[Illustration: 9048]
LOSSIE helps ever so much," said Toots, one day--"she dusts the chairs
in her mother's room, waters the plants, and holds her auntie's worsted.
Her auntie is knitting a new rug for the phaeton."
"Little hands should always help," said mamma, "they were made to be
useful, and I know Flossie is happier when she is doing something to
make home pleasant. One day I heard Flossie saying, "Oh dear! I wish I
had something to do. I am tired of my dollies, I don't want to read, and
there is no one here for me to play with." I said, "My dear little girl,
your mamma has too much to do; she will give you something, and auntie
will be glad to have you help her; those little hands must be kept busy
every day." Soon after Flossie learned how to dust the chairs, then she
picked the bits of thread from the carpet, then she gave the canary some
food and water, and now she is making a dress for her dollie. In a few
short months Flossie will learn to do a great many useful things and no
one will hear her say, "I wish I had something to do."
"I always have enough to do," said Toots, "I cannot get time to read
half the books I like, and then there are so many pets to take care of,
beside the skating and sliding in winter, and the fun at the seaside in
summer, and when I am at grandpa's he calls me 'a little worker.'"
Just then Flossie came running after Toots. "Would he go with her to buy
some rolls for tea and take a book back to the library?"
Toots was very glad to go and carry some books for mamma, beside he
must stop at the post-office for some stamps, and bring home a sheet of
transparent paper to make some paper balloons for the children in the
hospital. Such busy little people as they were! and how happy, too!
That night when Toots was fast asleep, his good mother said to his papa:
"Children do more than we give them credit for; last week I kept an
account of all the kind and useful things performed by our little boy,
and it would surprise you to see how much it all amounts to. Beside the
errands for me he has thought of others, and that is good for us all.
I really think he has found more pleasure in mending old books and toys
for sick children than in having them for himself, and Flossie is quite
another little girl since she learned to help mamma."
[Illustration: 0049]
[Illustration: 0050]