The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-10-17
KATlE'S SILK QUILT.
A Little Girl who Lifted the Mort
gage and Won Many Hearts.


Katie sat thinking all morning how
she could help her sick mother The
more she thought the more she shook
her curly head. After awhile her eyes
frightened, and a smile broke over her
sweet little face. She ran to her moth
ers bedside, saying: "Oh, mamma,
mamma, have it! l have thought of
a plan if you will only let me try it,
What Is it, my darling" the pale
mother asked tenderly
well mamma, dear, l have been
thinking and thinking how l could
earn some money so that we could
keep our home. | want to go to Mrs.
Jackson and the other rich ladies and
ask them for the scraps Of silk and
velvet that have been left from their
beautiful dresses. l will make them
into a silk quilt and will do the work
so neatly that every lady who sees it
will want it. Then l will sell as many
tickets as | can at % cents apiece,
and maybe we will get enough money
to pay that awful mortgage"
The mothers eyes filed with tears as
she said, What a wise little head my
darling hast"
That very day Katie started out on
her Grand The first lady she went to
was Mrs. Jackson, for she was always
kind to the poor. She told all the pitt
full story about her sick mother, who
had no wood to make a fire on cold,
blustery mornings and who often had
very little to eat.
Mrs. Jackson was a sensible, kind
hearted woman with little boys and
girls of her own, so she felt very sorry
for Katie and her mother. She thought
Katie deserved great credit for her
pluck and determination. and she at
once sent her own little Mabel to bring
the scrap bag Before the day was
done the brave little girl had not only
collected enough pieces to begin her
quilt, but had also found her way into
the hearts of ever so many ladies who
felt that she was worthy of their help.
Eagerly she began her great task,
cutting the pieces and blending the col
ors in each block. She hardly took
time to eat or sleep, so anxious was
she to finish her quilt, and just before
Christmas the work was completed. 1t
was certainly beautiful, and coming
from such small hands made it doubly
interesting. No good father or mother
could refuse to take ticket. Some
took as many as a dozen.
lo ~ hnlI = Nfrc Too
home, and more than 200 tickets had
been sold. Mrs Jackson's dear friend,
Mrs Blackwell, held the lucky num-
Der, and she at once put up the quilt
and ratified it again. When Katie went
home that night, she had enough mon
ey not only to pay the mortgage, but
also to buy fuel and food to last them
many weeks.
The good people of the town took a
deep interest in the deserving widow
and her unseliish child, and every few
days something would be found on the
back porch. Sometimes it was bush
ell of potatoes or apples. Again there
would be a load of wood all nicely
piled up by some kind fairies or
huge bundle containing pretty warm
dresses that were just big enough for
Katie. On the first day of every month
an envelope was found under the kitch-
en- door with a crisp five dollar bill in
side
When the mother was able to be out
of bed, Katie started to school again,
and her bright face and earnest ways
made her favorite with all the teach
ers. She always stood at the head Of
her class, and in very few years she
was graduated with honors and was
given a position as a teacher. Thus
she was able to earn comfortable
living for herself and her mother, who
was now too old to sew.-New York
Herald,