The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-17

Stella sat by the window looking out at the pouring rain. A piece of mending lay in her lap with the patch only half finished. Presently the door opened and a delicate-looking woman, ..ith hair thick ly sprinkled with grey. came In. She carried a crying baby in her arms.
 The cries of the child filled the room and caused Stella to frown. "0h. good ness, mamma!' she exclaimed, 'I never saw such cross child as Ben is. l think he needs a spanking"
 The weary woman sat down and began rocking the baby. "No good to spank the child," she said, flor he is not crying be- cause of an ugly temper-he Is cross be- cause he Is sick. But, hurry. Stella. with that mending. Tom needs that shirt badly. The one he has on Is all in rags"
 Stella raised her face, look of mingled anger and despair on 1t "When will ever have opportunities like other girlsf' she exclaimed. taking up the needle to thread. ''I have to work every minute of my life-no time to read or sit and rest. It's dishwashing, sweeping, cook Ing, scrubblng and patching and alarming all the time. Other girls don't have to work for their families as have to. And it's all because we're so disgracefully poorl l hate poverty-I despise it!"
 Then Stella thrust the needle into the patch and began stitching away, tears filling her eyes and lump In her throat.
 'I know, dear, it's hard on you," spoke her mother in a Qulvering voice. But l don't see hardly who's to blame. Your pas been sick so much lately, and the drouth last year killed the crops. Of course, those were things none of us could prevent. But-I've been thinking. daughter, that there Is one way in which you may get better advantages than we your p, and T. can give you"
 'HowY asked Stella. looking up eagerly from her work.
 "You might go East to your Aunt Lis- zie's. You know she has no children of her own, and when you were little baby she wanted me to give you to her. Of course, we weren't so poor then. and I'd have as soon thought of parting with my own head as parting with my little girl. But now-now it's different"
 But the peevish little Ben set up an- other deafening cry, and Stella's mother said no more. Meanwhile Stella's fingers flew, her face soon began to clear. as she planned on the thing her mother had suggested. For a long, long time Stella had dreamed of going East to live with her Aunt Lizzie, her fathers only sister. who was what the world called rich, and who was childless. But she had not dared to propose doing so. for. being her mothers only daughter, she knew she was needed at home. Besides, there had been so much sickness in the family and iIl-favored seasons for crops that real need now menaced them. But now that her mother had spoken of that which lay nearest her heart, Stella found the courage to pursue the subject. and as soon as little Ben's teas were dried ana he asleep she laid aside her mending- hnished-and said to her mother:
 'I should love to go to Aunt Lizzie's to live, for l would have so many advan' tages: but how would we raise the money to buy my railroad ticketf'
 i've been thinking of that" said the good. self-sacrincing mother. 'You know your pa has promised to buy . new sew inx machine for me this summer. ] do