p. 172 | Jessie's Good Day by Mrs. McConaughy

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 13, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 11.

Jessie's Good Day.

By Mrs. McConaughy

"I don't think it has been a 'good day' at all, Jessie Emery," said Cousin Pansy.

"The sunshine has melted the snow, so we can have no fun on our sleds, and the streets are so bad mamma will not let us go out. The snow is so deep it will be wet and muddy for a week, most likely; and here we are all shut up in the house. I think it is just miserable."

Pansy had not been a bit of a "heart ease" to anybody that day.

"The day has not been long enough for me," said Jessie, brightly, as she threaded a needle to take a few more swift stitches before the light quite faded.

"I can't see what you have done so pleasant?"

"In the first place, I assorted a pile of papers papa gave me to do with just as I pleased. I laid aside those I wished to send away, in a pile by themselves, and then cut wrappers for them and sealed them up. I directed all the parcels, and weighed each on papa's postage scales. Then I put stamps on each, as papa told me I might draw on his desk for all the postage I needed for such a good work."

"I saw you fussing with those old papers, and I was 'most sorry I let you teaze away two of my nice magazines to put with them."

"Oh, you wouldn't be, Pansy, if you could see the poor little fellow they went to. He has not walked for seven years, and is always in pain; sometimes very great. He is ten years old, and can read. The magazines will be such a feast to him. Now, I know you are glad I sent them."

"You must have had a dozen of those packages, Jessie. It would take a lot of money."

"No; I only had nine. I did wish I had a dozen. But then, it makes me happy to think of giving so much pleasure to nine people, for all of these are people who have but few papers. Likely the whole family will read them. Now I think, Pansy, it was a very good morning's work."

"What did you do with the others? I saw you put on your rubbers, and run out somewhere with as big a parcel as a newsboy."

"Those left over ones I assorted again, and took a large bundle across to Becky Maurice. She always wants a large paper to cut a pattern for somebody. She is so obliging; and she likes to keep her shelves as tidy as a pin. She puts on clean papers twice a week, if she can get them. You should have seen how pleased she was with that bundle. She will read them all first, she says."

"Well, I must say it has been 'paper day' with you. What were you doing so long upstairs when I wished you to play a game with me?"

"Just fixing up the closet for mother, putting new papers on the shelves, and arranging boxes. Miss Becky's fine order made me feel a little ashamed."

"Well, I think you have had a happy day of it, just mousing about among old rubbish the whole time. Reading this story book in this easy chair has been too much for me. Most of the time I looked out of the window at the miserable streets, and the miserable people wading through them."

"You may not believe it, Pansy, but the very surest way of being happy yourself is to do something for some one else. It makes you happy at the time, and when you think of it afterward. Now, if you really think it over, I believe you feel better pleased about those two magazines than about anything else you have done to day. Just try my way to-morrow, and see if it does not work well."

"I don't see what I could do."

"Only make your mind up in earnest and you will find ways enough. The trouble will more likely be you'll not know which to do first. It often puzzles me."

It was likely that Jessie saw more than Pansy about some things, because she had learned to see. There is a great difference in people about this, yet any child with a heart for the work can begin to learn right away the blessedness of doing good to others.—Mrs. McConaughy.