A Little Girl in Old New York

o an end!" Janey Day quite forgot Mrs. Craven's

of the school. "Round as a ri

rld ain't l

love for yo

e a little sho

er Brown, stood with upraised

y two or three weeks off. My father has read

silenced the

do you ge

me to the dancing-class. She thinks it wrong, any way. And mother and

s stood

g to happen?

caught up to heaven. Then the dead people who have been good will ri

ce impressed so that they looke

goes to church and reads the Bible every night. He's read it through more than fifty times, and he's never s

hile to read the Bible through. My grandmother's

. And don't you 'spose he'd

s in Daniel. There's days

" said the wit with

n end? Girls, there's no use

almost tragic solemnity. "But you must

ust begun fractions, and I hat

uddenly straightened themselves into an orderly line and took their seats quietly. There was a sou

answers. A few went up to

r," the lady

d a kind of school-gir

ne my sums," sh

y n

ey're so hard, and what is the use if we'r

stared at Hester, amazed, yet ra

such an idea?" aske

ottie's voice had a little tremble in it. "I'm su

eople beli

m," repli

, did you ge

Brown is

. She felt that she was c

e are all getting ready. My uncle means

rnest that Mrs. Craven

s certainly set you an example. She did her sums correctly. She has added works to her faith as the Bible commands. I am aware many people think the end of t

tiples get all mixed up and go racing round in

aven made room for her by the ta

it wasn't so "awful" when Mrs. Craven explained the sums in her quiet, lu

belief. Our country has been founded on the corner-stone of liberty in this matter, and one ought to be noble

th two or three of

uite kind, Lottie," said h

use of fractions if the

ld feel just dreadful. The world has so man

tened to death," and on

g and a merry Christmas as well as a happy New Year. I want you all to be kind to each other, and when Hester is disappointed next week, to refrain from teasing her. If you think for a moment, you will find it very easy to believe just as your parents do, for you love them the best of any one in this world. And the more you respect and obey them, the more ready you are to be kind and gent

er or Steve were here so she could ask them. A strange awe was creeping over her. It seemed so dreadful to have all

ing a little pocket Testament. The others huddled together and shook their heads mysteriously, saying just above a whisper, "I d

d their work along. There was an atmosphere of relationship and real living that gave a certain satisfaction. You e

her "buskins," as the low shoes were called. Then she went into the parlor and spoke to all the ladi

n knit lace? And oak-leaf, too, I do

ly, also. Hannah Ann, get your

had marked for her father were brought out. Th

were put together in a rather long diamond shape with a row of openwork between every block. It was for

kmans', and the engagement had been settled with all due formality. Dolly and her mother had been down and taken tea. And now Steve went u

ied that Stephen had chosen so wisely. "Was it true that Steve had

really persuaded him, and John was too young to have any judgment. But

ie. "Why it'll be forty years before the city'll go o

gave a li

ins sat down at the piano and

something. It doesn't seem half

er the keys, and began a plai

r o'er your fri

gone, I

rough the first verse, a

a Jane, that it makes me feel creepy. You u

e high notes, but the little girl listened entranced. Then she sang "Scots wha' hae" and "Roy's wife of Aldivaloch." Margaret had come home, the supper-table was spread, the men came in, and they sat

d scouted the idea. Josie Dean was very positive it couldn't be-her fathe

Some people taught that the world would come to an end before he died. And now it's 1843, and it's stood all this wh

the boys were full of it, and Steve said it was nonsense. She crept up in

swered, pressing

it shoul

little girl and mo

you do?" as he m

. And we would all be together.

the b

self if they were all fit for heaven. B

destruction. Last winter there had been revivals everywhere, yet during the summer thoughtful people had questioned whether the moral tone of the community had been any higher. There

alf an hour with Joe. But her mother let her look over to see whether Lucy really did have her eyesight restored. She was so sleepy that when she had

a waste of labor and strength if the world came to an end, though she was sure clean clothes

, and in some houses there were weary pain-racked bodies that slipp

and impatiently waiting the moment when the trump would sound and they be caught up to glory. Down on Grand Street Hester Brown's uncle was giving away shoes, and wondering at the fatal unbelief of th

nd of all things. A great many people went to church that day. The children did suffer from dre

day when she had talked, and pretended she had forgotten all about it. And she was just mean enough about

o sharpen your pencils. We ought to try to be just as good as we could, for

Craven thought they had never

girl was very m

oe came over to supper-he could get off from the hospital now and then. They were all talking about going to Delance

ed the idea of the world's coming to an end. Benny adduced several remarkable reasons why it coul

re?" asked the li

eek this time. Don't you get frightened, H

She said "she always took Time by the forelock," and the little girl had a fancy some time she would drag him

ll looked up

e you were in bed half an hour ago. Put up you

just alive with terror." She couldn't pretend to explain anything to her; she was of the opinion that as you grew older "you found out things for yourself." And I am really afraid she didn't believe in total depravity for sweet little girls like Hanny. It was well enough for boys. So much of her life had been spent in doing, that she might have neglected some of the "mint, anise, and cumm

me to an end to-night." Then her mother patted down the bed, took off one pillow and t

stood sti

er. There's no little girl to grow into your clothes. Let me see-I put a lot of things in this closet. I remember pinn

n to look them over, keeping up a running comment. She would not have admitted that she was talking agains

a little thicker than I'd buy for a dress, but your father would have just that piece. I'll get a candle and go up-stairs-I wouldn't trust a glass lamp with this

t to leave the little girl alone in

ellectual, and people were still living rather simple lives, not yet impregnated with ideas. They had not had the old Puritan training, and the ferment of science and philosophy and transcendentalism had not invaded the country places. To

ad left something undone and was hurrying with all her might to do it, this thing beat and throbbed. If she wanted something very much and was almost tempted to take it, the feeling came up in her throat, and she knew that was conscience. She was trying now

ve foreshadowed the eternal. But then she could only believe,

as well to leave the lamp burning until Margaret's return. She would look in now and t

ged Margaret to go to bed quietly and not disturb her. And it was all light with the sun rising in the eastern sky

t fear. What was it? Oh, yes, this was their room; they were all alive, for she

you never

and clasped her little

am so glad you are left. And everybody-only-Margaret, were the people at the church dreadfully disappointed? What a pity God

n the city just as glad as Hanny, if the

she said, "Joe will have to go,

shed her and just tied up her hair with a second-best ribbon. Joseph had eaten

falling stars and wars and rumors of wars, but the old world had sailed triumphantly thro

indlier living and more serious thought. Be

uck, but there's flour and meat and little things that take off the money when you haven't much. And fu

as so much excitement. Did people really have o

e time, but a few weeks couldn't make much difference. Still, the worst scare was over, and i