Rosa's Quest / Or, The Way to the Beautiful Land

a! R

s' Gray, I

when you ain't wanted, then when you are wanted, you're no place to be found. If you wuz my girl, you'd be learnt to know

little Rosa, "mother was coughin

e, or what'll become of you either. I know one thing, though; I won't have you.

Mis' Gray?" asked Rosa with

so! Never mind, Rosa dear, Sary don't mean it

, though I told him it wuzn't necessary. I washed and I sewed and I done everything, but our little home had to go. I thought then, and I think now, that we could a-kep' it, if it hadn't been fer you. If Tom could git hold of a cent at all, it would go fer medicine, or somethin' fer you to eat. After you got well, he found a place to work, and wuz a-tryin' to git back the home, when he went and got killed, a-tryin' to keep a poor, good-fer-nothin' beggar from bei

Mrs. Gray's irascible tongue, "what

d no talk about her leavin', but then I

r this package, and quick, too. If you hadn't talked so much, you could be well on your

heard the bea

t big package so far. If you'd spend a little more time a-workin', and a little less a-lookin' after your ma, you'd have more strength, I won't have it said that I git work done fer nothin', so I'll give

Rosa, her wan little face lighting up with genuine pleasure at th

lk no more. You're enough to

d, kissing the old man's withered cheek, for these two children of the

ill voice, as the child was making her wa

s' Gray, h

Be sure to tell your ma where you're goin', and that it'll take you about an hour and a half. I don't want her a-gettin' scared and a-hollerin' 'round and a-sendin' some one after you, like she did that day you didn't git home till dark. She acted ridiculous, as if she thought you never would come back. I coul

he feared the tyrant, but vainly endeavored to love her for grandpa's sake.

deliver a package over on Lake Avenue for Mis' Gray, and will not be back for about an hour and a half, she told me

move, will you, without taking me along? I don't know what she could have meant. What did she mean, anyhow?

ecious"; and the sufferer fell back upon her pillow, co

kage, Rosa sped down the steep stairwa

how cold it is! I'm glad I have

lady, who to Rosa seemed the embodiment of beauty and elegance. While intently studying the fair face and neat costume, this object of her admiration suddenly cr

deliver that package over

ow what would become of me. Why, lady, mother just can't move now; she's sick and has a dreadful cough! She hasn't even been in to see grandpa and Mis' Gray for a long time. Then I know, anyhow, she'd never go and leave me. Of course she wouldn't, for we're a

d than ever to see the blue eyes fill with tears, "sometimes when people

that's heaven, but he can't explain it much to me. He says he can't think right since Tom got killed. You know Tom was his boy. Grandpa is so

or she would not co

about it, then. But how much is

to go to that beautiful land, bec

d mother kissed me and said that Jesus surely would take ca

gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth

But where do you sta

ould go right

p much now. I'll tell her about it, though, then when she

ot so

d. It might make her cough worse to go out

a grea

ere mor

are going a

e in the city

es

her suffer so, and we might be there now. I'm afraid it will be a long time before she

ometimes since mother's not been able

ing they want, and

y want, and nev

es

it col

N

have to p

s has paid fo

long this winter. The rent is due next Monday, and we have nothing to pay it with, but if mother is just we

off, and have gone a whole block past Lak

g what she did, she ran after it for a short distance. With a great pang, she remembered that the

eart heavier than before, she delivered her package, purchased