Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-01-16
CHAPTER X.
Continued.

Why, there is a thin stick of an arm
for you; and look at mine, big and
strong STILL in spite of our privatons.
am dreadfully strong girl. When l
was born, Katharine-I have never
told you this-all the wicked fairies
came about my cradle. One of them
said. she shall have no mOther;' and
another she shall have no relations
to help her. and third, She shall
have no friends;' and fourth, she
shall have no lovers and another. She
shall have no money! and yet another,
She shall have no work. and another,
'She shall have no food and then there
was one, the Queen of the Wicked
Faries-an old woman with only two
front teeth left - and those sticking
out over her lower llp-and q most
malignant eye, who carried a cat-o'-
nine-tails instead of a sceptcr. She
stood over me and said, This child
shall be splendidy strong, so that she
shall yearn and long horribly after all
she can not have, and she shall suffer
twice as long and twice as much as
any other woman"
"Lily! Something may happen yet"
"Oh! yes, something may. People
have been known to pick up shlllings
in the streets. We may beg in the
streets. We will borrow hymn book
and sing along the road, In the Sweet
BY and By I've got good strong
D,,f ell, ~ 1itn NH
will be such terrible discomfort about
1t that we shall go back to our starv-
ing, and begin to get through the
terrible job at once and have done
with it. Katharine, my head is full Of
horrible things. Suppose" she
whispered-"supposc we resolve to
die ut once and have done with it?'
mo, Lily, no. Let us wait and re-
ccive what is sent"
at is truly wonderful. Katharine, to
hear you talk Will nothing make You
rebel? Why, If there is no place for us
in the world, should we stay in it?
Some women are born consumptive
and have to die. Others, like our
selves, are bern redundant. 1t is n
now disease. There is now a great
deal of redundancy among women; we
suffer from redundancy 1t is incur
able. No drops have been found for
it and no pills. We shall have to die
of that disease. Died, in the street on
q doorstep, after long suffering, of re-
dundancy, Lily and Katharine That
e,x-rntly yyn,,11n't ~
on Il tombstone? But there will be 10
tombstone for us two, dear-we shall
be buried by the parish in the pauper'S
corner, where the graves stand side by
side as thick as they can be placed.
and the dead bodies of the men and
women mclder away forgotten. II will
be like the sea that has closed over a
sinking ship without so much as a
single fragment left. In few days
We shall be as much forgotten as If we
had never lived"
Lily's bitter words fell UPON Kath-
arlne like blows Of a scolrgc. She
could endure, but she would not re-
bel.
Leave us some hope" she said. "If
you take away that, We are indeed the
most wretched women in the world"
Just then they heard soft step COM
ing up the stairs. Through the open
drawing room below they could hear
Miss Augusta playing the piano sweet.
ly and softly. The step was that of
Miss Beatrice the Consoer, who came
to talk to them.
"My dears," she said. taking hand
of each, 81 am afraid you are in terrible
trouble"
"Yes," said Katharine, 1--WE are in
very sad trouble"
"Have you found nothing to do chill.
dren?"
''Nothing."
"faye you ne friends to help you?'
mot one"
"Oh! my poor children. But there is
one Friend. Think of Him."
Lily shook her head impatiently.
"Have you any money left?"
"No-none," said Katharine. "And
tomorrow we must pay the week In
advance, or 60"
Miss Beatrice was silent because II
is difficult to find consolation for the
lack of money; most of the poets and
writers despise money; and yet here
were two girls who, because they ha(
no money
"AIy DEAR" she said, twill the Ma
tron not give you leave to stay a week
Or two on credit?
"No; it is against the rules"
Then Miss Beatrice exhorted them t.
patience. and told them In her swee
religious way how the Lord, who is tht
Father, is wont to open unexpected
doors and make things possible which
had seemed impossible, until even thu
hard heart of Lily melted, and they al
three wcpt together.
Then Miss Beatrice blessed them
and went away with another eShorta
tion to patience and hint, which sh,
y meant for promise-but they wer,
stupid and did not understand-tha
something good and unexpected woult
happen next day. Why-why did sh,
not tell them what had been done
For in the drawing room there hat
been collection made for them. apt
ont of their poverty and straightnes
these poor ladies had got together tn,
sum Of fifteen shlllings and tenpence
which was to be given to the girls il
the morning, so that they might pa!