The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
The PhilanthrOpiStS.

sigh.
| frightened
'Incrcdible!'' exclaimed Emily looked
at me sharply. So, to prevent a regret
table misunderstanding 1 added:
THE whole thing. 1 mean, of course
My sister sighed again and poked the
fire. sG&S
Girls will be girls. She said.
1 agreed with her.
81 went to church yesterday evening
with Dora, and Mr.. Fraser preached. and
made us feel awfully kicked He said we
were n disgrace to 'ciTilization.'
What! You and Miss Fenton?"
"Oh. all those people who don't do any
work, but just idle their time away. We
were very solemn as we walked home.
But. Johnny what do girls do?''
Great heavens! Strange things"
I'm talking seriously"
"1'hey don't often DO that"
81 mean good girls.'
'T never knew any," said I. sorrowfully
shaking my head.
'T didn't think you could help us" re-
piled Emily. scornfully. Were going to
call upon Mr. Fraser this afternoon"
I became a little alarmed.
"People-horrid people-may talk" said
81 don't care Besides. Dora and have
put our heads together and made up
tale
Two heads should certainly be equal to
a tale" | remarked
We don't want 1t to be too sudden, so
we're going to say that we-we-did
little good in London
When" | cried in Amusement
81 used to visit old Mrs. Weiifin in
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." replied Emily.
And we'ro only going to give general
impression. you know; we shan't state
any facts
/ have always considered Lady Emily to
be great loss to the political world.
1T s for good purpose, she continued
said.
You don't want me to be good7"
shook my head mournfuily THE
thing is impossible I said.
I'm going tn try. however, replied
Emily. Dora and have made up our
village. Dora says she will wear a last
years jacket-but | don't think that's
quite necessary. l shall dress very qui-
city !yi in black toi and carry basket"
Rubbish" said Emily.
l leaned forward and looked steadily at
Mind you don't catch the curate,"
said.
Emily made no reply Surely the freight
was playing tricks. She could not have
smiled.
You chase a mans heart like boy
does butterfly. only to run pin through
it when IL is in your net" remarked.
Still no sound came from the other side
of the fireplace.
Sometimes. too. you prick your own fin
gers | added, and then paused to let my
little sermon sink in. For few seconds
the silence was unbroken except by the
pattering of the rain on the window. Then
Emily said in triumphant tone:
sl,Dn cob 4kar,1
| nourshlng."
Then she looked Up innocently into my
! face and asked
What were you saying about butter
| Angry at my want of success, I rose to
leave the room. But she jumped up and
kissed me.
"Of course. it's all right. Johnny" she
said I'm going to be a good girl now"
! With which assurance / was forced to be
content.
Nearly every morning after that fatal
sermon Emily and Miss Fenton, in black
| dresses. with baskets attached. ministered
! to the deserving poor in the village These
accepted the situation. and the eggs. with
| that cold Indifference and want of gra IT,
/ tude so typical of the deserving poor.
| Still, the phfiauthropists persevered, ard,
I Of course. were much H. the society of he
| Rev. Wilfred Fraser. That the crash
| would come / had no doubt. So l waited
| and watched
About three weeks after the phiIanthro-
| pists had begun their noble work the Gu
| rate was called away to neighboring par
| ish. He left on the Monday morning and
would not return for a fortnight. On the
| following Saturday morning Emily in
| formed me that she was to conduct the
| Sunday school in his absence and that she
was preparing lesson which would trans
| form the village children into angels with
! the utmost despatch. (She rejected my of
( feFs Of assistance with scornD
| In the afternoon Emily, Miss Fenton,
| and were sitting round the fire discus
sing the best way of teaching the Young
idea to shoot and to shoot straight when
to our surprise, the Rev. Wilfred was an
| nounced.
| This surprise was not diminished by his
| behavior when he appeared. Totally ig-
| norng Miss Fenton and myself he walked
| straight to Emily and held her hand much
| longer than WAS necessary. Then he said
! to her in a low. fervent tone:
Thank you, thank you. From my heart
| I thank you
| After which extraordinary speech he
| shook hands with us and seated himself
as close TO Emily as possible.
| There was silence for a moment Emily
| looked al the fire; the Rev Wifred looked
| at Emily; Miss Fenton and | looked at
each other.
come back, burst in Miss Fenton. just
| when the silence grew oppressive. We
| wanted your advice sadly about the moth
| ers' working meeting next Monday. They
1
| But anti-macas sars failed to rouse en-
thusiasm in the breast OF the curate. He
drawled out:
rs that so? But I am very glad to
! know that | was wanted"
| You haze such influence with the moth
| ers.' 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. CHe always re-
minded me Of bud: he was so small and
his checks were so pink
| Then the Rev. Wilfred hurled a thunder
bolt among Us.
only with mothers, Emily" ne asked,
| in a whisper. which, however, I heard dis
tinctly. Emily started. and gave him a
look calculated to wither ordinary man.
But the curate only smiled at her. There
was an air of possession about him: he
| might have been Emily's accepted lover.
| / shuddered to think what must be in
store for him when Emily had him alone.
That Miss Fenton grasped the situation
| was apparent, FOR she promptly turned
the conversation 70 safer topics. She rose
| and loOlt d cut of the window.
THE rain will make the roads bad for
cycling" she said. But then you disap-
prove of that exercise, believe. Mr..
( Fraser?'
For women, yes. The advent of the
cycle has revolutioniZed the world. When
woman fist mounts a bicycle she falls
| from her high estate"
Yes said |. She does bit of fall
ing about that time"
The Rev. WlIfred glared me. Emily
said:
You mustn't mind my brother. Mr..
| Fraser
! Certainly. 7 did not want mindlng. I
was not Sunday school.
| The glare aided at the sound of Emily's
voice Though | fancied the fire was still
| smoldering). and he continued:
| She has turned her spinning wheel into
a BICYCLE involuntarily closed my eyes: