CHAPTER IX.
JENNIE.
“I do b'lieve,” said Marty one day, after she had been a member of the mission-band for several months, “I do b'lieve that hearing so much about the poor little children in India and China and those places, and trying to do something to help them, makes me feel far more like helping poor children here at home. Now, there's Jennie—I know I shouldn't have thought much about her if I hadn't been thinking of those far-away children.”
This was after she had made some sacrifices for the benefit of poor little Jennie, and this is the way she first came to know of her.
When the spring house-cleaning was going on, Mrs. Ashford's regular helper one day could not come and sent another woman. In the evening when Mrs. Ashford went into the kitchen to pay this Mrs. Scott for her day's work, Marty, who had a great habit of following her mother around the house, went also. Mrs. Scott had just finished her supper, and after receiving her money and replying to Mrs. Ashford's pleasant remarks, she said hesitatingly, pointing to a saucer of very fine canned peaches which was part of her supper, but which she had apparently only tasted, “Please, mem, may I take them splendid peaches home to my sick little girl? She can't eat nothin' at all hardly, and she would relish them, I know. If you'd jist give me the loan of an old bowl or somethin—”
“Oh! have you a sick child?” said Mrs. Ashford sympathizingly. “She shall certainly have some peaches, but you must eat those yourself. Katie, get—”
“Oh! no, mem,” protested Mrs. Scott, “that's too much like beggin'. I jist wanted to take mine to her.”