A Modern Cinderella

, it was Fourth of July. She would get up-but her thin legs gave way and her head spun

are better t

el-qu

shed, the little

fever," Miss Armitage said

ly. There would be so man

do our best. I don't dare treat her as you would a robust child, but I'll give her something every hour, an

and Jack, always pleading with him not to do this or that. Once she laughed and waved her

ng Irish woman came

idget," she said.

mitage, "But I am afraid s

la lay on the cot now and was movi

u remember Bridget whose come to care for you so much? Ah dear! It's

d fairy godmother turned my old frock into the beautifullest 79 frock, all

ll and she lapsed i

ge glanced

best little thing I ever saw, and she never told you a lie or took a bit of cake without asking. In the beginning she must have belonged to some nice folks; and just look at her pretty hands and feet, light and small enoug

rked," ventured Miss Ar

floor, 80 an aunt or something and she was afraid of bad spells, she did have some, and she'd ring her bell for Marilla an'

ve to carry

e 'em. And they'd jabber back and she'd make b'lieve she understood it all. She was a wonderful child's nurse an' there'll be trouble enough without her. But the babies went to bed early an' then she'd come down an' wipe the dishes for me an' they made no call on her. But Jack was a holy

e told the i

let her get good and strong? I'm going out to my cousin at Fairfield to stay until next Monday. The boss will be down with his folks until then, and all the vallerbles have been sent out of

kissed it, and winked away the

ck, I shall be glad to have a call from you. And by tha

beautiful children 82 among the very poor, in the slums, with no ancestry back of them. There was some

he ball. What a happy dream it must have been for the child! She was glad to hear that

n Sunday morning a smi

ger. Now, with nourishing diet and some salt in the baths we shall have her about a

nced up and

ell," she began. "

Jane will you bring that sma

ctor over in th

ittle thing. And that she was wonderful with the babies. I was glad she had not been 'put upon' as they

are not strong enough for nursemaids. She was pretty

to what we call 'nice people.' She flattered me by asking, the first coherent

many a time. I wonder you haven'

xt. I do not believe I am a real missionary, and I 84 have a theory-it may not be a very noble one," and a soft color suffused her fine face, "that people who br

fed throng she can hardly take care of. I think the man who goes off the second time, or who does not take care of the children he has, should be put in some institution and made to earn their support. And the girls ought to be educated up to better ide

in the kimona and lifted her

you are! And everything is so

she could stay in this beautiful house where everything was so quiet. Jane

I went back to be

he put her gently back on the

red! But about midafternoon, she seemed to rouse and come to herself and said she was hungry. There was broth and hot milk and some stewed fruit, and Jane brushed her hair that fell in

lerks in stores. Half of them were going away on Monday to the Rest House for a week,

here are not side shows. Just rowing and bathing, and a ride every day in a big o

they were so particular. They did not have any story papers and the books were all dull and religious and if you took up one you must put it back in

nd two cows, and a tennis court and croquet. And

said one of the girls

d pleasures of her youth. Then she came home to her little girl w

rilla said. "And I'm

news," and t

ch a long while. I seem to have been lost and couldn'

. I sent them a new girl. And Brid

ten Jack, but she never did it. And she said that about the fairy godmother and the King's 88 ball was a dream. What is it that goes to strange places when you are asleep? An

doctor these curious puz

use?" she inquired af

tay a week as Mr. Borden will be down t

out girl-until I am eighteen. But they'll be growing bigger all the time. I wish they we

urly hair quit

hy should some hair curl a

But your's is c

den said she'd give me a silver dollar if I could. But it was so straight and there wasn't much of it. Do you remember the fat little girl of the Campbell's Soups? The babies look a good deal like her. They have high foreheads and round eyes full of wonder, and such chubby cheeks. But Aunt Flore

d, I think, patient-fou

me back?" and the child drew

mething else," in

had talked herself tired. How queer that was,

to read to you?" in

c in verses that goes all through you, keeping t

hild listened wide-eyed as if it made pictures to her. Then the

a few steps when suddenly everything swam before her ey

and she had been very well, too. But something happened to her hips. I can't 91 think what they called it, and she never could wal

Miss Armitage. "Once when I was ill I fainted a great many times fo

her face over on the pillow and let the tears drop silently, and she could not swallow any supper, something lay so heavy on her breast. Miss Armitage kissed her, and Marilla tw

d the soothing voice. "G

main. Such long sweet warbles, such a merry staccato with little pauses, as if he asked-"Now, what do you think of that?" and th

nd up and down the spine, holding her up with one strong arm. Marilla took a frig

n walk! I

ould never walk again?"

d I thought of the

get paralyzed; children don't. Oh, you must not thi

her. Miss Armitage came up just then and greeted her 93 with a happy sm

g you up some bre

and have some real breakfast at t

a bound-out girl and had alway

get started for a vacation. They are in stores and factories, and have two weeks in the summer, and the Rest House do

ave to go back to th

, and though she felt sort of joyously well at heart her body was tired and she lay on the couch to rest. T

't run away y

n very far. Yet I seem quit

you fainte

thing, and then I

t, then he passed his hand down her spine and

t a rea

the stoop over th

nd when I turned round everything was upside down and black and I don't rem

rse. But I think now you are on

ck unless this is it," a

abies have been rather too much for you thi

ad and very funny. You

can't

nk they're pretty and sweet sometimes, but you don't truly lo

ave in this world. Now w

She might let me wipe the dishes. But-maybe you don't know I'm bound-out to Mrs. Borden until I'm eighteen, so I shall have to go back. An

's ball with a fairy godmothe

he would be quite prett

tove. I hadn't any belief in her at first. Oh, do you know

really does. I suppose you had

dreamed of them. And the babies seemed to understand them all. They laughed at the funny places and they looked so shocked at the dreadful things, and were so ple

and he listened a m

ong while if I could stay here. There was a little girl once who died and went to heaven. Miss Florence had the book. That wasn't any

blown lakes and the far-away

tell me abo

l only lau

a Cinderella who went to the pala

led so persuasively that she really couldn't resist. She pictured the kitchen and how comfortably she had settled herself and

language than most children of her years, and the whole picture was exquisite. Why, it seemed very real to him. And her fa

reath and a lovely smi

heart. She really was transfigured at that moment. What possibilities were lying in her soul unawakened. Th

lower is born

sweetness on t

have transplanted it into

e of the woman he would like for his wife; now he wanted this little

in a strange, full voice