La Junta tribune., 1914-05-02
''Po11yanna"
The Glad Book
By Eleanor H. Porter
copyrish,. 1919. by l. G. Page = Co. Inc.


the far-away Western town, and
which had been so unpleasant sur
prise to her The letter was address
ed to Miss Polly Harrington. Beld-
ingsvilie, Vermont; and II read as
follows:
Dear Madam regret to In
form you that the Rev John Whit
tier died two weeks ago. leaving one
child, girl, eleven years old. He left
practically nothing else save few
books: for. as you doubtless know,
he was the pastor OF this small mis-
sion church. and had very meagre
salary.
Il believe he was your deceased
sisters husband. but he gave me TO
understand the families were not on
the best OF terms. He thought. how
ever. that for your sisters sake you
might wish to take the child and
bring her up among her own people
In the East Hence ! am writing to
you.
THE little girl will be all ready
to start by the time you get this let
ter. and II you can take her. we
would appreciate It very much II you
would write that she might come at
once. as there is a man and his wife
here who are going East very soon.
and they would take her with them
to Boston. and put her on the Beld-
ingsyiiie train. or course you would
be notified what day and train to ex-
pect Pollyanna on.
Hoping to hear favorably from
you soon. ! remain.
Respectfully yours.
JEREMIAH o. WHITE"
With frown Miss Polly folded
the letter and tucked 1t into its en-
yelope. She had answered It the
day before. and she had said she
would take the child. of course. She
hoped she knew her duty well
enough for that, -disasreeable AZ
the task would be.
As she sat now. with the letter In
her hands, her thoughts wen, back to
her sister. Jennie. who had been this
ehild's mother. and To the time when
Jennie. as girl of twenty. had In
sisted upon marrying the young min
lister. In spite of her family's remon-
stranees. There had been man of
wealth who wanted her-and the
family had much preferred him to
the minister: but Jennie had not The
man OF wealth had more years. as
well as more money. to his credit,
while the minister had only young
head full OF youths ideals and en-
thusiasm, and heart full OF love.
Jennie had preferred these-quite
naturally. perhaps. so she had mar
ricd tn. minister. and had gone south
with him as home missionary's :
wife.
The break had come then. Miss
Polly remembered II we'll. though
she had been but n Eiri OF fifteen.
the youngest at the time. The fam
lily had had lit,i. more to do with
the missionary's wife. To be sure,
Jennie herself had written. for n
time. and had named her last baby
"Pollyauna" for her two sisters, Pol
iy and Anna-th. other babies had
all died, This had been the last
time that Jennie had written. and In
few years there had com. tn. news
of her death. told In short. bu,
hcar,-broken little note from the
minister himself. dated AZ little
toVh In the West.
Meanwhile, time had not stood
siili for the occupants of the sr.a,
house on the hill. Miss Polly. look.
ing out at IN. far-r-aching valley be.
low. thought OF the changes ,hos.
iS"nty-fiv. years had brought 10 her
She vas forty nov. aud quite aions
In the world. Father. mother. sis.
'err-aii were dead. For years. nov
sh. had been sole mistress of IN.
house and OF the thousands left he,
by her father. There we're people
Who had openly piiicd her lonely life
and who had urged her 20 have som.
friend or companion to iiys with her
but she had not welcomed ci,he,
their sympathy or their advice. She
Was not lonely. she said. She liked
being BY herseif. She preferred
quiet. hut now
Mis- Polly rose with frownins
face and elosely-shut lips. She "a,
eiad. of cosrse. that she vas q eood
woman. and that sAe not only knew
her duty. but had sufficient strength
Of character 70 pssform Il. Bat
I