St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-01-27
.she must be the president general

Alice WUlSpGTGQ.
President general of what. for good
ness sake. thought Marion, but being
too well bred to carry on a conversation
when someone was speaking, she kept
| her thoughts to herself, and just listened.
1T is all wrong" the speaker was say
ing, this keeping lot of things that are
just alike, Just for sentiment.
The girls said to me You don't look
happy" replied "You have spoiled all
my sunshine. Iwant to pass these lovely
Christmas cards along and you have
spoiled them by writing all over the backs.
"You wouldn't give away what has
| been given you. would your" the girls
| exclaimed.
That is sentiment replied. "Now,
| there is the dearest little old lady
| who loves violets. / want to send her
this lovely violet card and let her share
my sunshine"
'Itis not right" continued he speaker.
| sit may be some of you are just married;
you had half dozen cake baskets, or
| half dozen pickle dishes given you. You
cannot possibly use them all, but you
lay them away Tor the sentiment. Why
not give the extra ones to those who
have none and would be so happy could
| they own something of the kind"
cob, have hundreds of letters unan-
| swered. Think of the little society of Is
!
hundreds of thousands of sunshine mem
bers. This is not charity. l want you
| to keep charity out OF it. It is giving
pure sunshine to those who have none"
| A ripple OF amusement ran through the
audience as she told of funny requests
that came to her, but the laughter faded
| into sober quiet as she told OF the letter
from a man in the far away mining camp
who wrote, For heavens sake, dear
Ire Naxz of 10,
read. Not scrap of reading matter in
| this whole camp"
/ Unjust be hard up,' thought Marion
| as she remembered the piles of ma zines
| thrown into great box in their cellar a
few days before, waiting for the junk
man to carry them away. Breaking in
on her thoughts came the words, You
may have two or three volumes of some
| interesting book. Your friends have
heard you express desire for that book
and have remembered it; you can't read
but one; the rest are on your bookcase
| and stay there, on account of sentiment.
| Why not pass them on to someone whose
days would be made brighter. DAYS
possibly, of suffering, where the hours
are so long and the story that made you
| forget time, because of its interest, would
do SO much more for someone e1se.''
Marion was beginning to feel a little
uneasy, for she did not remember the
three volumes OF "Her Opportunity"
that stood on her bookcase, the outside
of one looking dull and ragged on ac-
count of being read from cover to cover
| time and time again.
Still the musical voice talked on.
"Haye not some of you a wheel chair
that did you such noble service during
the long days of pain and WEAKNESS?
| You do not need it now; it is in the attic,
of use to no one. Can you not think OF
| someone who has to stay, SO YEARLY, in
one place, because of no way of getting
| about and cannot afford the luxury of a
| wheel chair? II you cannot, then tell
your president or let me know at the
general Office. 1 have want book and
an offer book. / can find the place for
your chair, or the scrap books that little
| fingers can make. The dear little sun
sinners, they do the most beautiful work
of all.''
The rest of the talk fell on deaf ears as
| far as Marion was concerned and she
| scarcely heard the closing words of the
| speaker.
''Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
Twas not given for you alone
Let it travel down the years,
| Let 1T wipe anothers tears,
Till in heaven n the deed appears.
| From those who followed she heard
| nothing, neither the invitation given by
| the presiding officer to attend a little re-
| ception and lunch at the close Only the
| confusion caused by the audience leaving
their seats aroused her. Then seeing her
| friend talking with others she slipped
| quietly from the room into the street.
Once outside she drew a long breath
and said to herself. well, if that wasn't
the last kind of a meeting ever went to.
have attended rummage sales, asso-
| ciated charity meetings, club meetings
and about every kind you can think OF,
but one where they want to ride every
| thing out on unbeam is the latest I
| always supposed sunshine came from a
| different source, but as that seems to be
one of the hidden things al present they
| seem to be trying to manufacture little"
| Motioning the car she had hailed, to
| pass on, she raised her umbrella and
| said. II believe will walk up town to
/ Wesley's office and ride home with him.
| sputtered as she splashed along through
the mud and rain. 81 know I have three
| copies of Her Opportunity and that
| Gertrude wants that book dreadfully,
but she was so hateful when we were on
| that rummage sale together, and Beth
| said she had searched evesy store in the
city to find silver comb tray like mine
| to give her invalid cousin, and could not
| find one. don't care if I have got four.
/ am not obliged to keep supply to suit
everybody's cousin. Then there is my
blue silk dress I outgrew years ago.
Mother let me put it away just to please
me, although she thought 1 better pass
It along"
| Twas not given for you alone
| Pass it on
hummed in her ears. eyes, I know
our washerwoman said the other day,
'Shure and me Matte can't go to
the party of the teachers because she
haint no dacint dress TO wear to SIGH
| place. Of course Mrs. McGrady is neat
and all the children. They work hard,
but | do not want a washer womans
daughter to wear my dress. I suppose
| that brilliant woman l just heard would
| call it SENTIMENT Marion trudged on