The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-03-05
THE CONTRARINESS OF MARY.
By Elizat eth McCracken.

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. suppose
heartless wretch. Perhaps | am;
but-Burney is SO exasperatlng!"
Her third letter had fallen to the
floor. She sa,agely pulled n from its
envelope. II was. as she knew. frorn
her cousin, DIR. Burney Harriston, -
who was so exasperating
MY dear Mistress Mary (quite con
trary)." tBurney is getting more hor-
rid every day." commented Mistress
Nary Wont you come down AMI
see my garden grow" before you go
away? | 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" ("The
audacity Of the boy!" exclaimed the
theorist) you don't realize that the
poorest, smallest human life is part
of the plan of the world, and cant be
Ilsregarded or forgotten.
you'll come down on Thursday.
won't you? Please do. When are you
going to Californian"
Mary slowly put the letter in the eli.
veloLe.
Perhaps I haven't been very nice 70
Burney. He is trying to do good, but
he Is carried away by enthusiasm.
don't know much about sum people,
but I do know how they live They
are just like animals; they have no
higher natures. They don't have any
ideals"
Mary pulled out Burney's letter and
read II for the second time.
"Tll go Thursday. I might as well; ;
and Grace wants to hear about It,"
She went upstairs to her room and
wrote a note to Burney. In the post
script she said. 81 am not yet abso.
lutely certain that [ shall go to Cali.
fcrnia. If do II will be next week"
DR.. Burney Harriston's Fresh Air
Hospital for children was merely n
large house. very near the sea and not
far from the city, and IL 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. 1T looks like an or
iinary house"
II Is an ordinary house-only with
more children in 1t than most houses
have"
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 little special as
sistance ana good food and fresh air.
| Some of them would have died without
| it,"
20 Burney, wouldn't it have been
better for them ii they had?' asked
h,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 a hos.
| pital inside. except that the rooms
haven't so many beds; and there are
so many windows that it's like being
| outdoors"
That's the important part of It,
| said Burney, eager to explain. "You
| see the children need principally ais
| and they get n lot this way; and II
| does them so much gooj!" Burney
fell into Mary's habit of italicizing
and Mary smiled at him more ap
provingly.
Now, Mary, have to go around and
see the patients. VIII you come OF
will you wander about as you like?"
| "Pll wander. thank you,' said Mary
ut will be more Interesting"
| She felt out of her element with the
nurses; they evidently looked upon
her as superfuous, and Mary was moi
accustomed to being viewed I'M any
such light.
| She peeped into the dining.room
smiled at the queer kitchen, examined
with interest the cots on the broad
| piazza, ard finally went into one ot
the cool rooms. through the door o
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
tracted by a man who sat beside the
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, a commonplace Irish lab
orer, but something in his utter alb
sorption in the child aroused Mary's
curiosity.
She stepped lightly across the room
and looked at the small, white face
with its pathetic mouth and droll
little turned-up nose.
What a cunning little girl" sh,
said to the man, resolving to scolC
Burney for failing to tell her the chill
dren in the hospital were so dear.
| tSurp mica N, hot ct Il. bo,