Katherine Merritte Snyder Yates

“ Marjorie nodded her head gravely. "I see," she said; "but you talk to me so differently from the way you used to."
"You're growing," said the Dream, "and—"
But Marjorie held up her finger. "Listen," she said, and presently they heard again the sound which had attracted her attention, and recognized it as a sob.
Marjorie peered over the railing of a small bridge which they were crossing, and down on the bank of the narrow stream she saw a little girl crying bitterly.
Marjorie ran down the bank. "What is the trouble?" she asked, sitting down beside the child. ”

“ There's too much competition these days."
Marjorie laughed again. "I don't want to," she said. "The more there are in that buisness, the better."
Just then the sun went under a cloud, and the deep shade of the tall pine-trees, among which the road now wound, made the air seem chilly, and Marjorie took her cloak from her arm and began to put it on. ”

“ Looking back a few minutes later, she saw the old man bend down from his seat and take up a little stray kitten and begin to feed it from a paper parcel that he carried, and she smiled softly to herself; and some time later, when the crowded stage-coach passed them, and the old man leaned out to wave his hand, she saw that on his knees he held a child whose tired little head rested against his shoulder.
"He will soon have the debt paid," said Marjorie, clapping her hands gently together.
"He will never have it paid," said the Dream.
"Why?" asked Marjorie, in surprise. ”

“ Marjorie bit her lip for a moment, and her eyes were brimming when she answered, still in a low voice: "That it isn't what you do, but the thought with which you do it, that makes a kindness."
The Dream nodded. "You're growing wiser every minute," he said.
"It's costing considerable," said Marjorie, with a shaky little laugh.
They walked on as rapidly as possible, and Marjorie tried to forget the cold by taking an interest in the flowers by the wayside and the squirrels and birds in the woods ”

“ The child stopped crying quickly and snuggled down close to her, and very soon she began to feel warm and comfortable in spite of the chill wind which sang and sighed through the pine-trees; and then presently she noticed that the little one was wrapped in a soft fleecy white coat, and had grown warm and rosy; and as she shook out her skirt, she found folds of the same soft, fleecy stuff falling about herself ”

“ You seem to be foolish about some things still. Perhaps you are like certain folks I know, and if some one came along and gave you a big purple parasol that you didn't want and couldn't carry without trouble, you'd immediately think you had to give her your dress, just to get even."
"I suppose I would if you hadn't mentioned it," said Marjorie, meekly.
At this moment there came a great clattering and shouting behind them, and Marjorie and the Dream stepped to one side of the road, out of the way of a small boy and a very unruly calf which he was trying to drive. ”

“ We've every one of us given her something. I gave her the ribbon off of my hair," and she looked at Marjorie expectantly.
Marjorie felt in her pocket; but there was nothing there that she could give, and now more of the children were looking at her. She put her hand to her neck where was the slender gold chain which she prized almost more than anything else that she owned. All of the children were looking at her now, so she unfastened the chain, and going forward she clasped it about the neck of the pretty little girl. ”

“ But Marjoie clung to his hand. "Listen just a minute," she said. "You could be paying it back all the time."
"How?" asked the old man.
"By doing things for people," said Marjorie. "There is always some one that we can help, you know; and if you would only let me do this for you, then you could pay me by doing something for some one else whenever you have a chance; and then it wouldn't be what you call 'charity' at all."
The old man sat back on the log and looked at Marjorie, curiously. "You are a strange little girl," he said. ”

“ The Dream nodded.
"But," she added, "the rhyme says that I'll be given something if I do the other way."
"Don't you ever believe it," said the Dream. "It says that, because 'wise' rhymes with 'eyes.' Don't you ever believe anything just because it sounds pretty and rhymes; and don't you ever believe that you'll get anything to make you wise while you have your mental eyes shut. If a plum lands anywhere near to that poen mouth, it is pretty sure to hit one of those closed eyes hard enough to set you to thinking."
Marjorie nodded her head several times. "I see," said she ”

“ A few moments later they came upon a group of children gathered about some one sitting upon a little knoll by the wayside. The "some one" was a very pretty little girl about five years old, whom they were petting and admiring; and as Marjorie approached, she found that they were all engaged in giving things to her. ”