Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-18
When Doris Sang

Il felt so sorry for Miss Trask this
afternoon" said Doris's mother as
they walked home from Sunday school
together.
why mother?" Doris opened her
eyes wide.
"She seemed so mortified when she
had to sing that piece all alone,' said
Mrs. Webster.
ooh, you mean the piece the pri-
mary department sang" said Doris.
"I didn't see any of the primary de-
partment singing. 1t was just Miss
Trask." said her mother. "She was
the only one who sang, and her face
got SO red and she looked 50 asnam-
ed!"
well, you see," explained Doris,
"all the good singers have been pro-
noted; I heard Miss Henderson. who
plays the piano for us, say So. There
don't eem to be any good singers
left"
II know one little girl who can sing
the Sunday school pieces very nice
ly," said her mother, m%eaningly.
Doris blushed.
But I'm only one, mother" she an
swered, land you don't know how
queer it sounds to hear your own voice
when none of the others are singing.
I just feel ashamed, and so l stop,
too"
That's the way they all feel, I
Think answered her mother, 'but l
know there are plenty of good singers
in the primary department. Why, the
children can sing and shout loud
enough at other times. Why is 1t they
have such weak voices or no voices
at all when it m to singing in Sun
day SCHOOL,"
Doris shook her head.
Don't you want to help Miss
|Trask?" asked her mother.
eyes, indeed" Doris answered quick
ly. Of all people she loved, Miss Trask
was one of the dearest. "Id do any.
thing for her"
"Then why don't you help her with
the singing? If you sang out bravely
you may be SURE some other children
would hear you and take courage and
sing too, and before you knew 1t the
whole department would be singing.
"But I'm only one" persisted Doris.
Don't you remember the story OF
the one little %raindrop? 1t was only
one, too, and the others said 1t would
O amount to much if it dropped down
on the thirsty earth, but 1t was brave
and did what it could, then the others
followed. and there was quite a snow
err and all the people were SO glad!"
Doris looked very thoughtful and he
thought a good deal about 1T during tho
week.
The next Sunday, when it came time
for the primary department to sing
their piece. Doris noticed Miss Trask
looked very anxious. She hated to see
her teacher look troubled. She would,
yes. like the one little raindrop in the
story, she would do what she could
SO with the first notes of the hymn
Doris's voice. rang out strong and
clear. For a moment the sound fright
ened her and her voice dropped, but
the little girl next to her had heard her
start and had been emboldened to sing
out. too. She took it up with a Will,
and the little boy next to her, and the
children just beyond. Before Doris
realized it., the whole department was
singing just as loud as ever " the good
singers who had been promoted had
ever sung.
Miss Trask flushed with pleasure
and her eyes shown with pride, especl-
ally when the superintendent said:
That's the best the little folks have,
ever done. We didn't know what good
singers we had there. | am sure their
teacher is proud of them
When they were all together in heir
own class room how happy they all felt
when Miss Trask told them how pleas
ed she was and how proud, and that
she knew all along there were Good
voices but they never had sung out be-
fore. and she hoped they would always
sing out as they had done that day!
at was like the little raindrop. moth
err" said Doris afterwards. Just as
O as I sang out, all the children
around me began singing out, too, and
the whole class sang out loud
"You see it was just as l told you."
said her mother. "They only needed
some one to start out brave and strong
then they had courage to sing, too;
and because one little girl tried to DO
what she could it made the whole class
sing and made Miss Trask and every
one else happy