Little Fishers: and their Nets

ettie, so that you might see the

her father, but she was, nevertheless, wonderfully

y the shoes? The little girls are so eager for them. I promised to take them with me to Sunday-s

it was also true that she was very glad she did. Mr. Decker was untying his apron, and rolling down his sleeves; he felt very thirsty-the sight of the money seemed to make him thirsty. He had meant to go directly to the saloon, give them one dollar on the old bill, and spend what he needed, only a very little, on b

was ready for him: "Oh!" she said, swiftly unrolling a newspaper, "I brought their feet alo

dreadfully worn out, I was afraid the shoemaker cou

able eyes that two pairs o

eed other thing

the street, and he was actually being drawn by Nettie'

its. Auntie Marshall sent them each a cunning little white sunbonnet. When we get the shoes, they will look just as nice as c

e woman. It did seem a great deal to pay out-two whole dollars-for shoes when everything was needed. It was warm weather, perhaps she ought to have let the little girls go barefoot for awhile, but

ld not leave her and go back to that saloon and get his drink. One reason wa

a splendid piece of meat for your Sunday dinner. I

ght his hand eagerly. "O, father, do please come with me to the market, there are so many men there I don't like to

ng in her soft coaxing voice which seemed to take him back a dozen

d insisting on a neck piece, which the boy told her was not fit to eat

father, I want two carrots and two oni

cents of her pr

fully, "and that in the tub looks nice,

shortly. He did not know the trim little woman who had paid for her carrots and onions, and held them in a paper bag

uick about it." And Mr. Decker put

n a neat wooden dish, while he said, "By the way, Mr. Decker

rtled; this was worse than she thought. She had not known of any accounts. Mr. Decker himself

" Nettie asked, and

; he needn't be scared." Yet why he shouldn't be "scared," when he had a

ouldn't you let the man keep the fifty cents,

s was t

y and not before; and it is none of your business when I do

as a queer little lump in her throat. She was not in the habit of being spo

so, "I'll have some money for you next

eway I couldn't bring myself to doing it with her looking on." This was what the grocer muttered as they walke

other said she would have it ready, and toast spoils, you know, if

ing back to the saloon. And they walked into the house together, so astonishing Mrs. Decker that she almost dropped the teapot which she was filling with h

who had worked so hard all the week for herself and her neglected babies. The toast was well made, and the tea was good. Besides, there was a treat; not ten

th had been freshly washed and ironed that day, and his wife had on a clean c

to-morrow, just as we planned. Father got the meat, and the carrots, and everythi

ent was frightened. As for the father, he felt very queer. Scared and silent as his little girls generally were in his presence, they could not keep back a little squeal o

your tea if you're going

tea wa

alled the little girls to their father to see if the shoes fitted, and he took Sate up on his lap to examine them, which was a thing that had not happened to Sate in so long that Susie scowled and expect

ieve he might like to see the children in their nice clothes? I ain't seen hi

"I'll dress Susie." And s

hortened and tightened for her that day. The dress was a plain, not over-fine white one; but it was beautifully ironed, and the white sunbonnet perched on the trim head completed the picture and made a pretty creature

ad to foot, and could hardly believe his eyes. What a pretty child she was. And to think that she was his! Certainly she ought to have

d sweetly, "only I doesn't want to

ly did not know what was the matter with him, only it all seemed to come to him suddenly that he had some very nice chi

im sit in the door and do it rather than to go off down to that saloon. She hated the saloon worse than the tobacco. As she brought the pipe, she said within h

could, she followed her mother into the yard

and said he had an hour's holiday; their room had closed early for S

nto scrapes; but I didn't dare to say a word, because Norm thinks he is getting too big for me to give him any words, and just as he was going out, that boy next door-Jerry, you said his name was, didn't you?-he came out and called Norm, real friendly, and they stood talking together; he appeared to be arguing something, and Nor

hen we will have some fried fish to-morrow for br

t night. After he had smoked, he felt thirsty, it is true, and at that very minute Net

which she bought with her own money, and she knew ho

red with a string of fish. They were beauties; he declared that he never had such luck in his life; that fellow just bewitched the fish, he believed, so they would rather be caught than not. Then came a talk about dressing them. Norm said he was sure he did not know how; and Mr

looked at his wife with something like the old look on his face, and said he seemed to be fairly caught. And together they wen

dered how late it was. No clock in this house to give any idea of time. There used to be, but one day it got out of order and Mr. Decker carried it down street

time, any better than her husband did. However, just as Mr. Decker made his wondermen

te as that. There ain't any evenings now days. Well, I guess, aft

Decker when she heard her husband's words, hu

. He don't act like himself; not a mite. I was most scared when I saw him take Sate in his arms; that child don't remember his doing it before, I don't believe. Did he really buy the things, child, and pay for them? Well, now, it does beat all

went to bed. It had made her homesick not to do it. But she had not wanted to kiss anybody in this house, except the little girls. To-night, she wanted to kiss this mother. She reached the back door, then stopped and looked back; her father sat in his shirt sleeves, in the act of pulling off one boot. Should she tel

hen she put a kiss on the rough cheek, just

h somebody had struck him. But it

ice was husky; and Nettie ran as fast as s

h a wonderful time! Father gave me money, and we went to market, and bought shoes and he bought butter; and since we came h

eady, either; I meant to work after tea, but instead o

erry, I am so glad you went fishing to-night, and I am so glad you caught your fish; not the one

d a nice time, too. We shall have some long stori