The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-06-18
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks
BESSlE'S FORTUNE.

very richest people in Franklin. But,
in spite of all this wealth, Bessie was
lonely and unhappy Her father was
wrapped up in business, and her moth
er in society, and, as Bessie was an
only child, she was left to herself
with nothing to do. She envied her
two acquaintance, Lucy and Mary,
whose fathers were not rich at all, who
spent much of their time helping their
mothers in their housekeeping and
enjoyed their play the more for it.
Sometimes Lucy would say to her,
when she wanted her to join her at
tennis: I'm sorry, but | cannot play
Just yet. This is my morning to look
over papa's wardrobe"
"Why don't you have the sewing
woman do that?" Bessie at once re-
piled.
"Why, we cannot afford to have
sewing woman" replied Lucy, land
even if we could | wouldn't let any.
body in the world attend to my
fathers clothing but my very self"
And Bessie wished in her heart that
she could do something for her father
that he would appreciate that way
But at her home the servants did ev-
erything.
One day as she sat lonely by the
window her father came in looking
very sad. He called Mrs. Norton and
said:
at breaks my heart to tell you that
| have lost the most of my fortune.
| We will have to give up this great
house and all these servants, and live
in a cottage with only one servant;
cannot afford more And Bessie, dear,
| fear you will have to help"
"Oh, I'm so glad" cried Bessie,
and noticing that her father looked
shocked, she said: Il do not mean
I'm glad because you have had youl
trouble, but because | can now be OF
some use | know we will be much
happier in the cottage, where we vii
be together and helping each other
than here in this great house, Will
nothing to do" And Bessie jumped
up and Rugged her father and hel
mother with great squeezy hugs, as
she had not done for years.
And, sure enough, they were hap
pier in the little cottage than they hat
ever been in the great house. They
forgot all about their lost fortune il
planning how to make each Othel
comfortable and happy. And Bessie
who was full of life and energy, a
last knew what it meant to be busy
and useful.
One day about a year after they
had come to the cottage her father
came home in the evening with his
eyes beaming. Il have had a lucky
business turn which makes me ian
richer than | ever was before, h(
told his wife and daughter, land now
you can leave this little cottage ant
go back and live in the great house
with plenty of servants and nothins
to do but enjoy yourselves. lie
looked at his wife, but she was looking
out of the window; then he looked at
Bessie and saw tears in her eyes.
ooh. why do you want to leave the
cottage here, where we have been sc
| happy, an go back to that lonely
house. where we will never see any
thing of each other or do things for
one another as we have done here!
| never knew what it was to really
live and be useful until we came here. y
"Why, bless my soul" cried Mr.
| Norton, 81 didn't say | wanted to go
| back. | don't | want to stay right
here, as we have been for year But
| thought that you two wished to go
back to the great house. | had rather
live here with you than there with all
the riches in the world"
"Then we will stay, daddy" cried
Bessie giving him a great hug; land
I will keep your clothes so nice that
you will be the handsomest man in