Little Fishers: and their Nets

tack was driven, and the last fold in the curtain twitched into place! The rag carpet was very bright. "I put a good many red and yellows in it," said

s. Decker, "she is a master

a-cover. Between the windows was a very marvel of a table. Nobody certainly to look at it, draped in the whitest of muslin, with a pink cambric band around its waist, covered with the muslin, and looking as much like pink ribbon as possible, would have imagined that a square post, about six inches in diameter, and two feet long, with a barrel head securely n

enough to justify the extravagant admiration which they called forth. But the crowning glory was, after all, a chair which occupied the broad space between the window and the door. It was cushioned, back, and sides, and arms; it was

y flowers to a sick woman. She had admired it very much, and the lady herself had told her how it was made, and that her nephew, a boy of sixteen, made it for her. Now, although Jerry was not a boy of sixteen, he had

ared, and with long strides reached the nice little mantel

ok. "I saw a lamp the other day that I knew would just fit ni

or boy's money ought to be taken to provide a lamp for the new room; she much doubted the propriety of it. "The first mon

great bound of relief and thanksgiving, when they appeared at last, none the worse for liquor. Indeed, she did not think either of them had taken even a glass of beer. They were in good humor; a bit of what Mr. Decker called "extra good luck" had fallen to him in the shape of a piece of work which it was found he could manage

over, they should go in and see. "Nannie and I haven't been folding our hands while you have been working," she said with a complacent air,

all your life to nicely arranged rooms. For Mr. Decker it stirred old memories. There had been a time when his best room if not so

and the gimcracks around that chair? Is that a chair, or a sofa, or what? Halloo! here's a new lamp. Let's hav

guess what it was made of. And the little girls stood at his knee and put in eager words as to the

mp, and Norm went for a match, Mrs. Smith made her way across the y

the room. "Come and try the new sofa. Here, Mr. Smith, is a chair for you, if that is too lo

it so often during the past few days, that it was beginning to seem like the proper name of

roud of Job for saying that. Then they fell into conversation, the two men, about the signs of the times as regarded business, and prices, and various interests. Mr. Decker was a good talker, and here lay some of his temptations; ther

listened and asked a question now and then, until presently he said, "I kno

that?" as

it it in here so," and the sofa was unceremoniously turned upside down and inside out, and planned over, J

r father sitting beside Mr. Smith, talking eagerly, and her mother and Mrs. Smith having a good time together, and Jerry and Norm interested in each oth

ready for rest; and as often as she looked out of the window towards the square room in the next house, she smiled. It looked so much

of the anxiety, slipped away to try to find out what kept them; but he came back in a little while with a grave face and shook his head. Both had left their shops at the usual time; nobody knew what had become of them. Jerry could guess, so also could Mrs. Decker. The poor woman was too used to it to be very much astonished; but Nettie was overwhelmed. She ate no supper; she did not sing at all over the dishwashing. Sh

ame first, and stumbled, and shuffled, and growled; his voice was thick, and the few words she could catch had no connection or sense. He had too surely been drinking. But he was not so far gone as the father. He had to be helped along the street by some of his companions; he could not hold himself upright while they opened the door. And when the gentle wind blew it shut again, he swore a succession of oaths which made Nettie s

ittle girl's heart. She was early down stairs, and stole away to the next hou

did have a little hope, as sure as you live. Your pa seemed so different by spells, and Norm, he seemed to like you, and to stay at home more, and I kind of chirked up and thought may b

; and I think sometimes, maybe if I had made such a brave shift as that in the begin

oreman. Norm came later, and ate very little breakfast, and looked miserable enough to be sent back to bed again. Nettie only saw him through a crack in the door; she stayed out in the little back yard, pretending to put it in order. He made his stay very short, and went away witho

y for getting there. What was the use of staying here? Hadn't she tried her very best and

a farm that mother ironed for, when they lived in town, sent her a great basket full; heaps more than we

he kindest one I ever knew; in fact, I haven't known many kind people, and that's the truth. She has done

e bit of ground back of the house might be made to raise corn; and Nettie brightened a little, and looked over at Norm and was just going to say, "Let's have a garden next summer," when he spoiled it by declaring that he wouldn't slave in a garden for anybody. It was hard enough to work ten hours a day. Then his father told him tha

erry appeared in the door. She had not seen him since the sorrow of the night before had come upon them; Nettie thought he avoided coming in, because he too was discouraged. Her face flushed when she hear

me out on the back step;

ed him out, and sat down listlessly on the broad low step, wh

e of the words if i

sh and have a supper in that mean little hole which is kept on the island; they mean to make an all-night of it. I don't know what is to be done next; play cards, I suppose; they do, whenever they get together, and lots of drinking. It is a dreadful place. Well, I heard, by a kind of accident, that they

ed Nettie,

g. I have a splendid fishing rig, you know, and I'll lend it to them, and help them to have a good time, and then if you will plan a kind of treat when we get back-coffee, you know, and fish, and bread and butter, we could have a picnic of our own and as much fun as they would get with that set on the island. I belie

not a word; and when he turned and looked at her, to learn what was t

asked at last. "I thought I heard you in

peaking gravely, "I

e all day had it their own way for a few minutes. She had not meant to cry;

trouble, and I have been so sorry for Mrs. Decker all day that I wanted to stay away, because I could not think of the ri

t you think it

anything happened to-day that I haven't heard

se at all? After we worked so hard and got everything nice, and he seemed so pleased, and stayed

d in blank

u did not think that Norm was going to reform the ve

cted something, I hardly know what, and I could not help feeling disappointed and miserab

for months and years before they get real hold and are sure of them. There is a lawyer in New York that father says kept three men busy for five years trying to sav

were tears in Nettie's eyes, but there was a little suggestion

, we are not to give him up at the end of five

then sat still in deep thought for several minutes

eve they will, but we can try. We have coffee enough to make a nice pot of it, and Mrs. Smith sent us some milk out of that pail from the country that is almost cream. I will make some baked potato balls, they a

ould, as well as not. And he doesn't get tired of people, either; and that I think is queer. Have you ever thought that if yo

r. "Well, I do," said Jerry sturdily; "I have often thought of it; I believe almost any man would get out of patience with this old w

u go and talk the thing up with your mother, and I will go and see what Norm says. Or, hold on, suppose we go together a

ie ran to her mother. Mrs. Decker was ironing, her worn face looking older and more worn, Nettie thought, than she had eve

ried through the story of the intended frolic on the island, and the fishing party that was, if possible, to be pushed in ahead. Mrs. Decker listened in s

ld? I thought you an

on't believe it will be. I'm going to begin over again, mother, and not get discouraged at anything. It is true, as Jerry says, that we can't expect Norm to reform all in a minute. He says the boys that Norm goes with the most are not bad fellows, only they haven't any homes, and they keep getting into mischief, because they have nowhere to go to have any pleasant times. Don't you think Nor

ough to care much about it," she said slowly. "I thought I had done about my best, but it may be I'll find myself mistaken. Well, child, let's try it, for mercy's sake, or anything else that that

shady side of the main street, toward Norm's shop. They passed Lorena Barstow, and though J

the sentence which the sight of her had interrupted. Nettie could not laugh; she was sore over the thought

es. "He works fast," said Jerry, "and he works as though he would rather do it than not; Mr. Smith says t

ay in which he told about his plans for going fishing, declaring that the afternoon was prime for such work, and that he was tired of going alone. "Wouldn't Norm and his two friends go too?" Now a ride in a boat was something that

but did not know as he could get away. They were not over busy it was true, neither was the foreman trou

e walked boldly to the other side