Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-03-06
THE CONTRARINESS OF MARY.
BY Elizabeth McCracken.


mean to them, And how unselfish of
your cousin. I remember seeing him
once at college. Is he as nice as he
used to be?"
Mary sat, with her chin in her hands
gazing into space. Absorbed in it.
I've never even seen it. l suppose l
shall have to or, Grace will think I am
heaytless wretch Perhaps I am;
but-Burney is so exasperating!"
Her third letter had fallen to the
floor She savagely pulled it from it's
envelope. 1t was, as she knew, from
her cousin, DR.. Burney Karriston-
who was so exasDerating
MY dear Mistress Mary (quite CON
trary). (Burney is getting more hor-
rid every day" commented Mistress
Mary.) Wont you come down and
see my garden grow" before you go
away? l know you will see how val
liable all lives are if you will just see
and know some that are different from
yours. You judge too much in the
light of your own theories" ("Tha
audacity of the boy!" exclaimed tho
theoristD You don't realize that the
poorest, smallest human life is part
OF the plan of the world, and can't be
disregarded or forgotten.
You'll come down on Thursday,
won't you? Please do. When are you
going to California;"
Mary slowly put the letter in the en-
yeloLe.
Perhaps haven't been very nice to
Burney. He is trying to do good, but
he is carried away by enthusiasm.
don't know much about slum people.
but / do know how they live. They
are just like animals; they have no
higher natures. They don't have any
ideals"
Mary pulled out Burneys letter and
read it for the second time.
IN so Thursday. | might as well;
ard Grace wants to hear about it.
She went upstairs to her room and
wrote a note to Burney. In the post
script she said, Il am not yet abso-
lutely certain that | shall go to Cali.
fcrnia. If l do it will be next week"
DR.. Burney Harriston's Fresh Air
Hospital for children was merely
large house. very near the sea and not
far from the city, and it had room for
twenty children. Interested and gen
erCus friends had provided Burney
with funds for the work, and five Or
six nurses, who expected no summer
employment had volunteered their
services.
why, Buraey!" exclaimed Mary IN
Thursday morning. as they approach
ed the hospital. 1T looks like an or
dinary house"
1t is an ordinary house-only with
more children in it than most houses
have
What kind of children are they
irish?" asked Mary, mindful of her
friends questions
Some of them. There are all kini,s.
They aren't very i'll, most of them.
They merely need a little special as
sistance and good food and fresh air.
Some of them would have died without
it,"
20 Burney. wouldn't it have been
better for them il they had?" asked
4,-ary.
Mary, how can you ask that?" said
the young doctor rel roachfully.
1T seems better to me. Burney. But
don't look so shocked. Show me your
hospital 1t is very much like hos
pital inside, except that the rooms
haven't so many beds; and there are
so many windows that its like being
outdoors"
That's the important part of it,
said Burney, eager to explain. You
see the children need principally aic
and they get lot this way; and it
does them so much good" Burney
fell into Marys habit of italicizing,
and Mary smiled at him more ap-
provingly.
Now, Mary, have to go around and
see the patients. viii you come or
will you wander about as you like?"
"I'll wander, thank you" said Mary,
1T will be more interesting"
She felt out of her element with the
nurses they evidently looked upon
her as superfuous, and Mary was not
accustomed to being viewed in any
| such light
oHe pSSpeQ inlO tne ulnlng-TOuIQ,
smiled at the queer kitchen, examined
| with interest the cots on the broad
| piazza, and finally went into one Of
| the cool rooms, through the door of
| which she saw four little white beds
The little children in the beds were
asleep. and Mary would have left the
room had her attention not been at
tpn t<.1 1yra x,,1,., ~,
| bed in the corner, with his heavy eyes
fixed upon the small yellow head rest
ing on the Pillow. He was. to all ap
| pearances, commonplace Irish lab
| orer, but something in his utter alb
sorption in The child aroused Mary's
curiosity.
| She stepped lightly across the room