Robinson Crusoe' through
three times" he added.
WAS Tommy Cobb late this morn
lng?" she asked.
"Yes, but his mother wrote him an
excuse. He got hurt yesterday. He
came to my house and climbed on top
Of the woodpile. Mother said: Get
down, Tommy, or you'll fall but he
1idn't get down. She said: Tommy
tobb. get right down, or you'll fall ana
hurt yourself, and he did fall and hurt
Lis wrist so it swelled all up"
well. declared" said Mrs. Harmon.
Her next question was: "Almy likes
Grace Clark pretty well, doesn't she?"
Yes; they're intimate friends
They've begun patchwork together, and
they divide tLeir pieces. They've got
pieces OF all ms aprons. But everything
is used up now, and they'll have to stop
hort. They wanted to make bed
quilts, and now they can only make
cribquiIts; and there isn't a baby in
either family