Year: 1872

emphasizing the do. "I wish we
could all succeed so well as to have
our work all done up for life time;
and then we conld settle down ard
enjoy the world" -"


Patty looked at me with an anus
ed, inquiring face, as if she thought
me something of a study, orwas sur
prised at what said.


"Ohl I don't think / really wish
that" she said. "I think I'd rather
have too much to do than nothing to
do. Sometimes Tn evsr SO happy
when George and Katy are pulling
at my dress and climbing up into
my lap. Sometimes, TO be- sure, I'm
selfish and get to thinking how I
should like it if the children were big
enough to take care OF themselves,
and I could have a chance to do
some other things; but I'm glad
every night, even when Tn tired, be-
cause [ know that father and mother
and all the children need me Why,
even my big brother, Tommy, needs
me and it would be dreadfur
thing for me to let rich man adopt
me, even if there was Que that want
ed 10. Why, if Tommy cuts his fin
ger, he always comes to me to do it
up for him. He cut his thumb only
yesterday, ard, when I wound some
old linen around it and tied it up,
he kissed me and said be knew he
should never hang himself 80 long
AS I was around. On it makes me
ever so happy to work, because I
know I'm always making some one
else happy


Sage, philosopher, divinity" I
said to myself" not simply Patty
Nelson" " Well, Patty" [ rep led,
% see that you dent care to have
me wish that some rich man would
adopt you.


"Oh, no, sir I could never be
willing to leave my work.


Whether Patty thought I was
looking at her hands, or not, don t
know; but just then she looked at
them, and said: "Poor little brown
dingy hands If I were a rich mans
child, you would be nice and white,
and would have on pretty rings too
l suppose; but never mind. Hands
were made for use, and people who
use their hands are great deal hap
pier than those who don't


As Patty started to go back 20 her
desk, she glanced again at her dan
delions, and said: Tommy laugh
ed at me when l was going out of the
rrrf, I
ing with that great yellow bouquet.
| didn't know hat it was rather fool
ish for me to think Of bringing you
such common things; but L always
had feucY for daudelions, ard the
truth Is I hadn't any other flowers
to bring you. The few spring flow
ers 1 bad were ali rooted up the 9th
er day by the neighbors' pigs, and l
Just cried about it; but I laughed at
myself afterward. When the chill
dr5n grow uP, or are SO much oder
that l shall have more time, l mean
to raise n great many flowers They
are such q comfort, ! think


+" The last bell was ringing, and
Patty went back 70 her seat, leaving
me a wiser, and, think, a happier
man.


1t was long time before that bou-
quet Of dandeions was missing from
my table; ana thea it was not
thrown away, but was spread in one
of the windows Of my old bachelor
saactum to dry.


After I am dead and gone, there
viii be found among my relics
a box containing what? Whoever
takes off the cover, perhaps, VIII say:
' What is this p And 50 I viii an
swer beforehand: my dandelion
bcquet, returned to dust. And let
eyes that look into the box look rev
erenty, remembering thas there lie
the remains of what was once very
dear to me; for it was the gift of lit
tie Patty Nelson. who taught me that
patience and cheerfulness brighten
toll, and that love makes all work
easy"