The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-22
Picking. GooseRerries.
BY, Elizabeth Allan.

BY, Elizabeth Allan
Bedtime, girls" said the mother, rsppine
With her thin ole on the table,. put away
S = g books essa and y 60 g so to bed SoT 4am knGT yG 90
you must be up bright and early"
Mother turned back 10 her sewing, under
the bright light, and Agnes got. up at once
put her book on It's sheli, kissed her mother
door softly behind her.
II was strange tbe.two busy sewers did moi
police that there was n~ogppdnight Kiss iron,
Esther; but they were busy talking, az vel
next minute. but thought she would Just fin
ish that one page OF her beguiling story
Aias, each page was more begulling Than TIM
previous one, until she %entirely forgot mother
and ued md the clock and totnorrow's goose.
berries and all. .
Esther mothers voice was gentle, but
1t startled the little girl like a clap OF thunder
The voice was gentle. but 1t was full OF grave
either forgotten or disobeyed; !.
~ wish you could learn TO obey az prompt.
ly as Agnes does" said mother, and Ina. al
she said.
What a pity 1t Is that people. little or big
don't own up when they do wrong, and &c
start Out afresh but that enemy whom oul
Lord calls "a strong man armed" seems tC
keep close watch on his own work and wher
double II, by persuading US to defend our
selves and blame somebody else.
Esther flung dow her book, and left the
room without any goodnight kiss.
Mother Is always praising Agnes" she
said to herself angrily, az she went slowly up
stairs; ~ never can do anything like Agnes
Agnes wipes the dishes drier, and puts the
parlor cleaner. and does everything better, SO
mother thinks; l s'pose she'll pick the big
gest gooseberries tomorrow"
And heating her angry little self with un-
reasonable thoughts like these: Esther wen
to sleep on the pillow next to Agnes. b..
Daylight seemed TO. come very soop, and
with It's first CLEAN there came back TO Els
Their those angry thoughts about Agnes, deal
little sleeping Agnes. o..
"I'm determinsd 10 get ahead OF her fol
once" said Esther to herself, and jumping up
she dressed quickly, took her basket ant
went out TO the gooseberry bushes, I'll picB
all the biggest ones" said the little maid e
herself, "before Agnes gets up, and then well
see what mother will say"
Such big gooapberries, Esther had "neve,
seen before in her life," and In a little ohn:
In to hand proudly to her mother. 10 the bas
ket was empty.
She went back and filled 1t again, but again
and It was empty when she handed 1t to bel
ries for my child" asked the mother, "wat
1t 10 help me, or 10 obey me, or for any such
reason?
Nom" said Esther, st was to get ahead
of Agnes"
"Ab. that Ia what's the matter" said thu
mother. God does not bless anv such WORK
as tina is; 1t ia only empty in His sight. al
empty. as your little basket. Oh. Esther
Esther-"
The little girl awoke with her mother
voice In her ears she was calling to her from
the next room to get up for the morning sui
was already shining in at the!windew, bring.
Ing a beautiful. cloudless day, and Agnes was
already In the bathroom.
Esther did not tell her strange dream 81
first; she was unusually quiet and Indus
trious, and every now and then abe would
lean across the leafy bushes. and drop a biz
gooseberry into Agnes basket 30 as TO hell
her fiji the basket; and then, when two
warm tired. little girls took two full, beaped,
nd baskets into the pantry and heard mother
gay they were two dear little helpers, then
Esther told about the gooseberries Of hel
dream. end her empty baskets.