The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-09-03

talk a | tile all along, and | guess it
won't hurt me to say yes and no,
now"
"Oh, won't ii I'm awfully glad, for
1t was almost too much for my gravity
to see you lying there, blinking like a
sleepy owl. But | know you musn t
talk much, or the doctor wOulhn' t
have laid such fearful commands on
me. Well, what | wanted to say is
this: | believe I've thought of some
thing l can do to support the family.
III going to be travelling salesman
! Tor grocery store.
Mr.. Morris looked at his daughter
in amaZement, and opened his mouth
to echo her last remarkable statement
! but plump hand instantly covered
1t and merry laugh sounded in his
! ear.
"Oh, papa, don speak, please don't
L suspect L bave spoiled everything by
! giggling out i'll that way, but you did
look so funny. Actually, papa, you
| did look TOO Mortified for anything.
| Do you suppose anyone heard me
| laughing? hope not. for | haven't
| got half through with you yet. Now
be patient, amt I'll explain. l was
! thinking how easily Mr.. Bailey made
Il llN ou hl1O" lit Is At lTdN cllIllS
salesman for a grocery store; and |
came pretty near wishing | was boy
so that | could go and do likewise
Guess | should have wished it, if |
hadn't been taken with the idea that
! could do it anyway; SO | called on
Mr.. Allen at Once-your look of hor-
| ror grows more intense, but don't you
dare utter a syllable-and laid the
plan beforehim with many misgivings,
! much trembling, and few tears Oh
my stubby eyelashes. Honestly, papa
| was pretty near frightened to death:
but Mr.. Allen says lie will give me
ten per cent. commission on all the
groceries | can sell, and | am to de-
liver everything but ilourand heavy
things of that sort. | thought if 1
could make Dobbin useful, then we
shouldn't be obliged to sell him, and
you will need him when you are able
to ride out. There are great many
people in this city; and it seems as if |
could persuade Il few of them to buy
their groceries of me, doesn't il:
What do you think of the plan? Are
you willing SHOULD try
Mr.. Morris nodded assent. There
was DO need this time for his daughter
to warn him not to speak, for he
couldn't have said IL word had he
tried.
"-AIl right, papa answered Marcia,
I'll begin tomorrow, and oh, how |
30 hope shall succeed, | might 20
out as u child nurse or house work
girl, but | couldn't earn much, and
don want to go away from home. |
want to earn just as much money as Il
boy would, and stay at home, too.
And, you see, if l can work up in this,
Gertie can help me after awhile
Mamma came in just then, and was
informed that papa was much better,
for he had been receiving treatment
from an excellent mind physician,
whose services he wouldn't exchange
for Il dozen Mr. Wilson's.
Marcia went at her new work eper-
geticaity, Just as size did everything
else. She found many diSagreeabie
things about 1t, and met many impo-
lite people, and experienced not Il few
iscOuragements, but she would not
give up. and she finally succeeded i'll
earning very good living for her
family. Every forenoon is spent i'll
taking orders for groceries; every at
ternoon i'll delivering them. She is
prompt, businesslike and pleasant,
and is welcomed in many homes where
IL man would not be tolerated. As
last as she got regular customers
whose patronage she was sure of, she
put them Old her list TO be visited Oh
esftain Saa3sof the week, and gradual
IY GeHtie,Was brought to be of use in
/. tfiliIftg their orders, while Marcia
tinfomew quarters to drum up
---.---trrEsfv1- sue WeIiS ilteu III Calling
it. ..'tt4f liis.ss.s.s
Mr. Morris is not able to work, and
never W II be again, but their pretty
little home has not been mortgaged,
as the neighbors said it would have
to be; the horse and buggy have not
been sold, the family is not i'll debt,
nor do they depend on their neighbors
for help, and every one is obliged to
confess that they got along quite
as well as they could have done had
Marcia been Il boy.