The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-10-05
A LITTLE BENEFAcToR.

Inc Gays are so long ana WedIl-
sonnet" sighed Mrs. Harmon. She had
been confined to her room long time
by a chronic ailment She could not
go upstairs or down. She could not
visit her kitchen where a woman hired
by the week now filled her place.
Her husband was at worm from
morning till night out in the fields, and
her grown up daughter was away
teaching. She could ring a bell for
Mrs. Griggs if she wanted anything
and she could move her chair from the
window that looked out on the back
yard to the winow that looked out on
the road
But it was a road on which there was
not much passing. and the chief event
each day was the strolling by of per-
haps a dozen children to school with
their dinner pals in the morning, and
their return home in the afternoon.
For want of other amusement she
watchedthem languidly at first, and
after that with increasing interest
'Almy Chaplin and Grace Clark look
to be pretty intimate she often said
to. herself. as two little girls in plaid
aprons went by, sometimes each with
her arm around the others waist and
sometimes studying from one book as
NAACg VI d4hCds w GIL uStN " DS lIlll-
mate that same way with Almy's
mother when I was girl. She was
Lucy Gray then. And now 1 don't see
her once in six months. Folks around
here aren't very social"
Mrs. Harmon said this resignedly
She knew how busy all the housewives
were in their homes. When she was
we'll she had not gone out visiting very
often. There were the hens. the pigs,
the milk and the buttermaking to see
TO, besides the meals for the men and
the housework
But now, forced to give up work. time
passed. YEARLY. She had few resources:
sewing made her nervous. and she
cared little for reading, though she had
been a bright scholar when a girl, and
had taught the district school for two
summers before she was married. Here
she was. a clear-headed woman Of As.
tied down to an invalid chair waiting
for what?
81 declare. I won't spend another
minute watching that hen scratch up
the grass said she one morning as she
rolled her chair away from the back
window. ITS time for the school chill
dren to go by. Jimmy Grigg is swing
ing on our gate now, waiting for Benny
Chaplin to come along. There's Benny
now. Lucy Chapin must have big
washings. Benny goes to school every
morning in clean apron, and home in
a dirty one
She watched the bows saurter off
and then she watched till Alma
Chaplin and Grace went by. Presently
Tommy Cobb followed running and
stumbling. with his hand done I'D in
red handkerchief.
He was the last. and for more than
two hours after not even a dog passed
the house. 1t was tedious.
But in the afternoon Mrs. Charm
came into Mrs. Harmon's room with
Berry. SHE said there was goine to be
a r-other's meeting at the Schoolhouse,
aud she wanted to leave Benny with
Mrs Harmon till she came back.
He'll be good" she said You sit
there Benny and if Mrs. Harmon wants
ANYTHING you can wait on her.
She FASTENED away. leaving her in
valid friend looking at the little round
eyed boy who sat on low chair op-
posite her. He sat very still, for he was
being a good boy
Benny" she said at last How old
are vou?"
six and half" he said. ''I had a
birthday in December. Did you know
was born in December lust befo~n
Christmas? MY mother ALWAYS calls
me her Christmas present. had a
sled and six agates on NV birthday"
DO you like your SCHOOL,"
Yes. do. I'm in the third reader.
Jimmy Grigg and I began the primer
together. and pretty soon I went into
the first reader, but Jimmy stayed in
the primer. Then 7 went into the sec
ord reader. aud Jimmv STAYED in the
primer. Now I am in the third reader.
and Jimmy is in the primer yet. TIE
teacher SAYS it's because he doesn't
pronounce wei. but I think he could
pronounce well if he would only take
palms.
Mrs. Harmon felt that she was get