Child labor -- Juvenile fiction; Children -- Death -- Juvenile fiction; Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Poor -- Juvenile fiction
Katie was soon known to every child in the neighborhood. During her
hours of recreation she would gather them all about her on the steps,
and tell them stories from the Bible, talk about heaven, or sing with
them from her hymn-book; and the eager attention which they gave her
proved that they were well entertained. Though living now at a distance
of over three miles from the Sabbath-school, yet she never failed of
being present, generally starting from ten to fifteen minutes earlier
then was otherwise necessary, in order to stop at home and see that the
other children were ready, for Katie would never consent to their being
absent. To be sure, she always had the whole of them to wash and dress,
but that was no hardship, for she was too active to allow of its
consuming much time, and in an incredible short space she would be seen
marching down the street with her little band in regular order, teaching
them a lesson to repeat as she went along; for in this, as in every
thing else, they depended entirely upon Katie.
The last Sabbath Katie ever passed on earth found her in her usual
place; but her sad look attracted the attention of her teacher, who
kindly inquired the cause. With tearful eyes she replied, "The gentleman
I live with is very sick; we do not think he can live till next Sunday."
Her foreboding proved true, and on the following Tuesday he died. Then
it was that Katie seemed almost an angel of mercy. She not only consoled
them with words of hope and encouragement, but endeavored in every way
to relieve them of all care or thought, apart from the one great sorrow
which overshadowed them; while the delicacy and tenderness of feeling
she manifested throughout this whole trying season, would not have
shamed the most fastidious refinement. But at last it was all over. The
precious dust had been laid in its last resting-place, and now the busy
cares of life may not longer be forgotten. The day after the funeral,
thinking that Katie looked pale, and that the air would do her good,
Mrs. D---- sent her out towards evening for a short walk. On her return
it was found that she had been several miles out of the way, to procure
something she knew the physicians had ordered for a little grandchild of
Mrs. D----, and which they had not known where to obtain. Thus was she
to the very last thoughtful and careful for others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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