Year: 1871

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Mothers Curtains.


What are you doing in that corner, Jo-
sic 2' said Anna Gray, coming in to call her
sister out to roll hoop, and finding her sitting
in the corner Of their mothers room, with
her bright face resting on her two little brown
hands, very quiet aud thoughtful


81 want to earn some money" said the lit
tie girl "and don't know how"


Earn money for what2"


" | want to earn enough to buy curtains
for mothers windows"


90, Josie! A girl eight years old to earn
money enough for that What put them in
TO your head p


Mother did herself She wants them 80
much And when | asked her why she didn't
buy them she said Because | have so
many little mouths to feed and so many little
bodies to keep warm and comfortable. We
have enough for that, thank God, but we've
nothing to spare for fancies and the curtains
are only a fancy Of mine" And | feel so
sorry. Annie, cause mother did look as if
she'd like her fancy very much. But since
yesterday I've felt worse than ever about it,
for when that telegram came to say that
Aunt Clara was so sick, aud mother must
come to see her and she was getting ready
in such a hurry, | saw her open that box
which shuts with a spring, and take some
money out of it, aud she said to father /:
" How fortunate it is that | have this money,
now that you are so hard pressed. | have
been putting away dime every week to see
whether could spare it to buy some muslin
curtains for our ROOM There is dollar
here, and it will just take me out to Clara's
and back again. felt so bad, Annie that
great big lump came into my throat and my
eyes came all wet. 1t was such dsappoint-
ment for dear mother and she just tried to
look as if it wasn't bit Wouldn't it be
lovely if we could earn money enough to buy
some ?"


'oh yes, lovely" said Annie; but then
we couldn't, you know"


" How hard would you be willing to work
for p" asked voice from the other side Of
the room. Would you give up your whole
Saturday,


Josie sprang up and ran to the speaker,
who sat busily making up an embroidered
chair.


"Oh, Ia do anything she said, eagerly,
" and give up this Friday afternoon, too"


"Well, that chair must be finished on
Monday, aud it is to be made over before this
new cover is put on it,"


Josie skipped into the next room-her un-
cles shop (he was a cabinet maker and
came skipping back again.


" see it, Aunt Lottie," said she, all on
tiptoe with expectation.


THAT chair must be picked over before
tomorrow night | was going to send for a
boy to do it, because | shall not have time.
1t will be long, tiresome days work but if
you choose to do it will give you a dollar. "


And that will buy the curtains, for saw
some with beautiful big scallops on the edge
marked one dollar, in the window, and mother
was with me, and she said that they were pretty
coarse muslin, but they'd do very nicely for
plain peoples windows. o, Aunt Lottie
Deare, good Aunt Lottie" And Josie
squeezed and hugged the dearie, good Aunt
Lottie " until she had to cry for mercy.


1t will be very hard work, Josie" she
said, as soon as she was released. " Are yor
sure you will not be discouraged ?"


And so horrid, too" said Annie, turning
up her little nose with look of infinite dis
gust. " You'll be all dirty, and as hairy as
anything. | wouldt do it, Josie. Mother
will save up money enough, by-and-by"


But then she'll have to wait so long. I'll
do it, Auntie. Don't send for the boy"


As soon as breakfast was over she asked
for her work, and Aunt Lottie, first pnning
her up in great calico apron Of her own
aud knotting a handkerchief over her brown
curls, brought out the first basket and set it
before her.


All the afternoon the busy little fingers
labored diligently, pulling to shreds the mat
ted hair. Lower and lower grew the heap
in the basket, higher and higher grew the
mound on the floor beside the little work.
woman, until at II o'clock, when Uncle
Reuben came in to dinner, the great basket
stood empty, and with sigh of relief as
big as the basket Josie stepped down from
her seat.


Well done, honeybee," said Uncle Reu-
BEN and the hair looks prime, too.
couldn't have done it better myself"


" But how rcd your face is and how tired
you look" exclaimed Annie and your
hands Oh, what awful dirty hands ~


The hands will wash and the face will
COOL" said Uncle Reuben. ." think that
when mother comes home and sees the pretty
curtains in the window she won't complain OF
either hands or face"


Tired little Josie looked rested already as
Uncle Reuben lifted her up to kiss her Grim
son face, and when dinner was over she went
to work with great zeal. Aunt Lottie had
offered to give her half of the money and let
the boy finish the hair, but she would not
consent--and although she had to sit alone,
for her aunt dared not bring the delicate en-
broidery with which she was busy near the
flying shreds of hair and dust, she went brave.
ly on.


Oh, how the little back did ache, and how
the brown eyes did burn and sting But
when Uncle Reuben came in again at sunset
the work was done, and the weary child lay
asleep in her chair. He stepped up very
softly to her side and laid bright new dollar
note in her lap.


Never was there a happier heart than
Joses when, after supper, he took her out to
walk and let her buy with her own hard.earn.
ed money the curtains for mothers room.
Yes, she was happier just once in her life,
and that was when her mother, going up to her
room when she returned from her journey ask
ed "Why, who put these pretty curtains
up here?" And, on hearing from Aunt Lot
tie of her little girls uusedsh love, took her
in her arms and said "My own, blessed,
darling child I'd rather have these than
the finest lace curtains that ever hung in
palace"


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