The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-07-06
FLoSsTE's REPENTANcR

FLoSsIE's REPENTANCE.
"Oh, Flossie, come home with me and play till
supper time. Your mother'll let you, won't she?"
Il guess she will Wait till I ask her"
hathle dropped down with her bag of books
on the doorstep, while Fossie ran upstairs tc the
nursery where her mother sat holding baby Har-
old: Inc oaby put out his arms and smiled at sight
OF Flossle, but she paid no attention to him.
"Oh, mamma" she cried eagerly, "Kathie wants
me to come over to her house to play. l can can't
IL She has lovely new swing"
No, dear, you can not go this afternoon" her
mother answered. Poor little brothers teeth are
troubling him so that he has been fretting all dav
and Ellen has been busy in the kitchen, so | have
had to care for him. Now, [ want you to amuso
him while l write some letters that must go in the
next mail"
ooh, DEAR" said Flossie, with a scowl, 81 al
ways have to tend baby when I want to go any
where. must tell Kathie that [ can't 60 then"
She to the door, isn't it mean. Kathie 2"
she said; I've got to stay home and muse that
cross baby"
She looked so cross herself that Kathie did not
feel so very sorry. Goodbye then" she answered.
picking up her bag; maybe you come tomor-
row"
Flosse stood looking after her until the blue
dress and sailor hat disappeared around the cor
ner. Then she went slowly upstairs. Her mother
set Harold on the floor and Flossie flung herself
gloomily down beside him. He was loving little
fellow, and he laid his pretty golden head
against his sisters arm in his cunning, coaxing
way, trying to make her smile. She began to build
a block house, and Harold watched her gravey.
As she put the last block, he suddenly
knocked it all with gurgle of baby laughter
Generally, Flossie laughed too when he did this,
and began to rebuild it, but today she exclaimed
sharply: "You naughty boy! Don't do that again"
and then she slapped the chubby little hand She
slapped it very SOFTLY but it hurt the babys feel
he hncroT 70 Than ofro
that her mother would come, and ask what the
matter hushed the baby and cudded him, and in
two minutes he had forgotten his grievance and
was laughing at the big leaps Flossie had made the
flannel rabbit take over the tumble-down block
house.
But neither of them really enjoyed the play, and
when mother came into the room Harold turned
quickly away from his sister and laid his head on
his mothers shoulder with a contented little laugh
that was half Sob
"Hes awful cross" Flossie said, she gathered
up the blocks and the flannel rabbit
poor little man" replied mamma. Maybe
sister would be cross too if her teeth aching
as his are. Now, Flossie, want you to take these
letters to the postoce but first go to the kitchen
and tell Ellen that if she has finished the babys
ironing want her to take him out IN his carriage
He has not been out today"
It was quite a distance to the postoffce and
Flossie did not hurry. As she came back, half an
hour later. she saw crowd in front of the house.
She began to hurry then.
oWhat,s the 1natterg" she asked of girl about
her own age who was standing there.
"Its baby got run over" the girl answered.
"The carriage was all smashed up. See, there's
one of the wheels"
Flossie's heart began to beat heavily She
could hardly breathe "Was-the baby-kllledF
she Rasped.
The girl looked curiously at Flossie's white
face 81 guess so she replied. at didn't open its
eyes. They carried it in there" and she pointed
to Flosse's own room. Flossie felt as If she were
in dreadful dream as she went up the steps and
into the house At the foot of the stairs she stopped
a moment. then she went slowly up. As she
passed the nursery door she saw half dozen
strange people gathered about Harold's little bed
A woman came out, and Flossie whispered: is
he dead?"
ScNo. but the doctor says he can't live" the wo-
man answered hastily as she passed on; and Flos-
sic crept away to her own room, shut the door and
flung herself on the bed
Ooh" she sobbed, eff had only been good to
him this afternoon! If only had"
long time she lay there She heard people
on III, and down stairs heard the front door open
and sbu+ MANY times but she did not move She
felt as if she could never speak to any one again.
1t was quite dark when her mother opened the door
and called softly: "Flossie are you here
The child sprang up, then threw her arms
around her omther's neck On mamma haiilina'
Is Harold deadl" she sobbed =,
"HaroldG Why, my poor little CIR, did you
think it was our baby2 1t was not Harold; 1t was
the little Gilmore baby, whose mother died last last
week He is with her now b bn9 UgIu Epbt in
in here because the accident hapPeIieu IisHV =
front of our house"
what a weight rolled away from Flossies heart
4Ion and how She ran down and Rugged her baby
brother, and kissed again and again the little hand
that she had slapped that aftenoon!-lda l.
Thurston in New York Observer
vine bears three grapes-the first of pleasure
the second Of drunkenness the third of repentance