The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-09-04
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
THE NEW WORD.


Mrs. Ware, who was baking cakes,
closed the oven door and went into the
hall. Alan fingered, for his mother
always made a special cake for him,
and he thought that it might be ready.
"I'll call you up in five minutes" he
heard his mother say. I'll ask him"
She came into the kitchen.
"Alan," she began, would you like
to earn a little money during the va
cation?"
Alan hesitated. Money was some
thing he always needed, but earning
it meant that he would have to work
Mrs. Gray is leaving home for six
weeks" his mother continued, land
she wants someone to feed her chick
ems every night and morning. The
boy who does it may have the eggs.
If you do it, will buy the eggs"
"Oh, that's easy!" Alan's eyes
sparkled. 'I'll do it."
"Wait a minute" said his mother;
"think it over l don't want you to
undertake it, Alan, unless you mean to
carry it through. If you feed Mrs.
Gray's chickens, you cannot go away
for week-ends to Aunt Hates"
81 don't think l want to-very
much" said Alan. Il might make
enough money to buy snowshoes, or
new skates"
Eggs are uncertain" his mother
warned him; but as Alan was still
pleased with the idea, Mrs. Ware tele-
phoned her friend that Alan would I'M
dertake the work.
For the first week, it was fun. To
be sure, Alan had to rise earlier than
he liked to do, and once or twice he
had to leave an exciting game before
it ended, to be in time for his evening
work. But he had made dollar and
| ten cents.
The second week went smoothly by.
But early in the third week, Aunt
Kate wrote that she had new little
pony, and that Alan might come and
learn to drive him.
ooh, l do want to go!" he said.
Cant 1 pay Jack Burns to feed the
chickens?"
"No, my son. You promised Mrs.
Gray that you, and not Jack Burns,
would feed them. The holidays last
nine weeks" went on Mrs. Ware
you may go to Aunt Kate's for the
whole of the seventh week."
That's a long wait! l wish I'd
never begun it," grumbled, Alan
None of the other fellows are work
ing"
in that week he was twice late al
his work; he found small number
of eggs, and his pay dropped I'd
eighty cents.
That's not much for working like
a farm hand!" he grumbled to Jack
Burns
"I'd think eighty cents was lot,
job"
"Now, Alan" said his mother one
morning, when the postman brought
her letter, here is your chance tt
break off your contract. Mrs. Gray
is coming home next week. You may
IohO JoCh DuI up W AO1J anu IL DIX
likes to engage him she can do So"
And I'll be glad!" declared Alan
II never want to work in the holiday:
again"
He got through the rest of the
| fourth week somehow, and in due
time Mrs. Gray returned for a brie
stay, and engaged Jack Burns.
81 made dollar and quarter,
he said to Alan at the end of the frs
week of his contract, and the fiftf
of Mrs. Gray's absence.
Alan felt little pang. If he hat
kept on, he might have had five
dollars-a noble sum. He began tt
wish that he had.
Then one morning as he was yawn
ing because he had nothing to do
and realized that the work had made
the rest of the day more of holiday
Jack came up with his eggs. Mrs
Ware bought them of Jack.
"Thesell be the last" Jack said
as he took the twenty cents she CAV,
him. MIR. Gray is coming home to
night, and he's going to feed thu
chickens"
I'm sorry that you didn't hav,
your full time," Mrs. Ware replies
kindly.
well, don't mind as much a
III did," answered Jack-and as :;
matter of fact, his eyes were shinin.
so that you could see he did not mine
at all. "Mr Gray is going to emple.
me all this week, and perhaps next
He wants me to go in with him ever.
day, and run on errands, and to com
back with him at night"
Alan turned sharply round.
Go in with him! Come back witt
him! In his carl" he cried.
"Yes," said Jack, fairly bubblinI
; over, land he says some days he'l
have to go forty miles, and that
: can go with him. And he's going t
pay me, too. Good morning.
Il Jack lifted his cap, and dashe
down the steps, whistling. AS Ala
stared after him, his round face grey
r longer ever minute.
Forty miles! In an automobile!
i he said very soberly. Il wish hadn'
: quit"
5 well, perhaps you won't the mex
$ time," his mother said, to comfor
E him. "But you must cultivate sticl
r to-it-iveness. That is new wore
j. Think about it."-Frances Harmer, i
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