The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-08
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
A SMILING HOUSE.

''Smile." 1t was just a red card with
the word in big white letters that
could not be ignored. Lucille Burton
looked at it half angrily. It was a
nice thing for her brother to give her
for her birthday. But-did she smile
so seldom that Tom was obliged to
remind her of the fact?
She went over to the mirror and
looked at herself She certainly was
not smiling-and she saw, with dis
may, that lines were forming about
her mouth that did not add to it's
beauty. Well-how could she smile
when father was glum and mother
fretful, and Aunt Nancy like a thhn-
dercloud- she was glad to get out of
the house as soon as possible after
breakfast, and was often late to din
ner She had so much class work and
church work and settlement work
that she was surely eXcusable for be-
ing preoccupied and not smiling
wasn't she? Should not home come
first? Had Tom chosen this way to
remind her?
She crossed to the window and
looked out into a gray day; leaden
skies threatened rain, gusts of wind
came fitfully. Between, a bird came
to a branch where it sang-not the
merry roundelay of spring but sweet
happy thrills of love and peace and
joy of living.
That's right, birdie-yo haven't
the laughter of springtime- but you're
happy in spite of the rain. 1 might
smile, if can't laugh" Lucille was
talking to herself. "It must be dismal
for Tom to come home night after
night, to a house like ours. But if
smile, it must be a real one-Tom
would know instantly if it was put on
what if we should all be smiling
mother, Aunt Nancy and I-and-yes
the house, too.
Perhaps if I helped mother more
she wouldn't be so fretful" The
thought made her hurry her dressing.
Mother always got the early break
fast for Tom and his father, then a
second one for Aunt Nancy and Lu-
cile who often kept her waiting.
Could it be possible that the second
breakfast was responsible for the
mothers voice-was it WEAKNESS in
stead of fretfulness?
"I'll finish breakfast, mother. You
find something else to do" Lucille
took her mothers place by the stove,
to watch the toast. I'm going to
make slice for you and a cup of
coffee-I don't believe you half eat
you hurry so. No-Tm not going out
this morning, I'm going to help you
with the work"
There was look in her mothers
eyes that Lucille could not quite I'M
derstand, but she dropped YEARLY
into a chair and waited until Lucille
had breakfast ready. Then she ate
and drank, but almost silently.
Lucille gave Aunt Nancy no time
for faultfnding. She was telling
mother and aunt of new family she
had found at the Settlement and "the
dear old grandmothers. said she
thought she used to know you, aunt
she used to live in Freeport."
Aunt Nancy was interested at once
and offered to go with Lucille to
call, the first pleasant day. Could it
be that Aunt Nancy's fretfulness was
partly caused by the fact that she
had nothing to think of, outside her
self?
As Lucille washed the dishes-she
noted with dismay the many demands
upon her mothers time. There were
calls at the front door and at the
back, telephones to answer, orders to
give-as well as the work of the day.
.How do you ever manage to get
anything done, mother?' asked Luz
cile as her mother came back to the
kitchen after another call to the door
TT does seem, sometimes, as if I'd
never get around
Why didn't you ask me to help you
mCre?" Lucille saw again that curious