The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-11-28
THE LITTLE HELP
BY MILDRED e. SWENSON.

copyright, 1918. by Mcclure 'Newspape
Syndicate.)


copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
, -. Syndicate) 3, .-
Both glanced up from the fashion
paper she had been perusing to where
her mother sat sewing. She was max
ing a dress for Beth, of course-but
with all due regard to a style that
would last, for their dresses had to
do them for a long time. Beth sighed.
Mother" she said, wouldn't you
be just tickled to pieces to wake up
some morning and find that you could
60 out and get a dress already made In
the latest fashion, without regard to
whether it would. wear well or not7"
Eyes, DEAR" she said, "but you know
that would be impossible now" Il
know it, mother" said Beth, with a
sigh, "but, goodness me, l do hope that
it won't be like this forever! There,
mother, forget that; I'm a little pig to
care about it at all" But her moth
er didn't forget. She knew how hard
it was for her daughter to go without
the pretty things that she had been
accustomed to have.
You see, Mr.. Marvin had heard his
cOuntry's call a short time before n
had gone to Join the colors, leaving his
wife and sixteen-year-old daughter to
get along on the amount he had in the
bank, after many years of saving. 1t
was q small amount, too, but large
enough to keep his wife and daughter
In comparative comfort until he should
return, but without the luxuries of
life.
No one knew when the fight for
humanity would be ended, and until
1t was, Mr.. Marvin, now Captain Mar
vim, would stay in France. But the
little family he had left were proud
of the husband and father who was
over the sea, fighting that they might
be free, and didn't really mind con-
serving a little, that he might have
the necessities.
At the luncheon table next noon
Beth outlined a proposition. 1t
startled her mother and made her real
lie that her little girl was growing up
fast. This was what Beth had sug-
gested: She was young and strong,
and they needed girls to do farm work
for the summer SO why couldn't she
go? May Jones a going to q farm
in Stoneville, and she wasn't half as
strong as Beth was, etc.; but what
would Mrs. Marvin do with her only
daughter away from her for the sum
mer? Beth had that ell thought ont,
too. Uncle Jim, fathers brother, had
a farm upstate a ways and would be
sure to hire help for the summer. Why
couldn't Beth be n of that "helpY'
Mother could 60 up for a visit.
Finally Mrs. Marvin decided to give
Beth's plan a chance, and wrote the
letter to Uncle Jim. Then, q few days
later, came an answer Why, OF
course, they could come, and he would
be more than glad to do what he could
for his brothers wife and child. So,
a week later, Mrs. Marvin and Beth
were on their way to the farm.
Early in the fall they came back
home after their long summer In the
country-Beth tanned and tired, but
happy, and Mrs. Marvin satisfied that
the summer had been spent to the
best advantage. And when she looked
into Beth's smiling face she was more
than glad that she had consented to
her plan to earn extra money, and she
thought how many pretty things that
same money would buy for her little
girl.
Therefore, she was greatly sur
prised, one day . short time later,
when she suggested that they go down
town and do some shopping, with the
money Beth had earned, to have Beth
say, mo. mother, we won't do any
shopping. I'm afraid" and then "a her
mother looked Ut her III amazement:'
No mother. net ~. I--I hops ron