Girls -- Fiction; Harpeth Valley (Tenn.) -- Fiction
Of course, both Roxanne and I know better than to choose plush
furniture, but that was what Mrs. Satterwhite wanted, and they were
going to live in the cottage, not us. Father was pleased when I told
him what a big bill there would be at the furniture man's and said:
"Good for you, Phil. I didn't think you could do so well as that."
It took nearly two weeks of all our spare time, with Mamie Sue, when
she could escape Belle, helping and Tony occasionally, to get the
Satterwhites settled in their luxury; and then I decided to ask them
both seriously and separately if there was another desire of their
hearts left ungratified.
"Well," said Mr. Satterwhite, as he stretched his feet in his new
velvet slippers that matched the carpet in that room, "I'd like a
nice, new Methody hymn-book to be put on the table for the old lady to
read outen on Sunday evenings."
It was a glorious thing to think that Father's money, ill-gotten as it
is, could settle the church society quarrel; and I was so delighted
that I am afraid I showed excitement when I went into the kitchen to
ask Mrs. Satterwhite what she would like best now that the needs were
all satisfied.
"Miss Phyllis, child, there is only one thing on earth I can think
of to want. I would like to have a year's subscription to the
_Presbyterian Observer_ to read to Pa on Sunday nights, like I used
to when we was young and strong and working enough to afford the two
dollars." Remember, leather Louise, he is the Presbyterian and she is
the Methodist, so this was permanent reconciliation.
My emotions are such that I can't write further about this incident,
but I wish I could picture Father's face when I told him about it,
'though still he wasn't satisfied and said spend some more. How could
I in a place where everybody had what they wanted and money is not
needed to make them enjoy life?
My trouble was serious and I have had to confess to Roxanne about it.
"I wish I could give all the girls and boys in the class a nice
present for some reason I haven't got," I said wistfully. "To Belle
especially, for she has been so pleasantly not unpleasant to me for
the last two weeks."
"Yes, it is a pity, if you have to spend all that money in getting
other people what they want, that you can't get Belle's permanent
pleasantness. It is something that would do us all good," answered
Roxanne, with the sympathy that I always find in her.
"Friendship that you have to buy would not be very valuable, generally
speaking," I answered, as I shook my brain for a plan. "But on the
other hand," I continued, "some people can see friendship in the form
of a present when they can't feel it from the heart. Belle is that
kind, and that is not my fault. What I want to find is a 'tie to bind
her'--speaking hymnally."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account