The Tupelo journal., 1903-03-27

TOHANNA as a housemaid had been
U a distinct failure; but when, af-
ter a lapse of six years, she presented
herself at the door of her former
mistress with the announcement that
she was~the widowed mother of three
little children, and much in need OF
assistance, Mrs. Winthrop listened
with interest.
"A girl of five, did you say" asked
Mrs. Winthrop, kindly, "a boy OF
three, and a small baby. Why, Jo-
hanna, how providential! That's just
my number. | have a girl of six, a
boy of four and a great big baby, and
I've been wishing 1 could lind just the
right sort of family to take their
outgrown clothes. They all grow like
weeds. Just sit down for a moment,
and I'll bring you a great big bundle
of things"
Four times a year for the next dec
ade Johanna halted her bony, half
starved horse at the Winthrops' neat
horseback and received the unfail-
ing bundle. She lived too far away to
come oftener, for besides the three
children and the old white horse with
truly remarkable bones-'He wore
them on the outside like armor,'
Mr.. Winthrop said-Johanna had ac-
quired a farm, about IA miles from
the town. Judging from it's produc-
tions, Mrs. Winthrop concluded that
the farm was wen less prosperous
than the horse.
Johanna, however, was nothing if
not grateful. When the bundle was
safely tucked away under the seat of
the wagon, which always looked as
if each journey would be it's last, Jo-
hanna would grope about in the straw
and finally bring forth an untidy par
Gel containing a dozen understood
eggs, a few gnarled beets, a stunted
cabbage or an emaciated chicken.
Apparently nothing ever throve on
~Johanna's farm; but the poor wo-
mar gave the best she had, and Mrs.
Winthrop appreciated the spirit that
prompted the gifts.
Johanna" Mrs. Winthrop would
say, lis certainly the most grateful
creature | yer knew, as well as the
most Incapable. l would defy any,
body to produce knottier turnips on
pithier radishes than those Johanna
brings me, but it's the best she car
do, poor thing!"
The little Winthrops continued to
outgrow their garments, and the lit
tie Hansens continued to fall heirs to
them, and it seemed a most con-
venient arrangement all round.
Il guess you'd better give this to
the Hansens, Pauline would say, hold
ing up a discarded garment. There's
an ink stain on the skirt, and the
sleeves are too short" Or Gordon
would ask: Cant l put these shoes
in the pile for the Hansens, mother?
There's a hole in the toe and they're
getting too short"
Even the fat baby learned to add
his broken toys to the pile, and the
little Winthrops liked to imagine the
delight of the little Hansens upon
opening the bundle.
Particularly to Pauline, who vas
a selfish young person, and not at all
given to making sacrifices for other
people, was the idea a pleasant one.
She was much impressed by johann
mas gratitude to her mother, and she
decided that when she grew to wo-
manhood she, too, would be a dis
penser of charity, not so much for
sweet charity's sake as for the pleas
ure of having persons grateful to her.
She felt a glow of satisfaction
whenever she thought of Hilda, the
a of her cast-off garments, and
she tried to picture the other girl in
them. 1t was a pleasant fancy that
somewhere in the world there existed
a girl only a little younger than her
self who was filed to the brim with
gratitude every morning and every
night as she put on, or aid aside, the
more or less damaged gowns that
Pauline had so generously %outgrown.
That the girl might be other than
grateful Pauline never suspected.
Although she had spent so many
hours in wondering about the APP
nearance of the other wearer of her
clothes. Pauline had never seen her,
O Johanna had always left Hilda at
home with the youngest child, who
seemed to be perpetually ailing. In
addition to the usual ills of childhood,
and in spite of his mothers vigilance,
he had at different times broken a
loo. an arm and a collar-bone, be-
sides having been severely burned
rrb;le nlayino with matches.
Once, indeed, johanna a taken
all three of the children to town;
hut. Pauline had been in school that
day. and had missed seeing the sharer
Of her wardrobe. The visit was not
repeated, for the strain on the rickety
wagon had been SO great that eau
tious Johanna would not risk a sec
ond time. The day came, however,