Poor and Proud [35]
a gift--of being the recipient of charity. But she knew the hearts of her kind friends, and left unspoken the words of indignation that trembled on her tongue. "Please to take the money, ma'am," said she her cheeks still red with shame.
"No, my child; you are a good girl; I will not take your money."
"I shall feel very bad if you don't, and it will make my mother very unhappy."
"Nay, Katy, you must not be too proud."
"I am not too proud to ask or to accept a favor, but please don't make me feel like a beggar."
"You are a very strange child," said Mrs. Gordon.
"Indeed you are," added Grace
"I shall not feel right if you don't take this money. You know I promised to pay you at the time you gave me the receipt."
"I did not suppose you would, that is, I did not think you would be able to pay it. Your mother has got well, then?"
"No, ma'am; she is better, but she does not sit up any yet."
"Then how did you get this money?"
"I earned it."
"You!"
"Yes, ma'am; selling candy."
"Is it possible? The mayor told me you were a little candy merchant, but I did not suppose you carried on such an extensive trade."
"I make a great deal of money; almost five dollars a week; and now I am able, I hope you will let me pay you."
"If you insist upon it, I shall, though I had much rather you would keep the money."
"Thank you, ma'am. I shall feel much better when it is paid."
Mrs. Gordon reluctantly received the four dollars. It was a very small sum to her, though a very large one to Katy. She saw that the little candy merchant's pride was of the right kind, and she was not disposed to give her any unnecessary mortification, though she resolved that neither Katy nor her mother should ever want a friend in their need.
"I owe you one dollar, also," continued Katy, advancing to the side of Grace.
"Well, I declare!" laughed Grace. "If that isn't a good one!"
"I promised to pay you; and you know I would not take the money as a gift," replied Katy.
"I am aware that you would not, and you are the promptest paymistress I ever knew."
"With the dollar you lent me, I bought the molasses to make the first lot of candy I sold. Your dollar has done a great deal of good."
"I am glad it has; but I don't want to take it."
"Won't you let me feel like myself?"
"Certainly I will," laughed Grace.
"Then let me pay my debts, and not feel just like a beggar."
"You are the queerest child I ever saw!" exclaimed Grace, as she took the dollar. "I am going to keep this dollar for you, and perhaps some time you will not be so proud as you are now, though I hope you will always have all the money you want."
"I think I shall, if my trade continues to be good," replied Katy, who, now that all her debts had been paid, felt a heavy load removed from her heart.
"You must bring your candy up here. The mayor says it is very good. I have a sweet tooth, and I will buy lots of it," added Grace.
"I will bring you up some to-morrow," replied Katy, moving towards the door, and casting a last glance at the mischievous lady in the picture.
"The mayor told me to ask you to call and see him again," said Mrs. Gordon. "He is very much interested in you."
"He is very kind;" and she bade them good-by.
Katy felt highly honored by the notice the mayor had taken of her. Like Master Simon Sneed, she felt almost like calling him her friend the mayor; but she resolved to call upon him on her way home. He received her very kindly, told her what a mistake she had made in giving the pawnbroker his note, who had never delivered it to the marshal, and promised to buy lots of candy when she came with her tray.
When she returned home she found a message there from Tommy Howard, requesting to see her that afternoon. She did not feel like spending any more time in idleness, when she had so much candy to sell; but Tommy's request was not to be neglected; and, taking her tray, she called at his house as she passed up to the court.
Tommy had been talking for a year about going to sea, and had been for some time
"No, my child; you are a good girl; I will not take your money."
"I shall feel very bad if you don't, and it will make my mother very unhappy."
"Nay, Katy, you must not be too proud."
"I am not too proud to ask or to accept a favor, but please don't make me feel like a beggar."
"You are a very strange child," said Mrs. Gordon.
"Indeed you are," added Grace
"I shall not feel right if you don't take this money. You know I promised to pay you at the time you gave me the receipt."
"I did not suppose you would, that is, I did not think you would be able to pay it. Your mother has got well, then?"
"No, ma'am; she is better, but she does not sit up any yet."
"Then how did you get this money?"
"I earned it."
"You!"
"Yes, ma'am; selling candy."
"Is it possible? The mayor told me you were a little candy merchant, but I did not suppose you carried on such an extensive trade."
"I make a great deal of money; almost five dollars a week; and now I am able, I hope you will let me pay you."
"If you insist upon it, I shall, though I had much rather you would keep the money."
"Thank you, ma'am. I shall feel much better when it is paid."
Mrs. Gordon reluctantly received the four dollars. It was a very small sum to her, though a very large one to Katy. She saw that the little candy merchant's pride was of the right kind, and she was not disposed to give her any unnecessary mortification, though she resolved that neither Katy nor her mother should ever want a friend in their need.
"I owe you one dollar, also," continued Katy, advancing to the side of Grace.
"Well, I declare!" laughed Grace. "If that isn't a good one!"
"I promised to pay you; and you know I would not take the money as a gift," replied Katy.
"I am aware that you would not, and you are the promptest paymistress I ever knew."
"With the dollar you lent me, I bought the molasses to make the first lot of candy I sold. Your dollar has done a great deal of good."
"I am glad it has; but I don't want to take it."
"Won't you let me feel like myself?"
"Certainly I will," laughed Grace.
"Then let me pay my debts, and not feel just like a beggar."
"You are the queerest child I ever saw!" exclaimed Grace, as she took the dollar. "I am going to keep this dollar for you, and perhaps some time you will not be so proud as you are now, though I hope you will always have all the money you want."
"I think I shall, if my trade continues to be good," replied Katy, who, now that all her debts had been paid, felt a heavy load removed from her heart.
"You must bring your candy up here. The mayor says it is very good. I have a sweet tooth, and I will buy lots of it," added Grace.
"I will bring you up some to-morrow," replied Katy, moving towards the door, and casting a last glance at the mischievous lady in the picture.
"The mayor told me to ask you to call and see him again," said Mrs. Gordon. "He is very much interested in you."
"He is very kind;" and she bade them good-by.
Katy felt highly honored by the notice the mayor had taken of her. Like Master Simon Sneed, she felt almost like calling him her friend the mayor; but she resolved to call upon him on her way home. He received her very kindly, told her what a mistake she had made in giving the pawnbroker his note, who had never delivered it to the marshal, and promised to buy lots of candy when she came with her tray.
When she returned home she found a message there from Tommy Howard, requesting to see her that afternoon. She did not feel like spending any more time in idleness, when she had so much candy to sell; but Tommy's request was not to be neglected; and, taking her tray, she called at his house as she passed up to the court.
Tommy had been talking for a year about going to sea, and had been for some time