SADIE'S PRESENTS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 15, 15 April 1909, Page 597

SADIE'S PRESENTS

' Next week — that is, on next "Wednesday — will be my birthday,' said Sadie Moreland reflectively. ' You will be fifteen,' replied Aunt Alice, looking up at her from her knitting — ' almost a young woman.' ' Father and mother don't seem to think so,' sniffed Sadie. ' Don't they treat you with sufficient consideration ?' asked Aunt Alice, turning her head to conceal a smile. ' No, they don't,' answered Sadie, decidedly. ' They treat me like a child, and when I ask for anything I am told that I am too young, or they laugh at me. I think it a shame.' 'So you want to be a young woman. Well, now, what would you do if yoti had your own way ? ' ' I would get anything I wanted,' replied Sadie quickly, ' and I'm going to begin now.' — - ' Dear me 1 ' ejaculated her aunt. ' You know,' went on Sadie ' Uncle Henry sent me ten dollars on my last birthday, and I feel sure he will repeat the gift. That's twenty, and I have nearly two dollars saved up. Now only this morning I asked papa what I should do with my savings, and he said I might do anything I pleased. So lam going +o spend it on myself.' ' For something useful, I hope,' ventured Aunt Alice. ' For something I -want,' rejoined Sadie, half-defiantly.. ' First I'm going to get a red silk umbrella with a Dresden ball handle. Then I'll get a morocco pocketbook ' 'You have a nice one now.' 1 1 want a stylish one. Then I want a reefer tie and a hair-ribbon, and — and — oh, I have quite a list of things I am going to "buy.' ' Will you spend all your money ? ' ' Every cent. Nobody will give me the presents I want, so I'll buy them for myself.'

' It is a great deal of money to spend on frivolity Ir: these hard times,' said her aunt quietly. But Sadie affected not to, hear, aiwl^ sitting down at her father's desk, began to write with some ostentation, and here Aunt Alice wisely said no more. That night at supper Mrs. Moreland 'came in late. ../ ' I am completely fagged out/ she remarked, afs, Mary, the eldest -daughter, poured out the tea. ' I have visited twelve" families this afternoon, and I am sure I had no .idea such, destitution existed.' ' 1 encounter instances of distress every day,' said Mr. Moreland, 'and it pains me to think that I cannot relieve all the deserving cases.' 'If every one would do their shared observed gentle Aunt Alice, ' it would not be jso hard for the few.' It would not be hard for anyone to give assistance,' assured Mrs. Moreland earnestly, 'if we could force ourselves to do -without luxuries while our neighbors are starving.' Sadie thought her mother looked at her particularly, and it made her uneasy. Tliis feeling was increased wEen her father continued, with emphasis : ' I can't see how anyone can be so heartless as to squander money when it might be put to "use in actually saving lives.' As the conversation ran on in this strain, Sadie spent a very unhappy half-hour. But it rather aroused her resentment than otherwise. ' I just believe Aunt Alice told,' she said angrily; 'but I don't care 1 It's my money, and I can do what I please with it. Nobody thinks I ought to have anything nice.' So when Uncle Henry's present of a ten-dollar note came the next day, she put it in her purse and went down town to shop. ' I'll not take all my money,' she decided. ' Ten dollars will be enough for one day.' - - But somehow Sadie did not see anything that exactly suited her. Everything seemed outrag^bifsly- -high-priced, and Sadie came home with nothing but a twenty-cent hair ribbon. - . - The next day Sadie asked Aunt Alice to accompany her. ' To-morrow is my birthday,' she explained, ' and I haven't got my presents yet.' Aunt Alice willingly consented, and the two set forth after school hours. The first thing they looked at was an umbrella, price four dollars. • This is just what you want, 3 said Aunt Alice. Sadie was looking at a glass globe in the aisle, that bore a sign — ' Remember the Poor.' ' I don't believe I really want an umbrella,' she repli«d in a low voice, and Aunt Alice followed her out of the store. __^"' This experience was duplicated in several other stores. Sadie either bought nothing or contented herself with some economical trinket; so that when they returned home the total purchases amounted to only two dollars. After supper that night Sadie drew her mother aside and put something in her hand. ' For the poor,' she said. 'Itis my birthday present.' Mrs. Moreland took five dollars from the little roll. ' Give according to your means, daughter,' she said, kissing her fondly; 'I have watched your' struggle against self, and never was a present more worthily bestowed.'