poor and proud-第26章

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ade　Katy　and　her　mother　promise　an　early　visit　to　her　farm。

Katy's　sorrow　at　parting　with　her　beloved　friend　was　not　the　only；　nor　perhaps；　the　most　important；　result　of　Mrs。　Colvin's　departure；　for　they　were　deprived　of　the　assistance　of　the　chief　candy…puller。　Katy　tried　to　secure　another　woman　for　this　labor；　but　could　not　find　a　person　who　would　serve　her　in　this　capacity。　After　a　vain　search；　Mrs。　Redburn　thought　she　was　able　to　do　the　work　herself；　for　her　health　seemed　to　be　pretty　well　established。　Perhaps；　she　reasoned；　it　was　quite　as　well　that　Mrs。　Colvin　had　gone；　for　if　she　could　pull　the　candy　herself；　it　would　save　from　two　to　three　dollars　a　week。

Katy　would　not　consent　that　she　should　do　it　alone；　but　agreed　to　divide　the　labor　between　them。　The　quantity　manufactured　every　day　was　so　great　that　the　toil　of　making　it　fell　heavily　upon　them；　but　as　Mrs。　Redburn　did　not　complain；　Katy　was　too　proud　to　do　so　though　her　wrists　and　shoulders　pained　her　severely　every　night　after　the　work　was　done。

This　toil　weighed　heavily　on　Katy's　rather　feeble　constitution；　but　all　her　mother　could　say　would　not　induce　her　to　abandon　the　work。　For　a　month　they　got　along　tolerably　well；　and；　perhaps；　no　evil　consequences　would　have　followed　this　hard　labor；　if　everything　else　had　gone　well　with　Katy。　The　girls　who　sold　the　candy　had　for　some　time　caused　her　considerable　trouble　and　anxiety。　Very　often　they　lost　their　money；　or　pretended　to　do　so；　and　three　or　four　of　them　had　resorted　to　Ann　Grippen's　plan　of　playing　〃trick　upon　travelers。〃　She　had　to　discharge　a　great　many；　and　to　accept　the　services　of　those　whom　she　did　not　know；　and　who；　by　various　means；　contrived　to　cheat　her　out　of　the　money　received　from　the　sales　of　the　candy。　These　things　annoyed　her　very　much；　and　she　cast　about　her　for　a　remedy。

One　day；　three　girls；　each　of　whom　had　been　supplied　with　half　a　dollar's　worth　of　candy；　did　not　appear　to　account　for　the　proceeds。　Here　was　a　loss　of　a　dollar　in　one　day。　Such　things　as　these　are　the　common　trials　of　business；　but　Katy　who　was　so　scrupulously　honest　and　just　herself；　was　severely　tried　by　them。　It　was　not　the　loss　of　the　money　only；　but　the　dishonesty　of　the　girls　that　annoyed　her。

〃What　shall　be　done；　mother？〃　said　she；　anxiously；　when　the　loss　was　understood　to　be　actual。　〃I　can't　find　these　girls。　I　don't　even　know　their　names。〃

〃Probably；　if　you　did　find　them；　you　could　not　obtain　any　satisfaction。〃

〃I　went　to　see　one　girl's　mother　the　other　day；　you　know；　and　she　drove　me　out　of　her　house；　and　called　me　vile　names。〃

〃I　was　thinking　of　a　plan；〃　continued　Mrs。　Redburn；　〃though　I　don't　know　as　it　would　work　well。〃

〃Anything　would　work　better　than　this　being　constantly　cheated；　for　it　is　really　worse　for　the　girls　than　it　is　for　us。　I　have　often　felt　that　those　who　cheat　us　are　the　real　sufferers。　I　would　a　good　deal　rather　be　cheated　than　cheat　myself。〃

〃You　are　right；　Katy；　and　that　is　a　Christian　view　of　the　subject。　I　suppose　we　are　in　duty　bound　to　keep　these　girls　as　honest　as　we　can。〃

〃What　is　your　plan；　mother？〃　asked　Katy。

〃We　will　sell　them　the　candy；　instead　of　employing　them　to　sell　it　for　us。〃

〃But　they　won't　pay　us。〃

〃Let　them　pay　in　advance。　We　will　sell　them　the　candy　at　eight　cents　a　dozen。　Any　girl　who　wants　two　dozen　sticks；　must　bring　sixteen　cents。〃

〃I　don't　believe　we　can　find　any　customers。〃

〃We　can　try　it。　For　a　time；　probably；　the　sales　will　be　less。〃

〃Very　well；　mother；　we　will　try　it；　for　I　think　it　would　be　better　to　keep　them　honest；　even　if　we　don't　sell　more　than　half　so　much。〃

When　the　girls　appeared　the　next　morning　to　receive　their　stock；　it　was　announced　to　them　that　the　business　would　thereafter　be　conducted　on　a　different　basis；　that　they　must　pay　for　their　candy　before　they　got　it；　and　thus　become　independent　merchants　themselves。　Most　of　them　were　unable　to　comply　with　the　terms；　and　begged　hard　to　be　trusted　one　day　more。　Katy　was　firm；　for　she　saw　that　they　would　be　more　likely　to　be　dishonest　that　day；　to　revenge　themselves　for　the　working　of　the　new　system。

The　girls　were　not　all　dishonest；　or　even　a　majority　of　them；　but　the　plan　must　be　applied　to　all。　Most　of　them　went　home；　therefore；　and　shortly　returned　with　money　enough　to　buy　one　or　two　dozen　sticks。　As　Mrs。　Redburn　had　predicted；　the　effect　of　the　adoption　of　the　new　plan　was　unfavorable　for　a　few　days。　The　obstinate　ones　would　not　buy；　hoping　to　make　the　wholesale　dealer　go　back　to　the　old　plan。　After　a　week　or　two；　however；　they　began　to　come　back；　one　by　one；　and　the　trade　rather　increased　than　diminished；　for　many　of　the　young　merchants；　having　the　responsibility　of　selling　out　all　the　stock　imposed　upon　them；　used　greater　exertion　than　before；　and　strong　efforts　almost　always　produced　some　success。

Thus　the　business　went　on　very　prosperously　though　Mrs。　Redburn　and　Katy　were　obliged　to　work　very　hardso　hard　that　the　former　began　to　experience　a　return　of　her　old　complaint。　The　affectionate　daughter　was　frightened　when　she　first　mentioned　the　fact；　and　begged　her　not　to　work　any　more。

〃What　shall　I　do；　Katy？〃　asked　she；　with　a　smile。

〃Let　me　make　the　candy；〃　replied　Katy。　〃I　am　strong　enough。〃

〃No；　Katy；　you　are　not。　I　am　afraid　you　are　injuring　yourself　now。〃

〃I　am　sure　I　am　not。　But　I　can't　bear　to　think　of　your　being　sick　again。〃

〃We　must　look　out　for　our　health；　Katy；　that　ought　to　be　the　first　of　our　earthly　considerations。〃

〃We　ought；　indeed；　mother；　so；　if　you　please；　I　shall　not　let　you　pull　any　more　candy。〃

〃Shall　I　save　my　own　health　at　the　expense　of　yours？〃

〃I　shall　get　along　very　well。　I　feel　very　strong。〃

〃You　are　not　very　strong；　I　have　reproached　myself　a　great　many　times　for　letting　you　do　so　much　as　you　have。　I　have　felt　the　pain　for　a　fortnight；　and　though　I　greatly　fear　I　shall　have　a　return　of　my　complaint；　I　cannot　let　you　do　all　this　work。　We　are　neither　of　us　fit　to　perform　such　hard　labor　and　both　of　us　must　be　relieved　from　it。　I　shall　go　out　to…morrow；　and　make　a　business　of　finding　a　person　to　do　this　work　for　us。〃

Mrs。　Redburn　did　try；　but　she　tried　in　vain。　It　was　odd；　queer　strange　work；　as　the　women　called　it；　and　they　didn't　want　to　do　anything　of　the　kind。　Katy　proposed　that　they　should　employ　a　man；　and　when　they　finally　found　one；　he　was　a　stupid　fellow；　and　they　much　preferred　to　do　the　work　themselves；　to　seeing　him　daub　the　house　all　over　with　the　candy；　and　leave　it　half　done。

They　persevered；　however；　in　their　efforts　to　find　a　person；　and　after　trying　half　a　dozen；　who　could　not　or　would　not　do　the　work；　they　gave　it　up　in　despair。　But　not　long　were　they　permitted　to　struggle　with　the　severe　toil　which　their　circumstances　imposed　upon　them；　for　on　the　night　before　Christmas；　when　a　large　demand　for　candy　was　anticipated；　and　both　of　them　had　worked　very　hard；　Mrs。　Redburn　fainted　and　fell　upon　the　floor。　It　was　in　this　manner　that　she　had　been　taken　at　the　commencement　of　her　former　long　sickness；　and　to　Katy　the　future　looked　dark　and　gloomy。　But　she　did　not　give　up。　She　applied　herself；　with　all　her　energies；　to　the　restoration　of　her　mother；　and　when　she　was　partially　conscious；　she　attempted　to　conduct　her　to　the　bed。　The　poor　woman's　strength　was　all　gone；　and　Katy　was　obliged　to　call　in　Mrs。　Howard　to　assist　her。

Mrs。　Redburn　suffered　the　most　severe　and　racking　pains　through　the　night；　and　at　about　twelve　o'clock；　Katy　went　to　Mr。　Sneed's　house；　and　calling　up　Simon；　begged　him　to　go　for　a　doctor。　But　the　physician's　art　seemed　powerless　to　soothe　her。　All　night　long　the　devoted　daughter；　like　an　angel　of　mercy；　hovered　around　the　bed；　and　did　all　he　could　in　vain　attempts　to　ease　the　sufferer's　pain。

Poor　Katy！　The　sun　of　prosperity　had　set；　and　the　night　of　adversity　was　coming　on。



CHAPTER　XVIII。

KATY　STRUGGLES　BRAVELY　THROUGH　A　SERIES　OF　TRIALS。


The　morning　sun　rose　clear　and　bright；　casting　a　flood　of　light　into　the　chamber　of　the　sick　mother；　watched　over　by　the　beloved　child。　It　was　Christmas；　and　all　over　the　Christian　world　arose　paeans　of　praise　for　the　birth　of　the　Saviour。　The　sufferer　was　conscious　of　the　fact；　and　a　sweet　smile　played　up