The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-01-22
Jamie, the Cripple.


lBy Lucy F. Gerfish in Union Signal)
Hurrah! Ten cents every week for
all the errands I do!' shouted Ralph
to his friend Herbert, as he rushed out
OF the house on his way to school.
L wish I could have ten cents" said
Herbert, softly, 'but 1 don't think my
mamma could spare it to me, there are
so many of us; and, you know, Jamie
is SICK so much, we have lots of bills
TO pay. Poor Jamie! 1 do wish his
back would not keep growing so crook
ed and ache so; I would like to have
him grow we'll"
Inc two boys started off to school;
ana during the opening exercises
! halph was thinking all the time. what
Herbert had said about little jamie.
He knew jamie was cripple, but he
ola not realize that he must suffer
great DEAL
How. did God happen to make him
that way?" said Ralph to his mother
that night.
HE did not make him that way.
dear" replied his mother. "He was
running about the field after beauti-
full yellow butterfly. 1t flew over the
old iron fence; and, as jamie was very
small, ne tried to get through after it:
out the fence gave way and fell crush
ing little jamie beneath it. His cries
attracted the men who were at work
in the field, and they took him I'D gent
walk again, as he had injured his
spine. So he has to keep in his chair
all the time; and mamma thinks he
must be very patient little boy
much more so than some little bows
who have everything-and I am sure
God must be proud of such patient
little sufferer
II should not have thought God
would let that horrid fence come
down." said Ralph.
1T was not Gods fault; he made
Jamie we'll and strong. But others
were careless, and did not keep the
fence as it should be kept
do you suppose He would care if T
bought an awful lot of candy with nv
money!"
II am afraid He. would think Ralnb
rather selfish" .ss " -. .-.>,~.s 49,. =
The next day was Saturday. Ralph
kept hearing the word selfish, and
his heart seemed full of the story of lii
tie jamie. III a..ss .sss :.
The bright little silver piece sim
stayed in his pocket. Twice he was
tempted to spend it for candy. and
twice something said in the little heart
Selfish. =
Another week went by, and still an
other and another, until four little sill
yer pieces, making forty cents. were
nicely put away in a little box. ~
One night as his mother kissed him
goodnight, she said, What is the mat
ter with my boy, that he is so quiet
and thoughtful?''' q. Es .s.. n
Ralph choked back lump which
would come in his throat, and with a
cry said, 20, mother, can't get that
word selfish out of my heart, and !
do wish could make God see me not
SO selfish. i tried to think it was not
me that was selfish, but know it
was
aNever mind" said his mother: SIT
you are really sorry, God will under
stand. s.t II 5s@s ~
Mother, dear, I know what 1 viii do
with my silver pieces. will give
them to Jamie to Il buy whatever he
wants; and half Of all I can earn ia
ME shall have. Z, ISL
That is mothers noble, unselfish
boy. To give others pleasure, dear,
will give you much more pleasure than
[ the money possibly could Z ].
l@ The next day the silver pieces found
their way to the sick child J; and such
"a happy. boy as little Jamie was, and
Il such a happy face Ralph wore! .ssS
( The next Saturday night beside his.
bed he found piece Of saper on which