The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-11-24

for dear life on
Mrs. Joseph DentOn's second best black
: silk dress, which she was again making
over in conformity to tickle Dame
Fashions latest decree
#& Miss Matilda felt, indeed, as if she
} were veritably stitching for dear life
for, though she sewed industriously all
d day, save during such time as her house
+ hold duties absolutely demanded, and
s every day. save Sunday, she still found
1t difficult oftimes to meet the neces-
sary expenses in their little household
of two.
For Miss Matilda was extremely
neat and painstaking in her work, while
her charges were 80 very reasonable %
as Mrs. Denton, who was one of the
Il most well-to-do of her patrons, declared
with great satisfaction. In other words,
(. they were very low, indeed, and her
& earnings barely sufticed to pay rent
: and furnish meager supply of the
physical necessities of life for her moth
: er and herself; to do even this she rose
: early in the morning, and worked late
at night.
1t may never have occurred to Mrs.
: Denton that the question of reasonable
& pay might be a two-sided one In fact,
when this same second best black silk
dress had been brought for remodel
ing on the last occasion before this one,
and the Woodworking little dressmaker
:. ventured to hint that she thought the
work would be worth a certain sum,
the same being about dollar more
than her usual charges, Mrs Denton
was quite indignant, and intimated
that if Miss Matilda was going to ask
such prices she should thereafter take
her work to Mrs. Gable, who, having a
husband willing and competent to
provide the comforts of life. took in
dressmaking at low rates to obtain the
wherewithal for superfuities.
But Mrs. Cables work was not nearly
, so well done as Miss Matilla's, as Mrs.
Denton knew by report and personal
experience. 1t is not probable, there
fore, that she would have transferred
her patronage, even if Miss Matilda
Mad not, with an inaudible sigh as she
thought of the coal bin, thrown off the
extra dollar.
!. Then Mrs. Denton went down town,
4 and seeing dainty handkerchief which
! took her fancy, she bought it forth
with. She did not need it, to be sure,
but it was so sweet, and only a dol
lar and Mrs. Denton was feeling quite
rich just then.
Miss Matilda sat up until 10 o'clock
4 that night, and rose before daylight
the next morning, for, beside the low
state Of the coal bin, there was an al
! most empty flour barrel to consider,
and the rent would be due next week.
But Matilda Powers was naturally a
cheerful little body, and as she told her
minister when he called occasionally,
she chopped she was Christian.''
N This day, however-it was lust
week before Thanksgiving-while she
stitched away SO industriously on Mrs.
.Denton's black silk dress, her mind
'as busy as her slender fingers, she fell
Ito wondering whether she was a very
good Christian after all.
"Here l am" she unused, "calling N.Y.
self one of the Lords children, and
pretending to trust in Him, yet good
share of the time anxious and worried,
whether I shall be able to
swarm and clothe and feed us. I've read
somewhere that trust and worry don't
mingle any more than oil and water,
land it stands to reason that they can't.
Nov then, I'm going to stop worrying
and go to trusting. Yes, I am, from
sAthis very minute.
And there's another thing about it.
In the new version it says: Believe
that we have received,' so why shouldn't
!. n begin to thank the Lord that have
1.-THE things I need, if they're not right