The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-09-03
III isc ellanenus
AGIRL WORTH HAVING.


ella, and / III going to let you sit with
him a little while, SO that your Ill other
can rest. But be very careful that
you don let him talk too much, won't
your"
Yes, doctor. But do you think
papa will ever be well again, Just as
we'll as he used to be?''
1t will be Il long time before he
will be, and be may never be. but 7
hope he may be quite strong, and
able to get much enjoyment out of
life, even if he must spend the rest of
his days as II cripple"
Marcia WINGED little at that word,
and the tears filled her eyes. but She
bravely forced them back. She did
not intend that the doctor should see
her crying; she was afraid he would
think she was not womanly enough
70 help take care of her father. -
at will be hard for him to he a dim
pie, and hard for us to see him H9ins
tess, but it is so much better than fof
us not to have hun at all, that can't
leel any other way than thahkftIll
her voice tremb!ed with SUPPRESSED
feeling, but her lips smiled as pleas
| antly rs usual, and that was very
pleasant.
Papa" she said, cheerily,a minute
alter, I've beaten them all; they Just
had t" let me take care of you. They
| couldn't hatch up another excuse to
prevent it. That's what comes of
persistence. The doctor said you
mustn't talk, but he didn't say |
mustn't; neither did he forbid my
kissing you, just once. There
Shell do, said the doctor to him
self, as he started off. He had been
| pl aging eavesdropper, to find out if
it were really safe to leave sixteen
yedr-old girl in charge OF his very sick
patient Marcia had only seen her
| father once before, since lie had fallen
| from the high building on which he
| was helping to build a chimney. and
she had been hastily summoned from
school, because they thought he was
| dying. The old doctor had feared
that she would make scene,n when
she did see him. But the wife was
| tired, the sick man would not have "A
strange nurse, and he had been call
ing for Marcia, SO it had been thought
best to try her.
IF that bright-eyed girl had only
been boy, there would be little
brighter outlook for poor Morris"
| unused the doctor, as he rode towards
the next patients house, for then
there would be prospect of help at
some future time; but now it certainly
| looks very dark for him.
1t surely did look dark, and the
| sick man, in spite of the repeated in
| junction not TO worry, could not help
wondering over and over again what
was to become of them all, and how
| they were to keep out Oft he poorhouse
\ workingman, with a family to feed
and clothe and educate, and who has
only his own hands to depend on. can
generally manage to lay up but little
| FIR the proverbial rainy day" But
when the rainy day has not only put
| in its appearance, but has rendered
the head of the house forever unit
Tor labor, the outlook is far from pleas
ant The Morris family was fortunate
in having their little home all paid
for, and enough money to help them
through the first weeks of their great
| trouble: but, i'll the eyes of their neigh
bOrs, they were unfortunateIn having
no boys in the family. "If Marcia
had only been boy, and could go to
work. had been said i'll her presence
over and over again, when sympa-
thetic friends had dropped in
with well-lneant advice and suggest
ions as to the best way for the
troubled family to earn their daily
| bread.
why can't | work, if I'm not a
boy" demanded Marcia.
why, you can, of course was the
answer, but what will it amount to?''
Girls get so little for their work; but
with boy it is different. a boy OF
sixteen is capable of earning very
good wages"
Never mind, girls" Marcia would
say, turning to her three younger sis,
tiers, I'VE won't cry because we're girls
till we're very sure that girls are nc
good, will we? | believe We can help
papa and mamma just as much as II
we were boys"
so do - answered each of the
sisters, who always believed every.
thing Marcia did.
But let us go back to the sick-rOom
and see how Marcia gets along in heI
new role of nurse.
AS | said before, papa, you mustn't
talk, but there Is no reason why you
shouldn't listen. AT least, the doctor
didn't say you shouldn't. I've been
thinking of something, for two OF
I y
up to try it, if you are willing. That
is one reason why was so determined
to take care of you all by myself
haven't said word to mamma yet
for she is so perfectly distracted that
she can't think of anything else but
just you. But I'm more heartless
thank fortune. lspeculated Oh what
you are thinking about, and was very
sure it was money. You've beer
worrying about how we were going tC
live, haven't you? Wink your eyes
fast, this way, if I've guessed right
There, | knew it all the time Are
You tired? Just shake Your head, but
, don speak. Oh, papa, don't laugh
don for anything! for that will excite
you, and then I'll get scolded, anC
they won't let me see you again!''
You're most too CAREFUL said the
| t..l-