The Tupelo journal., 1913-02-28
SOUGHT A CAREER
Ut Was a Rough Road, but a
a. Check for $50 Came at
Right Time.
BY LOUISE HOWARD.

grinding, combined with halr-opporIu-
nifty, had put her in the way OF scriD-
bling for profit. That is to say, her
Sunday school teacher had been a wife
to the editor of a rather important
provincial newspaper. She 1t was who
had got Mavis' early efforts into print.
She 1t was likewise, who, when the
girl was sweet and twenty. and had
sold one short story to a ten cent
magazine, had counselled her to go
cityward.
81 feel sure you have a career. Go
to meet it," the dear woman had said.
Mavis had obeyed. How after three
years she smiled recalling the speech,
then sighed thankfully, to know her
monitress had gone to the Great Be-
yond, and would never know how fu-
tile had been her prophecy.
II a career did really lie in wait for
her, 1t had, so far, successfully eluded
her. Unknown, sensitively proud, con-
scious of her provincialism, it was
rather woderful hat the girl had not
starved. She still wrote. desperately,
in intervals of sewing, substituting for
q friend casually met who worked at
the ribbon counter, and exercising pet
dogs.
Naturally the things she sent out
were crude-but with some vital touch
In them that now and then appealed.
and won acceptance. This was unfor-
tunate-acceptances were just fire.
quent enough to keep alive hope, pay
postage, and buy good yellow paper.
Mavis hated the yellow paper. She
promised herself that in the good time
ahead, she would use nothing but the
most spotless linen.
This fall, she had been more than
ever beset by the writing impulse.
Consequently the drain on postage a
even scanted her daily bread. Where
she had devoured two loaves, she now
made one do, supplemented by crack
ers for lunch. She had found a place
to get the most wonderful cracker
bargains-five pounds Of broken ones
in a stout bag, for twenty-one cents.
1t was rather appalling to eat through
such a bag-but there were sundry
ways of helping. Steamed crackers,
for example, tasted wholly unlike dry
ones. The steaming was managed
over the gas jet, in the little stewpan
that cooked everything. When she
had sewing, which meant pay at the
end of the job, she had hot milk. At
other times, hot water, barely dashed
-r.AL -,-, -,arraoI har fNr hnr urNrk
If it did not greatly nourish her. De
cember had been wonderful-Indian
summer balmier than May. She had
been extravagant enough to go u
and revel in the balm, through hours
that ought to have been given to work,
wen though she had no dogs to lead.
Her patrons in that line fingered In
the country. But one or two had CIV
en- her sewing-making over, mending,
beading.
Altogether, Mavis felt reasonably
sure of a Christmas dinner. Debt she
would have none Other rem was paid
always to the day. Summing up her
resources, she calculated that she
could pay everything, and have ten
dollars over And she meant to spend
one of the dollars upon a dinner. Din
ner at the restaurant where all was ap-
petizing and savory, was only seventy
five cents. But she meant to buy a
flower for her rusty coat, also to tip
the waitress, and wish her luck-also.
being very extravagantly minded, to
take copnac with her black coffee.
q She lived over the dinner in antici-
patton, almost every night. 1t helped
with the sewing, and also with the
milk and cracker diet. Two days be-
fore the holiday she had everything
finished. Since she counted carfares
-~,eligiously, she set out then to deliver
her various parcels in one round. The
round would run through almost a
hundred blocks, to say nothing Of zig
Gags c~rosstown. But by continuance,
and transfers, she could make it cost
only fifteen cents. Reckoning cash in
hand. she found hat after paying it
she would have left little more than
her rent.
The day made her almost forget that
fdCt-1L was 50 SOItly DTlSuI, 80 ulISU
with hazy distances. Dreamily she let
1t soak in, as she went down a hand
some street, with tall houses either
side, and motors standing at ease in
front of every other one. But coming
back her steps Jagged sensibly-the
maid had taken her parcel eagerly, but
had said: Mrs. Gray is in the coun-
try-sheM send yer money whin she
comes In"
What II the CHEESEMAN'S stopped
there. with something HE q chill. As
she came to the car fine, a sudden ap-
prehension held her 80 strongly she re-
solved 10 walk TO the NEXT place, in
sptts Of the parcels. Only twenty
bSochs up town and two across. She
would Y4de tinen-of course II she got
money.
She dsd not ride thence-nor from
any Of the other places. It was the
same everywhere-she would have to
1919 Che ualked home aeftfnQ there