Cinderella's Helpers

The ashee lay thi-jk upon the heartta scattered by vigwous poking a dunner time, and one vent uresome ioa htad been crueJied by a hasty step upon the paitoted noor. A girl sa in a wooden rluiir, her arme, bar trom difeh-washing, dropping Hstlessly in ber lap. An impatient toot, in a dowm-trodden Blipper, kieked the tibair-round petulantly, while on he pingiiam npron "was a great spot o Bmut, from the bottom oí the big din Der-kettle ghe had just now put awuy A veritable Cinderella, you see, and indeed, tJnat 'vrae tlie name she was ofteneet called 0y ; tor wlien the sylïalbles iare 11 tlire, and tempt you to transpose them, and tteeia as if they Ivad been put together backwards by nii6take, who could resist gtraigliten np the word ? And Ella Cinder had been {Qnderella from lier Oiirliest whool days, tliough, reiilly, it was not often tJiat she sat down disconwolately among the ashes like her illusirikrus name sake. It was the lovlie.st of nummer nfternoons. The blue Bky eeemed bluer because of the fleeey elouds that wore Xloatimg over it, and the jrrass was ilean after last night's shower. The pamsies and petunias in Cinderella's flower bed nodded in the breeze as if iliey were berging "Gome out and piek ne !" while the little weeds venturlng out timidly tlirough the daris, moist earttti, seemel nlmost saying, 'Tome crat and pull us up !" But Cmderella did not look out, mot even when teo or three carriagea ■went by up the long oscent, with ïuarry, laughiug loadg. And he did not heed steps aad voieee at the gate, till, looking up, uhe eaw three or Hourpirl8 on t!h.e porch. 'O, Cinderolla, can't we come in ? AVe've bex'n running a raee from the Birches, nnl it's nwfully warm- I beat though." "Much as ever, Alice Peyton," put in another breathlees voice. "And if I hadn't wanted to ëe ivlio that was in the Iyong'e carriage you tnouldn't at all." "Isn't tlwre some water handy ?" aeked Nora Dunn. "Or f you'll lenjl ae a djpper, we'U go to the well." "Yes, let'e," said Mareta Abbott, we're all bo thirety." 'You'll do 110 hucIi tliinii.'' gald ('inderella, jump)n; il]) and untylng lier soiled aprou. "Tliere's íreíili water in the dining-rom, and you'll all come in or 8lt on the poreh - this kitehen is too hot and dlrty, and w don't alwaya look qujte bo dlrty, I'm sure - I'H get you soiuc milk, too, if you like." "It's pleesaoteel bne," s:üd Marcia, itting down on tlie step. "And you needii't le afraid of our dressea, tjK'.v'ii all vasta." Tlie others drew up beside her an old-Ta-slii-oiH'd ettee, and took off thcir wideJiats, dropping them beelde somo liooks they had had in their hands. It was ome minutes beforp Cinderelln reappeared. Shc liad changad hcr dreM iv lig-lit ciimlirit, and the brouglht a dahrty waiter, whicb held, beside the fílaseos and the pitchers of milk nnd water, a píate of picy cookies and one of golden spongotake. "I baked tiicin th;s morning," ahe ajd, as t.lu' zv ate, and drank, and preSsed. "They'rc after some old reK-ipts of vrrandmother's." ■Vou don't et anythJnn like thls t Mrs. Britton'," said Nora, regretj fully, "nor ut any of the boni-ding places, I believe." ■■(;ues wlmt -ve mean to do, and ■niant yon to help about," said Alice. "Dig into Cicero a little, and eee if 'tWKm't be easler to make sraooth translations next iall." "I ihaven't any book." "Well, yon can juet as well get t dow, can't you ? Or you can take mane, and Nora and I will study together. ,Don't you want to ?" For Ctoderella's face wai downcast, and her white apron etrings were h-aviiiír a rigorosa twinting. "I don't know a 1 sluill go to the Hemiiiary aliis Iall." "Not ?o I" 'Are you lek, CtndereUa, or is anyiKKly else ?" "Can you keep up at home ?" Won't iit Ík' hord." Tliey hadjgone all aruund witli their exclamatjonK and were beglnnlng again. Clearly Cinderella would have ü it all. "I'm nut gotog back at all," sbe tmtü. "At least I dont think 1 ghall. l':ulnr can't quite afford it." How astonislbed they were, and liow littic they knerw, a Indeed (the had reailsed ieforo. of needa, or of any dilfivult adjiistmeiit of wants and liav. nicy (lid nat know the differe, Bhe tiH.iiiïht a ii t Wtterty, ■ eenber ctrcumtrtaacea and theirs. Tliey luad Beemed on nu cijiiality at s hool.'and even-thcir luxurious homes, Ki whk-h Khe had been invited at Maybury had ïiot suirested too loudly the gulf bet ween their stations, hor did her home, plain as it was, and iH'trayhig a toilsonie life, seem unlovely to tlicm or her. But what ■would they think now ? There wae ilence at first, then a murinur of idisappointment. "Wfoy, Cinderella, we cnn't Hpar you !" "Who wOl g-ive our valedictory next year ?" And from Nora, the practical "Couldn't you earn the money som how, or borrow it ?" # But (anderella nhook her head. "Fat&er wouldn't hear of borrow Ing, aod thre's no way to earn." 'You eould take 6ummr board era !" "Or sew like Mig Aleott," said Alic. "Or work in the factory. as Lucj Liarcoin did,'" added Marcia. "I ean't do anytJiing1 -with the needie," eaid Cinderolla, sadly. "Fa ther doesn't want us to take board ere, and mother lcn't well onough eiithcr. And our factory isn't a bit lfke tlie one Miss Iarcom worked in. eould never go tliere !" Silence again, anti tlwn Nora spoke, foldin up her napkin thought fully :■ "You baked these thtaB, Onder ella. And you niake lovely Ice-crewn ATiy not have it every dny to sell, ] mean to the people who go by ? Thie air gives everyone au amazinti appetite, ajul we don't have BnythiBg at all riainty. There's lots of folkh who would be glad to drop in." "Why, I k believe I eould do that," said Cinderella. with shining eye. "There'll le paspberries, too, and iced milk folks like. I can make üfferent sorte of .-ake, too, and sonie ovely gioger snapn, better than cake. I bo-uld tiütalk people miglit like bw'h lnnche." "I am sure they would," said Xora, 'your tlwings are always bo good. 3ut would jou have time for all.?" "I'd meke time," aid Cinderella, leterminedly. "The only troublo vould be doing the work and waiting on folks nt tht na.nwj time. But mortier and Joe would help, I gues, and maybe Nan. And I'ni a thousand timee obligad to you, Xora. It's a pity you're ridh. and don't need 'eva,- your ideae, I meao, tlwy would be a fortune to you if you were poor." Xora laughed, and jumped up snyng, as abe looked up the road, "There ie a big wagon coming, girls, and I'm uite sure it's üncle Jerry. Let's ret a ride." And ae tbgy rode alonj; leliind the taiil roan horses, ehe said : "Here's our cbanee, girls, ready mvide. and more ton titaan anythlng. to help somebody, I mean. What ld we say wben we read Leslie oldtbwadte, but thai there couldn't be a wgn of a cluime of anythlng ke lendlng a band here this suinmer, in our oommoopleee boardlngODSé, (ir in tlie vlllage either? And ere 'tds, as I said. We must help inderella. Tend, I mean, tako turns. I'will lic diiiy uvo foi-fiioons a week pii1: c Por forenoon, ol eoarse, is er WDrklng time." "I practiee morniims," said Alice, and I hate to haimc my hours." "And I palmt," s.iid Mareta, Koodaturedly. 4'But I'm eure Iin wlllg to do diiferently, if 'twill help inderella any. W'ill she let us ?" "Sbe'll llave to," said Nora. "We in teil her we'd like it, as of course all." ('iHlerolln. meanwhilc. had broachd her plan at home. ■T1 Jufrt s lief you should as not. you can do tlie woi-k," said her íother. "And 111 luike for you all can. Hut I don't í-ee how you can anace exactly, by yonrsclf. There 11 be young nin coming in and niishievous boys. And there'e always ilks to take advantage. If I could sta y around ! Hut you know I have lx n tlie cheese room near half my time, just now. I don't see how ou cando it, really." "O, mothr !" And Oinderella's face grew woeful. "Wait a minute, ctiild, before you ry about it !" It was grandmother's xice, and shc stood in the doorwny, iiittinir in liand. She had been iu ie next room and heard the discuson. "I told you," gbe aald, "there would be n way, I was ure, for your BclKKlinig to come, and help if 'twas needed. niough I didn't know who the helpere would be, [de our F;ithier, and méybe your mvn self. AVhv can't I have my cbalr brougbi down nnd sit nene 3 Thai would be oyersi.ulit ciiouííh, Avouldn't it '!" ■Just the thlng," Hicy aa-ld, rememberimg sratefully liow (jrandmother lovcd iher mm j u iet room, and how kIh' disiikcd Btrangera or confusión of any eaort. "And yni can take gome oí my old ■ -. ii ym want to," sh' added. 8( W cam to pan t ha t Bnmmer guests - and thtre werp niany in the iy were attracted, as tfaey rode tv sminterert y, by an idd llttle igB, rou.ühly lettered, sayinir : "GEAXDMOTHKItS CAFE." And ttiey xoon lenrneil the way into the shadod. Bower-tragvaai room Wfaere .ui-andma Bat all day, and where, by ileft hands, ut white covered, quaintly set tables, were served da int es Invltlng and wholesome. The bite of eilver wmt fast into the little basket at grandma'e right hand, and Cinderella's face grew happier, nigtit by nignt as &he counted her gaiTis. "(iirli-," bQie said one afternoon, " hve giot enougb, I think, with wha fat-her can upare. But I've be' thinking, if you're ncrt too tlred there are one or two tlünss we coul do. The ieaeon won't be over fo two or three week yet, and folkj patroiüze uu more tJmn m. There's Teddy FQraB, that tarrie the mail. He' tryin hard to ge in lm w.ioter'e ooal, and had to end money laet week to Jiie eon out weet burt in an accident. Teddy'B wif is rtieumatic, ajid they can't bun wood. Couldn't we give them a bl oí benefit ? "And Annie Morriw is trylag to get clotllieB to go to the city to work - they're ever so poor ! We mus help her a little. And I'd set m. beart on piving a day or tWO to the misskm lind. You've been so vcrv very good to me ! I can't pay it back, but I like to pass it on a lit tle. Wihat do you eay, everybody V Aud of course her heJperg, young and old, all voted, yes.- For Our Kunday Afternoon.