The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-24
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
WHEN THE DooRBELL RANG.

AS the doorbell rang, the two girls
in the third story sat up straight and
looked each other over. Apparently
the result of the survey was not salts
factory for Mildred groaned, and Jane
said GROSSLY.
"Oh, dear, why must people come
on the day you're house cleaning?"
Its four o'clock" Mildred sighed.
Il suppose everybody takes it for
granted that everybody else is ready
for callers at this time of day. Jane,
you're a perfect spectacle. You simply
can't go to the door,
Il look as we'll as you do. am
pretty sure" remarked Jane with
sisterly candor. Your hair is falling
down and there's a smudge under
your eye
Mildred put her hand quickly to her
cheek, with the intention of removing
the offending smear, but her hopes
were dashed by Jane who said calm
ly. ut was the other eye. Now both
cheeks are smudged."
The bell rang again for second
time.
We've got to let it ring, that's all,
Mildred declared impatiently. 'Tm
not going down to talk to some girl
all spick and span, and all the time
be wishing that there was trapdoor
in the floor and it would open and
let me through to the cellar They'll
only think we're out" she added con-
solingly.
"Ye-es, | suppose they WILL" Jane
agreed, "only it seems a little mean
when anybody has taken the trouble
to come to see YOU"
The bell rang for the third time
Dear, hope whoever that is will give
up now," said Mildrid. Three times!
should think that anybody'd know
either that we weren't home, or that
we didn't want to see them. Listen!
believe whoever it is, is going away. u
There was, in fact, a sound of re-
treating footsteps. Each girl heaved
a sigh of relief and again fell to ex-
aiming the last years garments
folded away in trunks, and deciding
which were in condition to render
| further service, and which should be
given away. But they worked with
less spontaneity than they showed
previously, and in less than half an
hour went downstairs to make their
belated toilets.
1t was while they were getting sup
per in the rather dragging fashion of
girls who have been hard at work all
day, that neighbor caught sight of
them and called to them from her
back porch.
"Oh, you've got back, have you? An
old lady left the basket here for you.
She said nobody was at home"
"a basket for u.s." Jane repeated
and her heart sank. She crossed the
lawn and uttered an exclamation as
she took the basket from her neigh
boris hand.
| "Oh my! that's heavy"
| cts apples" said the neighbor.
ut was quite load for that old lady.
Yes, she told me her name, Reid, l
think
"Auntie Reid brought those in to US,
walked, all the way, dare say, with
that heavy basket. And we let her
ring, and ring, and then go off home
without chance to rest"
But we didn't know it wassAuntie
Reid" faltered Mildred, rather over
awed by her sisters severe aspect.
mo, but we knew it was somebody
and that it might be somebody old
and tired. Well, I've learned one
thing. If l can't receive people in
my best clothes, can give them my
best manners. The kind of hospital
ity that sends tired folks away from
your door because you aren't in your
best clothes isn't going to be my
kind"