Kristy's Rainy Day Picnic

r, some years ago. Her father who was-I'm sorry to say-a drunkard, had at last died, lea

mily, began to go out every evening. The great dread seized her that he would follow in the footsteps of his father. They had suffer

e it gay and lively as it was in the saloon where the boys met, and when she tried to coax him

mewed up at home all the time. Now look here," as he saw the tears come into Alice's eyes, "you needn't fret about me, Sis

en when Alice heard his step. She hurried to the door to let him in. H

-room. She was shocked. She was grieved. This was the first time Jack had showed signs

r father, and over his terrible death-bed, Jack had prom

ent on, "when it is so dull and stupid for him here? It's no wonder he prefers the pleasant warm room, the lights, the gay

h her thoughts ever came back. "I must save J

lmost?" thought Alice, remembering, with a shudder, that a

uring the next day, as she went about her work in the house, waiting on h

's even worse to scold or be cross to him, for that only makes him stay away more.

boys, it's awful hard never to spend a cent when the others do. It looks mean, and Jack hates being

out so for?" asked her m

ng, mother," she answered.

ace just as pleasant, and warm, and free as Mason'

y to have it warm and light; and besides, his friends wo

u muttering about?"

er; I'm only m

on, closing the door, and starting for the k

her, and she stood in the midd

uld help if they only thought how good it would be for boys. That would be splendid!" And

he plan grew more into shape; "but it's for Jack, and that'

state of health,-Alice hurried through with her work, put on her things, and went to call first on Mr. Smith, a grocer. She happened to know that

efore the grocer in his private office, where she was sen

ghter, I believe," wa

zy, I'm afraid, when I tell you my errand," she went on, trembli

ocer kindly, supposing she

t on bravely, "that I am going to

nger?" asked Mr. Smith

ts of other boys, and what you can do is to let me have Johnson's old shop, free of

do? I don't underst

ng, and I'll try to get every boy and young man to go there, and not to Mason's. If they could have

things to put in, or your fire, or anything to make it rival Mason's. However, I'm busy now and can't

k you!" c

m a nail. "Say no more, child, I couldn't rent

key, feeling as if the whole thing

them all out-was to a man who sold wood;

ding, and to help in any really practical plan. He listened interestedly, and promised to give a cord of cut wood to begi

village, where lived Mrs. Burns, a wealthy l

Alice, as she walked up the broad walk

ly approved of her plan. "You'll want books and papers,

to think of so m

miss their beer too much; and you must charge enough to pay f

some one to make it," s

be glad, for a little wages (which I shall pay her), to spend her evenings there, making coffee. Sh

ld-fashioned bookcase I have upstairs, and some books to start a librar

book, in which she entered Mr. Smith's gift of the room-rent, Mr. Williams's gift of the wood, and

o or three others agreed to send their weekly papers when they had read them; many gave one chair each; three

teakettle to hang over the fire, and a tin coffee-pot, came from the tin-shop; cheap, plated teaspoons from

and when Alice went home that night, her little book had a list o

had a thorough scrubbing, Alice went out to collect the furniture. The village expressman, who owned a hand-c

ed with papers, and others with games, a rousing fire was built in the fireplace, the tea-kettle was singing away merrily, and at a side table with cups

et. A sign was over the door (Mr. Dover, the sign-paint

Alice, "le

reply, and followed his si

d, a delightful odor of coffee in the air, and a

" said Jack; "how

ackage of coffee-ten pounds at the least-and another of sugar has most mysteriously ap

o with it?" asked Jack,

you know? She got it up; it's all

otested Alice, "I didn'

he plan, and everything

, and the other boys; and every evening there'll be a bright fire and hot coffee, and Mrs. Hart t

lly, you're a trump!

riosity to see what one girl had done; and after that they continued t

ce lectures or unwelcome advice; no boy was asked to read book or paper, and no one was told how much b

he fire was bright, the coffee ready, and Mrs. Hart in her place. Then she would open the bookcase, select three or four of th

ose most interested, and received from one the weekly papers that had been read, from another

ad no need to ask for. The two cents a cup

hings and washed the cups and saucers, and as the cloc

, so they agreed among themselves to pay a small sum weekly toward expenses. It was not binding on any one, but nearly

t nearly every one who had spent his evenings there had become a sober, honest citizen, while tho

usiness to see that the boys had a good time, and also, to keep order among them. Mrs. Hart soon found that he was a sort of

before shown, and when he became a man in years, no one could have the slightest fear that Jack Rawson would ever f

kespeare

ittle candle th

od deed in a n

on now," said Kristy,

a few days ago, and one of the n

al for one girl t

lson, "but I know of another

o?" asked Krist

y old woman, who was s

er?" asked K

see it is raining yet, a

as she turned to her mother, "Mam

e to make it up later," sai

ty, with a laugh; "I shan't

mamma smiling, as