The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-06-30
| fIE MAGIC QUIL I
BY MARY CAROLINE HYDE
A JUVENILE STORY

In little house ton the edge Of a
wood there lived Rosalie and her baby
sister Elsie. The house was built of
logs and had but one room, u11e win
dow, one dnor and a big chimney
pushing it's way Through q miserable
hoof of thatch. Rosalie shivgred when
,ever the Little SISTER awoke, for she
knew that each meal brought them so
much nearer the end of the food. There
were but two potatoes left and only
crust of bread. Elsie awoke>erying hard
for something to eat. Rosalie gave her
the crust and sset the potatoes to roast
'ing in the ashes of the big fireplace.
Against ;the.panes Of the one window
there had been a feeble drizzle all the
morning and now it began to pour in
torrents, and Rosalie and Elsie were
forced to Sthe chimney place to keep
dry Even here the raindrops some
times managed to find the way and
sputtered and hissed as they fell on
the fire. 'Rosalie went to a large wood
box and flung handful after handful of
dry sticAsoan the flames. a..
There came a pound upon the door
as If someone were hitting it in a great
hurry ito get in. Rosalie crept cautious
ly to the window and looked out, All
that she ecould Sc at the door was an
old woman, in a high, peaked hat and
a patchwork quilt pinned over her
shoulders; to keep off the rain.
".Foor aodd creature cried Rosalie to
4heEself, and she flew to the door to let
! her in. The old woman made a low
courtesy and entered hobbling. Her
face was zwrinkled and very ugly and
her feet were quite bare. She made
Aher way. across the room to the fire.
place Wkere she sank wearily upon a
bench.
Il am ssorry for you," said Rosalie,
pityingly. II ought to have opened
the door sooner,'' and she looked at the
water dripping from the quilt and
making little pools on the floor. -.
Bless you, my child,'' responded the
old woman. ..I was doubling if you
would 1et ssuch an ugly old woman
Come IN rat all. . -. Il 1sf z4z@5
Indeed would, 2 said Rosalie hon.
estly. ~ am very sorry for you. Won't
yoa please take off your things ?' and
she glanced IRON the dripping quilt to
the high,speaked hat The old woman's
eyes almost twinkled as she unfast-
ened tine cquiltl and laid it on the floor,
but she did not take off her hat
=. i, =,
swallowing her own hunger won't
you have this roast potato?'' she said
aloud, and drawing it out of the hot
ashes, she broke it open, sprinkling it
with saltrand handed it to the old wo-
man. = .-.'.& ~ -. H.
MY child, you are very good" said
the old woman, selling the food and
eating it so greedily that soon nothing
was left butt the crisped, brown shell. =
i~*Isam,very sorry for you" said Rosa
1ie,' 1:but we have no more potatoes.
Perhaps when my father comes home
from the war we shall have plenty.
wish helwonld >come=soon, but he is fa1
away ~
As Rosalie said; the third time, II an
sorry fol. .you," the >old woman's face
grew actually lovely. .1-s. .'s. -,
My dear child,''' she said, II have
been clear round the world to find
some one to say to a poor, ugly, OLD
woman: Il am sorry for you At last
hear lit from "a little girl, who gives
me shelter and her last mouthful o1
food. Do you know that these words
+. three times reneatad& hv Won have