Poor and Proud; Or, The Fortunes of Katy Redburn: A Story for Young FolksOptic, Oliver
General
Poor and Proud; Or, The Fortunes of Katy Redburn: A Story for Young Folks
Optic, Oliver
Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Poor -- Juvenile fiction
"No matter, Katy; if they are unkind and wicked, it is no reason that
you should be unkind and wicked. If you leave them without resenting
their insults, the chances are that they will be ashamed of themselves
before you get out of sight. You need not be low and vile because
others are."
"I guess you are right, mother."
"You know what the Bible says: 'If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he
thirst, give him drink, for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire
on his head.'"
"I won't say a word, mother, whatever they say to me. I'll be as meek
as Moses."
"I hope you will not be gone long," added Mrs. Redburn.
"I have thirty sticks of candy here. I don't think it will take me long
to sell the whole of them. I shall be back by dinner time whether I
sell them or not for you know I must go to Mrs. Gordon again to-day.
Now, good-by, mother, and don't you worry about me, for I will do
everything just as though you were looking at me."
Katy closed the door behind her, and did not see the great tears that
slid down her mother's pale cheek as she departed. It was well she did
not, for it would have made her heart very sad to know all the sorrow
and anxiety that distressed her mother as she saw her going out into
the crowded streets of a great city, to expose herself to a thousand
temptations. She wept long and bitterly in the solitude of her chamber,
and perhaps her wounded pride caused many of her tears to flow. But
better thoughts came at last, and she took up the Bible which lay on
the bed, and read a few passages. Then she prayed to God that he would
be with Katy in the midst of the crowd, and guide her safely through
the perils and temptations that would assail her. She tried to banish
her foolish pride, when she considered her circumstances, she could
almost believe it was a wicked pride; but when she endeavored to be
reconciled to her lot, the thought of her father's fine house, and the
servants that used to wait upon her, came up, and the struggle in her
heart was very severe. In spite of all she had said to Katy about the
disgrace of selling candy in the streets, she could not but be thankful
that the poor girl had none of her foolish pride. She read in the New
Testament about the lowly life which Jesus and the apostles led, and
then asked herself what right she had to be proud. And thus she
struggled through the long hours she remained alone--trying to be
humble, trying to be good and true. Those who labor and struggle as
hard as she did are always the better for it, even though they do not
achieve a perfect triumph over the passions that torment them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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