Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01
WHAT ONE GIRL DID.
By Henry COyle.

BY Henry COyle.
ooh. dear, I wish 1 was rich!" exclaimed
Mary Walters, a little girl about thirteen
years old.
why so, dear?' asked her mother, who
sat at a window sewing.
II could do so much good and would be
very happy"
Happy" repeated Mrs. Walters, with a
sigh. Rich people are not always happy,
and 1t is not really necessary to be rich in
order to do good in the world. Some of the
most useful people 1 know are what is
called poor"
was sure that If she had great wealth she
would be happy, and would be able to make
other people happy.
Why not try today and see how many
people you can make happy?' said her
mother, after few moments.
But, mother, what can do? 1 am only
little girl"
There are a great many things which
even a little girl may do" replied her
mother, with a smile. Let us see what one
little girl will do
Mary did not answer, and she was silent
for several minutes. 1t was early In the
morning and they had but just finished
breakfast. Suddenly the door bell rang
and Mary jumped up from her chair.
Anne is upstairs, mother" she said. Il
will go to the door" As she passed through
the hall she called up the stairs. You need
not come down, Anne I will answer the
bell"
1t was the postman with the morning
mall and she brought the letters and papers
into the room and placed them on the table,
where her father would find them when he
came in from the garden. Suddenly she
returned to the table, and taking an ivory
paper cutter which lay there she proceeded
to cut the leaves of the magazines. Her
mother looked up from her work and
smiled.
Father will be pleased she said. ''You
are certainly making a fair beginning.
How is little Sadie Allen? Have you seen
her lately?'
NO; we are not good friends"
What has happened? 1 always thought
she was an amiaOle little girl
She IS a real mean thing"
But why? What did she dor
Mary hesitated- She was unable to give
a direct answer to her mothers question.
We'll, our teacher left the room one day
last week, and she appointed Sadie Allen as
monitor. When Miss Hart returned Sadie
reported Mamie Wells as disorderly.'
And was she?'
We'll, yes, but"
Mary caught her mothers expression and
her eyes fell
But what? Mamie Wells did wrong, and
Sadie, as in duty bound, reported her. If
she had not done so she would have been
equally guilty. Sadie Is a good girl and
does all she can to help her poor mother,
who Is having a hard struggle to support
nST SICK husband ana lame daughter. i
think she is noble girl and did not hest
tate 10 tell 'the truth, even though all the
scholars disliked her for so doing"
Mary listened to what her mother said,
and after a moments pause replied, You
are right. mother. l am very sorry"
She left the room soon after this CONVEX
sation and went into the kitchen, where
she found Anne bpsily engaged in prepar-
ing for dinner.
Anne" she said, 'I am going over to
see poor Mrs. Allen. Have you anything
good to eat you can spare?"
Now. Anne was not usually cross, but to-
day she was very busy and she answered
shortly, Il can't stop now, dear: don't
bother me. There's all those berries to
pick over, and"
But. Anne, let me pick them,' and she
went into the dining room for her apron.
When she returned to the kitchen she
picked over the berries and was so indus
trious that in short time they were ready
Now, what else can do?' said Mary,
with a smile.
What! Have you picked them over 80
soon? Well. declare! And you did 1t well,
too. You are good girl and will see what
can give you to take over to the Aliens"
In few minutes she returned with a
small basket, which was covered with a
white towel.
There" she said. take that over to Mrs
Aliens when you 60 There's a cold
chicken, pound cake. some jelly, "a"
"Oh, you dear. good old Annie!" cried
mary, hlSslnB ana plncnlnS the COOK 8 rat
arms.
There, there! Run away, noww
Mary FASTENED to the hall and when she
put her hat on she went to the sitting room
door.
II am going over to Mrs Aliens for
while mother" she said; and am taking
something good with me. 1 shall not be
gone long"
VERY well, dear. Take her my love-"
With light heart Mary took the basket
and hurried on her way to see her friend
Sadie. AS she went along the road she
gathered a bunch Of wild flowers for Sa-
dies sister, the little cripple.
She soon came to the cottage where the
Aliens lived. 1t was a small house. sadly
In need of repair. but the interior was very
neat and clean, There were two flower pots
standing in the window, one containing q
geranium. the other an ivy, and both were
green and fiourishing.
Alice, the sick girl, was sitting at the win
dow, which was open that the pleasant air
might come into the room. She smiled
when she saw who her visitor was and said
she was glad to see her. She kissed the
bunch Of flowers and placed them in q tum-
bier OF water which stood on a table near
her
The sick girl was very delicate, and she
required constant care and nourishing food
which her poor mother was not able to give
her Mr.. Allen was also very Ill, the result
Of severe cold: but he was now getting
better and hoped to be able to resume his
work soon. Mrs Allen was having a hard
struggle to provide for all their wants