A Story For The Little Ones.


THERE was no help for it: Daisy must be

drowned little, gentle, two-months-old Daisy,

that was always so good and quiet, and yet

so full of life and frolic! Little Katie's heart

was quite broken, thinking about it. But

mamma, who knew best, had said so; and

there was no help for it. Three cats took so

much milk! and there were so many little

human mouths to feed! and milk at ten cents a

quart! Poor little Katie! She saw it was

best; but it brought grief to her heart.

"If some one would only buy Daisy," she

said, clinging to her mother's dress.

"People don't buy kitties," said her

mother, stooping to kiss the little, flushed,

tearful face lifted to hers; "but I wish some

one would take her as a gift. You wouldn't

mind giving Daisy away, would you, Katie?

That would be better than drowning her."

"Yes, indeed! a hundred times better!"

answered the child, her face lighting up.

That night a little tear-wet face pressed

Katie's pillow. The child was offering up her

evening prayer. "Dear Father," she said,

"please send some one along who wants a

kitty. It is so awful to have Daisy drowned!

and it hurts so! Please, dear Father, be

good to Daisy, and don't let her be drowned,"

and here the little voice grew choked, and

great tears fell on the white pillow-slip. Soon,

however, she fell asleep; her prayer had

quieted her. . . ....

"Good-bye, Daisy. Oh! I wish God had

thought it best. But he didn't, and you must

go;" and Katie turned from her brother Reuben,

who held Daisy in his strong arms.

"Don't cry, Katie," said the boy, pausing a

moment; "I'll do it real quick; she won't suffer

but a minute. I'll tie a big stone to the

bag, and it'll all be over in a jiffy."

Poor, blundering Reuben! He meant to

comfort Katie; but his words only made her

cry the harder.

Reuben walked along, far from comfortable.

There was the bag in his pocket, and Daisy

in his arms, looking up in his face as confidingly

as though he were the best friend she

had in the world. In a few minutes, poor

Daisy would be struggling in the water, and

he would have to go back and face Katie,

and tell her it was all over.

"I declare, I can't do it!" he exclaimed,

half aloud. "I'm going in here to Bill Watson's.

Perhaps his folks would like a kitten.

Any way, I'll see."

A little girl stood in the doorway.

"Halloo, Jenny! want a kitty? I've brought

you a beauty, look!"

Jenny's pretty face flushed with delight.

"O mother!" she exclaimed, running back

into the room, "may I have this kitty? Reuben

has brought it a purpose for me!" Reuben

had to tell his story how they had two

other cats at home, how there wasn't milk

enough for them all, and how Katie had cried

when mother had said Daisy must be drowned.

"Don't say another word," interrupted Mrs.

Watson. "Leave puss here. I am right glad

of her."

So Reuben put Daisy into Jenny's arms, and

with a heartfelt "Thank you, ma'am; Katie

will be so glad," he hurried home to tell his

sister the good news.

Oh! How happy Katie was that evening.

"God did hear me, didn't he, mamma?"

"Dear little Daisy! I think God must love

kitties almost as much as he does little girls;

don't you, mamma?"

"'His tender mercies are over all his

works,'" murmured Katie's mother to herself;

then she turned to her little girl, and

said:

"God loves and cares for everything

that he has made, dear child. I thank him

that my Katie has a tender, loving heart toward

his creatures; and I am glad, too, that

Daisy has found so good a home." 



Mrs. 0. A. Mason.