Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-16
When the Shawl
Wasn't Worn

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seem possible that she ever did wrong
even when she was a little girl. She
says, though, that once when she was
little she did something worse than
Laura or Mary Anna ever did in their
lives. The little sisters love Ito hear
the story, so grandma has to tell it
over and over every time she comes
visiting.
1t seems that long time ago, when
grandma was not more than six years
old, she had to go alone to Sunday
school one Sunday morning. 1t was
the first time she ever went alone,
and she was glad she was big enough
to go, if necessary, without her
mother or her grandmother. Mother
and grandma both helped get the
little girl ready for Sunday school.
She had her bath Saturday night, so
there was nothing to do Sunday morn
ing but curl her hair and put on her
best little petticoats and dress.
Soon the little girl that grandma
used to be was ready to start for Sun
day school. She could repeat the verse
she had learned for the day; it was
the verse in the bible that says, "Be
sure your sin will find you out" The
little girl said that verse over and
over, she sung it, and whispered it,
all for fun, although she didn't quite
understand what it meant until after
wards.
At the last minute, as the little girl
was going down the garden path, her
grandma said, 81 think that child
ought to wear something around her;
the air is chilly. Come back, Nellie"
they called her Nellie. Come back,
dear, and I will let you wear my
best shawl"
81 am not cold" the little girl
answered, and she would not have
come back, only her grandma said she
must.
When grandma tells the story she
always says she can't remember
whether she cried or not when her
grandmother wrapped the shawl
around her, but she does remember
that she thought it was dreadful
thing to have to wear an old ladys
shawl to Sunday school,
The little girl grandma used to be
walked slowly away from the house
feeling cross and miserable She went
down the garden path, through the
gate, and began her walk along the
country road. She had not gone far
before she thought of something that
frightened her at first. Then she de-
cided to do the thing that had come
into her mind. The little girl gazed
toward the house. and when she was
sure no one was looking, she took OFF
the shawl. Then she rolled that
shawl in tight bundle and tucked it
under the tall grass in a fence corner.
''No one will see it." said grandma
to herself. land when l come back
from Sunday school l will put 1t on
again." But she didn't; she forgot
all about the shawl; and her grand
mother forgot about it, too, because
company had come to dinner.
A week passed, and then one day
the little girls grandmother said, Il
wonder where my shawl was put
away last Sunday"
That was dreadful minute for the
little girl who had done wrong. She
knew where that shawl was put
away, and she ran to the field hoping
to find it safe and unframed. Oh,
how she wished she had worn the
shawl to Sunday school and home
again, no matter how much the chill
dren had laughed! What If some one
had carried it away! What If the
dew had spoiled it! What if -
But the shawl was in the renee
corner, looking at first as If nothing
had happened to it. The little girls
delight was quickly turned to sorrow!
Her sin had found her out! When
she lifted the shawl she found 1t full
of holes made by the crickets!
Crickets had ruined grandmothers
beautiful shawl
Tears didn't do bit OF good; the
little girl could think Of nothing to-
saw when she carried the shawl to
her grandmother.
The dear, good grandmother didn't
scold when she saw what had nap
pened, but this much is certain; the
little girl never forgot chat long-ago
summer Sunday, and how she hid her
grandmother's best shawl in the fence
corner when she was told to wear 1t
to Sunday school, She has remem'
bered it until now she is a grand
mother herself. telling the story over
and over again to Laura and Mary
Anna, bible verse and all. - Frances
Margaret Fox, In the Sunday School
Times.
IMPROVED SHOW WINDOW.
A novel show window which has the
, d,,n+,oo of bo;po doyOid Of glass re-