The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-23
THE PRILANTHROPISTS.


Emily. resting her chin on her hands
and staring at the fire.
why. what's the matter2" in
quired anxiously.
'or I ought to be-" she added with
sigh.
That's quite different I said.
Pm a miserable sinner, and Dora
Fenton's worse than 1 am
'Incrediblev' exclaimed Emily
/ looked at me sharply So, to prevent q
regrettable misunderstanding added:
The whole thing, / mean, of course
My sister sighed again, and polSed The
Girls win be girls she said.
j agreed with her.
II went to church yesterday evening
with Dora, and Mr. Fraser preached,
and made us feel aWfully wicked he
said we were a disgrace to CIVILIZATION
What! You and Miss Fenton2
s.Oh, all those people Who don't do any
work, but just idle their time away We
We're very solemn as we walked nome
But. Johnny. what do girls doz
Great heavensl Strange things
/ I'm talking seriously
s'Thev don't often do that
I mean good girls"
Il never knew any, said I, sorrow
/ fully shaking my head
Il don't think YOU could help US, re-
/ Piled Emily, scornfuliy. We're going
to call upon Mr.. Fraser this afternoon
/ became little alarmed.
'People--horrid people-nlay talk
said J.
II don't care Besides Dora and T
have put our heads together and made
up a. tale
Two heads should certainly be equal
to a tale / remarked ,
I'VE don't want it to be too sudden,
so We're going to say that We-We-olu
a little good in London"
when" I cried in Amusement
4 used to- visit old Mrs. Welllin,
/ in Whitechapel - sometimes, replied
/ Emily. And were only going TO give
a general impression. you know; we
sha'n't state any facts
1 have always considered Lady Emily
! to be a great loss to the political world
It's for a good purpose" she con-
II disapprove Of the whole business Z
| T said.
You don't want me to be good2''
I shook my head mournfully. The
/ thing is impossible ] said.
I'm going to try, however, replied
! Emily Dora and l have made UP our
! minds to visit all the poor people in the
/ years 5acket-but don't think that s
/ quite necessary I shall dress very
quietly in black and carry basket.
You'll catch a fever, expect
s-Rubbishr' said Emily
leaned forward and looked steadily
Mind you don't catch the curate,'
said
Emily. made no reply. Surely the fire
light was playing tricks. She could not
[ have smiled.
you chase mans heart like a boy
does a butterfly, only to run q pin
! through it when it is in your net re-
marked
stin no sound came from the other
side of the fireplace.
Sometimes. TOO. you prick your own
! fingers / added, and then paused to let
my httle sermon sink in. For a few sec
! ends the silence was unbroken except by
IL f0cr
. Then Emily said in q triumphant tone;
4 shall take them eggs. They're 50
/ nourishing."
Then she looked up innoeently into my
/ face and asked:
what were you saying about butter
flies. Johnny %
Angry at my want of success. 7 rose
to leave the room. But she jumped up
s.Of course. it's all right. Johnny she
\ said I'm going to be a good girl now.
with which assurance l was forced 70
I be content.
Nearly every morning after that fatal
sermon Emily and Miss Fenton. in black
I dresses, with baskets attached, min
istered to the deserving poor IN the VIII
lage. These accepted the situation, and
the eggs. with that cold Indifference and
want of gratitude so typical of the de-
serving poor Still. the philanthroplsts
! persevered, and. of course. were much
in the society Of the Rev. Wiifred Fra
ser. That the crash would come had
no doubt So I waited and watched.
About three weeks after the philan-
thropists had begun heirnoble work the
cllrate was called away to a neighbor-
I ing parish. He left on the Monday
morning and would not return Tor
I fortnight On the following saturday
/ morning Emily informed me that she
was to conduct the Sunday school in MS
absence, and that she was preparing a
lesson which would transform the VII
! lage children into angels with the Ut
most dispatch. (She rejected my offers
/ OF assistance with scorn.)
In the afternoon Emily. Miss Fenton and
7 were sitting round the fire discussing the
best way of teaching the young idea now
/ 10 shoot. and 10 shoot straight. wnen. TO
our surprise, the Rev Wiifred was an
This surprise was not diminished by his
/ behavior when he appeared Totally ig-
( ed Straight to Emily and held her hand
much longer than was necessary. Then
/ he said to her in low. fervent tone.
Thank you. thank you. From my heart
After which extraordinary speech he
shook hands with us and seated himself
ais close to Emily as possible.
There was silence for moment. Emily
4 looked ut the FIRE: the Rev. Wilfred look
ed at Emily; Miss Fenton and looked
..Oh. Mr. Fraser I'm so glad you've
when the silence grew oppressive we
wanted your advice sadly about the
mothers working meeting next Monday.
! They all want to make antlnacassars-
But antimacassars failed to rouse en-
thusiasm in the breast Of the curate- He
drawled out:
rs that so? But I'm very glad to know
that I wanted
You have such influence with the
mothers. said Emily turning toward
him. He had never taken his eyes off
her face, and something in them made
her turn to the fire again. began to
realize that it would be necessary for
Emily to nip the little man in the bud
Gle always reminded me of bud he
was SO small, and his cheeks were SO
pink.)
Then the Rev Wilfred hurled thun-
derb0lt among us.