The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-01-15
Miss PhOebe'S
Business X,
Venture
By MARION E. CROsSKILL


"WX YELL, what are we goin' to
MA do, Phoebe? The money
Wv for the house is all gone
and no more in sight. SO
were as bad off as we were before and
worse, for we haven't a house to live
in or starve in. for that's what it seems
TO be comm to. And we even missouri
little patch of garden where we raised
the cucumbers aud radishes and
squash. And, Phoebe, it seems as if l
had the old front porch with the roses
ON it and the elm tree shadin' it, to sit
on these hot days I'd be most content
to starye there" sighed Mary Ann
Don't talk that way, sister. The
Lord II find a way somehow We've
gone from one thing to another since
the bank failed, but we have always
had something to eat, and | have a
feeling that we always will il we look
sharp"
Il was by the old place today" said
Mary Ann, with another sigh. THE
roses do look lovely. Oh Phoebe, if
we'd never sold it! If we could only
have il backw
phoebe's brows contracted, and then
relaxed quickly
"Well. we shall Mary Ann; we shall"
she said cheerfully. IF we keep our
courage up and think with our whole
strength that the things we want are
ours we will draw them to us just as
steady and as sure as the world goes
round. 1t may not look like ii at first,
but remember that we can't feel the
earth move either, and never lose faith.
Just put your mind on il as | do and
will to have the old house back, and if
we will hard enough and hustle in the
bargain 1t will all come right"
But how is it comm right, Phoebe,
when we have no money to even buy
bread, let alone the old place.
Phoebe did not reply. Sometimes her
sisters complaining nature quite made
her lose heart. Poor Mary Ami She
did not mean TO be a burden and a
drawback to her sister. She tried to
help along all she could but the weak
ones little realize the power for evil Of
their very weakness. From Phoebe
flowed hope and courage She diffused
them as a lamp sheds light All felt
them who came within their radius.
Thay were all that Kept poor Mary
Ann from suicide.
Since the bank failed and their mon
ey was lost Phoebe had worn a cheer
full face and worked and struggled to
keep their little house in the suburbs
of thriving New England town. She
had taken boarders and done sewing
and nursing and whatever she could
find to do, thinking courage0usly to
keep the old roof over their heads, I'M
til with hard work and exposure to all
sorts Of weather severe illness had
overtaken her. and while she lay help
less the place had to be mortgaged TO
pay expenses, and then later on, TO
avoid foreclosure it was sold Mt a
figure which left them but little money
after the debt was paid, And through
It all the brave little woman had kept
IN heart and striven to cheer and en-
courage her weaker sister.
With her health her vigor returned,
and she tried first this thing and then
that to make living and turned over
one plan and another, always asserting
that the right thing would be found at
last; that the old house would come
back to them again. Her faith never
wavered that it would come out all
RIGHT in the end. She had to fight the
battle for herself and her sister too,
for So it generally is that to every pair
of strong, brave shoulders there is
fitted the burden of another's weak
ness and cowardlce. 1t is nearly al
ways some one dear to Us, or we would
not often bear It, and love lightens the
load So Phoebe Smith carried her sis