Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-20
The Daily Story
An Easter Gift-By May o. Etheridge.
Copyrtghted. 1911. BY Associated Literary Rnraau

ramshackle buggy drove up to the boz
of Henry Swift in free rural deliver
no. 8 and, having deposited a letter
drove on A girl ten years old ran out
with her hair flying, for the mail and
opening the box. took out the letter
and read the superscription. As she
did so her eyes opened wide and she
exclaimed, dancing up and down:
"why, it's for mep'
II without opening it she ran into the
house, crying: I've got letter! I've
got letter.
The family gathered round her, and
she broke open the envelope. The con
tents proved to be piece Of thick
brown paper and a letter. Folded in
the paper was a new crisp five dollar
bill.
mother, "some one has made you a
present. Open the letter and see who
/ it is from"
! Dolly unfolded the letter and read:
! My Dear Little Niece-Easter is coming.
| and / invariably give away certain sum
on that day for some charitable purpose.
| This year 1 want you to give portion of
mr. Easter offering for me to some need
| full person. Your affectionate
UNCLE JOSH.
| Dolly's brothers and sisters turned
| away somewhat disappointed that the
money had not been given her to spend
for herself, thinking that they might
have shared in what it would buy, but
to Dolly herself came a new sensation.
She was proud at having been made
the agent of her uncle for his donation
and much pleased to think that she
would make some one happy.
But to whom should she give the
money? There were many who needed
it-indeed, so many that Dolly found
it a difficult matter to decide. But she
had week before Easter came to de-
eide, and she was sure she could reach
decision much earlier. Nevertheless
on the Saturday night before Easter
Sunday she had thought Of SO many
deserving cases, each needing the gift,
that she was bewildered.
! When Easter came it Drought with 1t
one of those hot, unreasonable temper
atures that sometimes occur I'm the
month of April. Dolly, dressed in her
prettiest spring clothes, with the bill
rolled in her uncle's letter, went out
on to the road to walk a mile to the
village to give the money to a poor
woman with many children whom she
had finally chosen as the most needful
of all the persons she knew. But Dol
ly had changed her mind many times,
and her father said to her as she de- !
parted:
|
serving person on the way, Dol. and be
tempted to place your Easter gift
where it will do no good"
Never fear, pappy." And the child
sailed forth.
While walking along the road Dolly
suddenly stopped. Beside it in the
shade of some high bushes lay boy
asleep. His clothes were ragged, his
face pale, and even in slumber there !
was a hungry look on it. Dolly's heart
was touched. If she hadn't decided
irrevocably as to where she would
place her gift she would bestow it
upon this poor boy. Then, too. she re-
her fathers caution. But
Dolly was young. The woman she
knew to be deserving was not present.
and one who evidently needed assist
ance was before her. Moreover, there
is something touching in a suffering
slumberer.
Dolly succumbed to what was pres
ent. The palm Of one of the boys
hands was open and she laid her IN
cle's letter in it; then, going to the
other side of the road, she hid behind
4 fence in the high brush and waited to
observe the boys surprise and pleas
ire when he should awake.
His awakening was occasioned by a =
passing wagon, but he would have
slept again had he not seen what was
n his palm. Sitting up, he opened the
etter, and when he saw the bill in
.losed his eyes grew big. So did Dol
US, and every feature in her face,
very nerve. every muscle in her body.
vas alive with delight.
The recipient did not have the envei-
'pe in which the letter had come to
Dolly, so he did not know who Dolly
vas, but at the head OF the letter was
'rinted Joshua Stamper &c Co, I'm
with the street and number i
t which it had been written. More 6
yer, the city was but a dozen miles
istant, and the boy was on his way 5
here. S
Now, Dolly did not know what was Il
assing in the boys mind. She saw T
i'm look from the bill to the letter back y
rom the letter to the bill. Then he U
cad the letter carefully and seemed to p
e studying 1t. Finally he got up and. 6
utting both the letter and the bill in
Is pocket. set off toward the city. n
Dolly went back home. Surprised TO
ee her return so soon, the family gath j
red round her to learn the result of d
er mission. When she told them that u
ne had bestowed her uncle's gift on n n
aged boy lying asleep beside the I,
Dad there was a universal cry of dis, O,
ppointment. Even her parents. who r
opposed that the recipient was somo
lrmer's boy who would not work, be.
eyed that the Easter donation had