The Opelousas courier., 1902-05-03

THE CONTRARINESS OF MARY.
By Elizabeth Mccracken,

~ SoAlA4OAICo N110L1O 20
Mary.) Wont you come down an
see my garden grow" before you g
away? l know you will see how va
liable all lives are if you will just Sc
and know some that are different fror
yours. You judge too much in tn
light Of your own theories" ("Th
audacity of the boy!" exclaimed tn
%theorist.) "You don't realize that tn,
poorest, smallest human life is a par
OF the plan of the world, and can't b.
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-
veloEe.
Perhaps ! haven't been very nice tt
TRurney. He is trying to do good, but
ne is carried away by enthusiasm.
don't know much about sluf& people
but I do know how they liv& They
are just like animals; they lave nc
higher natures. They don't hae any
Ideals" ".
Mary pulled out Burney's letteX and
read it for thfssecond time.
I'll go Thursday. I might as Nell;
and Grace wants to hear about it,
She went upstairs to her room aRR
wrote a note to Burney. In the post,
script she said, Il am not yet abso-
lutely certain that l shall go to Cali.
fcrnia. If / do it will be next week"
DR.. Burney Harriston's Fresh Air
Hospital for children was merely a
large house, very near the sea and not
far from the city, and it had room for
twenty children. Interested and gen
erous friends had provided Burney
with funds for the work, and five or
six nurses, who expected no summer
employment had volunteered their
services.
Why, Burney!" exclaimed Mary ON
Thursday morning, as they approach
ed the hospital. ut looks like an Or
binary house."
1t Is an ordinary house-only with
more children in 1t than most houses
What kind of children are they
Irish?" asked Mary, mindful of her
friends questions.
Some of them. There are all kinds.
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,"
% Burney. wouldn't 1t have been
for them If they had?" asked
Larry.
MARY, how can you ask that?" said
he young doctor reIroachfully.
st Gems better to me, Burney. But
don't look SO shocked. Show me your
hospital. It is very much like a hos
pital inside, except that the rooms
so many beds; and there are
10 many windows that it's like being
outdoors"
That's the important part of It."
laid Burney, eager to explain. "You
zee the children need principally ais
ind they get a lot this way; and it
loes them 80 much good!" Burney
into Mary's habit of italicizing,
nd Mary smiled at him more ap-
'rovingly.
Nov, Mary, l have to go around and
zee the patients. Will you come or
will you wander about as you like?"
It'll wander, thank you" said Mary. |
1t will be more interesting"
She felt out of her element with the |
.urses; they evidently looked upon
er as superfluous, and Mary was not
ccustomed to being viewed In any
UGH light.
She peeped into the dining-room.
miled at the queer kitchen, examined
18th interest the cots on the broad
iazza, and finally went into one of
cool rooms, through the door of
hitch she saw four little white beds.
The little children In the beds were
and Mary would have left the
pom had her attention not been at
acted by a man who sat beside the
ed in the corner, with his heavy eyes.
xed upon the small yellow head rest
e on the Pillow. He was. to all an
earances, a commonplace Irish lab
but something In his utter alb
in the child aroused Mary's
She stepped lightly across the room
looked at the small, white face.
It'll its pathetic mouth and droll.
tile tllrned-up nose
Whist a cunning little grill" she
to the man, resolving to scold
lrney for failing to tell her the chill
EN- in the hospital were SO dear.
Sure, miss, an it's thot she is. She's
9 only wan, and she's the amidge Of
n mother. She's homely, but she's
al cute"
Why, she's pretty" said Mary. ar
ImentativeIy.
An do you think SO. miss? Well
I I've seen ~wuss-lookin' vans He
smothed the coverlet with
3 coarse red hand.
She isn't very III, is she?" Mary
ked.
Where is her mother?" she added
ddenly remembering that the mar
4 mentioned her.
All, miss, she's dead; an me little
ri would ha' been dead, too, but :
Docthor Harriston. An do YOU !
ow Docthor Harriston, miss?" +.
Oh, yes, he is my cousin. I know Z
n very WELL" said Mary.
Sure it's a foine man ye be I
OWN; and it's proud We must be ]
be havin him for a cousin" Mary {
q never happened to take this view