KATY PREPARES A STOCK OF MERCHANDISE.
Katy had not time then to tell her mother about the candy speculation
she had in view, and she was obliged to wait till her return from
Temple Street. Promptly at the hour, she presented herself at Mrs.
Gordon's, and they went to the house of the mayor; but that
distinguished gentleman was not at home, and the lady promised to go
again with her the next day.
As she walked home, she thought of what she should say to her mother in
favor of the candy project, for she felt sure her mother's pride would
throw many obstacles in her path. The best argument she could think of
was, that the business would be an honest calling and though she was
too proud to beg, she was not too proud to work, or to take a very
humble position among the people around her. She did not look upon the
act of selling candy to the passers-by in the streets as degrading in
itself, and therein she differed very widely from her mother, who had
been brought up in ease and affluence. Before she got home she had made
up her mind what she should say, and how she should defend her plan
from the assaults of pride.
"Now, mother, you shall hear my plan," she continued, after she had
announced the ill success of her visit to the mayor's house. "I am
going into business, and I expect to make a great deal of money."
"Are you, indeed?" replied Mrs. Redburn, smiling at the enthusiasm of
her daughter.
"I am; and you must not be angry with me, or object very much to my
plan."
"Well, what is your plan?"
"I am going to sell candy," said Katy, pausing to notice the effect of
this startling declaration. "You know what nice molasses candy you used
to make for me. Mrs. Sneed and Mrs. Colvin said a great many times that
it was a good deal better than they could buy at the shops."
"But, child, I am not able to make candy now. I cannot get off my bed."
"I will make it; you shall lay there and tell me how. I am sure I can
make it."
"It is very hard work to pull it."
"I won't mind that."
"Suppose you can make it, how will you sell it?" asked Mrs. Redburn,
casting an anxious glance at the enthusiastic little girl.
"O, I shall take a box, and offer it to the folks that pass along the
streets."
"Are you crazy, Katy?" exclaimed the mother, raising her head on the
bed. "Do you think I could permit you to do such a thing?"
"Why not, mother?"
"What a life for a child to lead! Do you think I could let you wander
about the streets exposed to the insults and rude jests of the vicious
and thoughtless? You do not understand what you propose."
"I think I do, mother. I don't see any harm in selling candy to those
who are willing to buy."
"Perhaps there is no harm in the mere act of selling candy; but what a
life for you to lead! It makes me shudder to think of it."
"It is your pride, mother."
"I am thankful I have: some pride left, Katy."
"But mother, we can't be poor and proud. We haven't got any money to
proud with."
"I am proud, I know; I wish I could banish it," replied Mrs. Redburn,
with a deep sigh.
"Let me try the plan, mother, and if I can't get along with it, I will
give it up."
"It will subject you to a great many trials and temptations."
"I can manage them, mother."
"Can you submit to the insults of evil-minded persons?"
"Yes, mother; no decent person would insult me and I don't care for
others. I can pity them, and run away from them. I am not afraid of
anything. Do let me try."
Mrs. Redburn saw that Katy was too earnest to be thwarted; that,
impelled by a noble purpose, she had set her heart upon making the
attempt, and she did not like to disappoint her. It is true, she keenly
felt the degradation of such a life, and even feared that Katy might be
led astray while pursuing such an occupation; but she gave a reluctant
consent, trusting that one or two experiments would disgust her with
the business.
Katy clapped her hands with joy as her mother's scruples gave way, and
she found herself at liberty to carry her plan into execution. It
seemed to her as though she had crossed the threshold of fortune and
had actually entered the great temple. She had an opportunity to
accomplish a great work, and her enthusiasm would not permit her to
doubt in regard to her final success.
"I must begin now, mother, and make all the candy this afternoon, so
that I can commence selling it early to-morrow morning. I will go to
the grocery now and get the molasses."
"Poor child; you have nothing to get it with. We have no money; you did
not think of that."
"Yes, I did, and I have the money to buy the molasses. I borrowed it,"
replied Katy, evincing some confusion.
"You borrowed it? Pray who would lend you money?"
"Miss Grace Gordon."
"Did you borrow it, Katy?" asked Mrs. Redburn, casting a reproachful
glance at her.
"Yes, mother, I did. I would not accept money now, after what you have
said to me. Miss Grace wanted to give it to me; but I told her I could
not take it. She laughed at me, and I said I was poor and proud. She
would make me take it, and said so much, that, at last, I told her if
she would lend it to me, I would take it."
"It was the same as a gift," said Mrs. Redburn, blushing with shame at
the thought of accepting alms.
"No, it wasn't; she may think it was, but I mean to pay her, and I
shall pay her; I know I shall."
"If you can," sighed the proud mother.
"I shall be able to pay her soon, for I mean to sell lots of candy."
"You may be disappointed."
"No: I am sure I shall sell a good deal; I mean to make people buy. I
shall talk up smart to them just as the shopkeepers do; I am going to
tell them what candy it is, and that their little sons and daughters
will like it very much."
"You are beside yourself, Katy. It pains me to hear you talk so. It is
sad to think a child of mine should relish such an employment as that
in which you are going to engage."
"Do you remember the book my Sunday-school teacher gave me last New
Year's day, mother? It was all about false pride; I want you to read
it, mother. We can't afford to be so proud."
"Go and get your molasses. Katy," replied Mrs. Redburn, who could not
but acknowledge the truth of her daughter's remarks.
She had read the book alluded to, and was not willing to confront the
arguments it had put in the mouth of her child. She was conscious that
her pride, which made a humble occupation repulsive to her, was a false
pride. If it could have been carried on in private, it would not have
seemed so galling. For years she had been a recluse from society,
mingling only with her humble neighbors, and with them no more than her
circumstances required. She had labored in solitude, and shunned
observation as much as possible, by carrying her work back and forth in
the evening. Years of hard toil had not familiarized her with the
circumstances of her lot. She tried to be humble and submissive, but
the memory of her early days could not be driven away.
Katy returned in a few minutes with the jug of molasses. She bustled
round and made up a good fire, got the kettle on, and everything in
readiness for the work. Her mother gave her directions how to proceed;
but Katy could impart to her none of her own enthusiasm.
When the molasses had been cooked enough, she was ready to commence the
pulling, which was the most difficult part in the manufacture of her
merchandise. Then she found that her trials had indeed commenced. At
first the sticky mass, in spite of the butter and the flour with which
she had plentifully daubed her hands, was as obstinate as a mule. It
would not work one way or another; now it melted down, and stuck to her
fingers, and then it became as solid as a rock. She fretted some at
these crosses, and as her spirits sank, her mother's rose, for she
thought Katy's resolution would not hold out long enough for her to
complete the experiment. But she underrated the energy of the devoted
girl, who, in the face of every discouragement, stuck to the candy with
as much zeal as the candy stuck to her.
As is almost always the case with those who persevere to the end, Katy
soon won a partial triumph, which gladdened her heart, and gave her
courage to continue her trying labors. She had worked a portion of the
mass into candy--clear, light-colored, inviting candy. Columbus felt no
prouder of his achievement when he had crossed the Atlantic, or,
Napoleon when he had crossed the Alps. She danced for joy as she gazed
upon the clear, straight sticks of candy, as they were arranged in the
pan. It was a great conquest for her; but at what a sacrifice it had
been won! Her little hands, unused to such hard work, were blistered in
a dozen places, and smarted as though they had been scalded with
boiling water. She showed them to her mother, who begged her not to do
any more; but she had too much enthusiasm to be deterred by the smart
of her wounds, and resolutely resumed her labor.
She had scarcely commenced upon the second mass before she was
interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Howard, her friend Tommy's mother.
"Why, what are you doing, child?" asked the good woman. "I thought you
were all sick, and here you are making candy, as merry as on a feast
day."
"I am making it to sell, Mrs. Howard," replied Katy, proudly.
"Bless me! but you're a queer child! Do you think folks will buy it of
you?"
"I know they will;" and Katy detailed her plan to the interested
neighbor, declaring she was sure she could support her mother and
herself by making and selling candy. "But it is very hard work," she
added; "see how I've blistered my hands."
"Poor child! it's enough to kill you!" exclaimed Mrs. Howard, as she
glanced at the great blisters on Katy's hands.
"I have been trying to make her give up the idea, but she has more
courage than I ever gave her credit for," remarked Mrs. Redburn.
"It's a shame for you to hurt your hands in this manner; but I dare say
that they will soon get hard, like mine, with the labor," replied Mrs.
Howard, as she threw off her hood and rolled up her sleeves. "Here,
child, let me help you."
"You are very kind, ma'am; and I hope I shall be able to do something
for you some time."
"Never you mind that; you are a nice girl, and it does my heart good to
see you trying to help your mother," added the kind woman, as she
detached a large mass of candy, and commenced pulling it with a vigor
that astonished the weak-handed little girl. "You're a jewel and a
blessing, and you're worth a dozen of the fine ladies that are too
proud to lift a finger to keep their bodies from starving. Ah, it's a
dreadful misfortune to be proud."
"To be poor and proud," said Mrs. Redburn.
"You are right, ma'am; and I am glad to see you have none of it here;
for some of your neighbors used to say you were too proud to speak to
them."
Mrs. Redburn made no reply, and permitted her kind neighbor, whose
tongue scarcely ceased to swing for a moment, to continue her remarks
without opposition. She and Katy worked with all their might till the
candy was ready for market, and when the poor invalid poured out her
thanks, she ran off and left them.
The exultation with which Katy regarded her plentiful stock of
merchandise almost caused her to forget her smarting hands; and when
she could no longer keep her eyes open, she went to sleep to dream of
great operations in molasses candy on change next day.