Little Fishers: and their Nets

laid dresses, made gabrielle fashion, with ruffles around the bottom and around the neck.

d been commenced. Birthday presents they were to be to the little sisters whom she had never seen. She had earned the money to buy them. She had borrowed two little neighbors

set in them that she learned she

r faces and hands, she would put on the new dresses. She had not intended to present them in that way, b

th children beside her, watch

ones?" she asked, as she unfolded th

. But then they are pretty. They aren't dresses a

irls to wear, who have their hair combed beau

ou me

k just how nice you would look if your fa

mly, "but we won't have our hair combed, no

had as strong a will as she. The trunk lid

ught them for you, and meant to put them on you this afternoon to su

aid Susie, looking horribly cros

t they cannot go on until your faces and hands are so cl

ke us have ou

was willing to dress you all up prettily, but if you don't choose to look like the little girl

l wh

ess you are cl

to have ha

mooth and nice it would hardly hurt at all. But I didn't suppose you were a cowardly little girl who w

and her queer fierce little sister. She

you like; I don't care. Sate, you are going to have your ha

ngle tear appear on her cheeks. And at last the terrible tangles slipped out, and left silky folds of beautiful hair that was willing to do whatever Nettie's skilful fingers told it. When the faces and hands were clean, and the love

e said, as she gathered up the

n quite a mild tone. She was looking down at herself

to play in. They are dress-up clothes. Yo

ted contemptuously at the rags in Nettie's hand. Th

for sighing. There was st

ustling about. "Where does mother

would go now; I just want to show that hateful little girl in there my new dress, and my curls, but it isn't a bit of use to go. He won't

girls really bought most of the things which came from there, counted out the required number of pennies from her poor little purse for a

his," Nettie murmured, "it mi

" said that wise young woman,

impossible that butter in such a condition could be eaten. So the ice was ordered

cloth, not very large nor very fine, but beautifully smooth and clean, and hemmed by her own patient fingers. She must get it out to-night, as no other appeared; and of course she could not set the table without one. So it was spread on the clean table, and the few dishes arranged as well as she could. There was a drawing of tea set up in another teacup, and there was a sticky little tin teapot. Nettie, as she washed it, told it that to-morrow she would scour it until it shone; then she made tea. Meantime the little errand girl

of the stove, covered the toast, and set it in the oven. Then she went softly to the bedroom door and opened it. This time

cup of tea and a bit of toast for you. Shall I bring t

ished woman, still regarding h

would be dreadful if she should burst out cryin

ivered a little. "Father sent for me, you know.

an't b

o you the astonishment there

e is Nanette; but Auntie Marshall where I live, or where I used to live"-she corrected herself,

background as long as they intended.

n't it? But we ain't got no dresses on. She's got a white cloth on the table, and cookies, and a lump of ice, and everything; and we had

Susie c

ok at my dress and hair. The bewildered mother raised herself on her elbow and stared-from Nan

the bed, and didn't know nothing for a long while. I had a dreadful pain in my head, and then I must have dropped to sleep. Here I've been all day, if the day is gone. It must be after three o'clock if you've got here. I meant to try to do something towards making things a little more decent; though the land knows what it would hav

arrel head which you will remember did duty as a table. She spread it with one hand, little Sate carefully smoothing out the other end. In her left hand she carried a cup of tea smoking hot, and poor Mrs. Decker noticed that the cup s

re was a sound of heavy feet outside, and the children appeared at the door and announced that father and Norm had come. Nettie took the emptied cup, promising to fill it again,

ng less like what Nettie had imagined a father, could well be described. However, if she had but known it, this was a great improvement on the man who often came home to suppe

e your mother's girl if you wasn't. Is it you that has fixed up things so? It is a good thing you have come to take care of us. We haven

he could not help thinking of Jim Daker who lived in a saloon not far from her old home, and whom she had always passed with a hurried step, and with eyes on the ground, and of whom she thought as of

t brown, wistful-looking eyes, and an honest face. She had not much chance, it is tru

u ought to be glad to see her. You ain'

voc with the toast. It was not a very substantial meal for people who had dined on bread and cheese, and were hungering at that moment for beer; but the man had spoken the truth, it was better than they generally found. There was one part of the story, however, that he failed to tell: which was, that he did not furnish money to get anything better. As for Susie and Sate, they had become suddenly sile

She looked up at him with a startled air. To whom was he speaking and what old woman could he mean? Her look seeme

k, had been real sick all day, but wa

will get used to that story if you live here long. I hope you ai

time she had ever heard a man speak of his wife in such a way. Norm looked up from his cookie, and flashed angry eyes o

elf back from the table, and spoke in a somewhat gentler tone: "Well, my girl, make yourself as comfortable as you can. I'm glad to see you. We need your help, you'll find, in more ways than one. You've been working for other folks long enough. It is a poor place you've come to, and that's a fact. I ain't what I used to be; I've been unfortunate. No fellow ever had worse luck. Ever

and the room some minutes before. And this was

n her throat. She had choked back a great many tears that afternoon.

r at odd times, and a wash bowl and pitcher that had been her present on her eleventh birthday, and a green rocking-chair that aunt Kate had sent her: not her own aunt Kate, but Mr

plunged her hands into the dishwater, the bedroom door opened, and her moth

one I have had in three years. I don't know what made me give out so, all of a sudden. I tried to keep on my feet, but I couldn't do it no more than I coul

work: I always helped with the tea dishes at home." Then she plunged into the midst of

et you alone. You have come to an awful home, child. You have got to know the truth, and you might as well know it first as last. It is enough sight worse than you have seen to-night, though I dare say you think this is bad enough. You don't look nor act like what I was afraid of, and you must have had good friends who took care of you; and he ought to have let you alone. Thi

ivering, "and I will try very hard to help; but if you

be good and kind as the best of them, and we had things decent. I never thought it would come to this, but it has, and it grows worse every day. Yes, you may well turn pale, and cry out. Turning pale won't do any good. And you may cry tears of blood, and them that sells the rum to poor foolish men will go right on selling it as long as they have money to pay, and kick them out when they haven't. That is the way it is d