Show ONLY HOPE why tho bauo byod lady our chopo ifopo was born they was u poor little thing and could never amount to much As to whether they meant much in regard to lesh and blood or tho size and of brains was not explained but they said it with pitying faces and low voices and mourned with the mother that the child was so insignificant why they named her hope is quite M hard to tell unless in the firx dl endeavor to make her hopeful in tome way sho was little and weak and gentle no one asked for her opinion regard to anything any lhing no one look it k it aras given she was just little hope to glicr mother and father and half dozen brothers and pretty with ayea like alla of alio skie deep unfathomable hair like tho gott acl low silk of tho corn swaying down in the clear delicate complexion pl exion and i that suited well her wee round figure and tiny lundn her big broad shouldered at and teased her her tall sisters snubbed her unceasingly she was only liopo to them all the grow to girlhood fad where tho brook ana anter meet oil ilott at home they pave her up a incorrigible ri gible and left her to her own devices ail choso small apparently useless things tant hp into tho day s occupation of a large household fell to hope up and down went her tireless led performing those duties which none of the others would do as being too mann and trivial for their gotico yet without which the hoiu wheel could not hato gone round if there was a catch in tho wheel or the hubs were loose it was hope alone who could mend and oil alio machinery her lingers acro the onea that caught up alic dropped stitches in her quaint little ballad were abo music which soothed her fathers her soft words healed many quaal between her brothers even as her needle mended the rant i in their clothes still to as well as to she wa only hope of little account and les in the big wide world her and nitcha married ono lie other tho oldest sitter with her husband and children came to lire nt lie old and ifopo lived on then too without iny desire to marry or change lier lot alio was quite contented of little ue hut then it wan om they all knew her he did not have to explain that he knew almoite nothing was not diac in anny way yet her brothers and liters children refined to find ono in whom flioy in her cven they too fell in with the general chilom and calliel her only aunt hope time on winging hi and loin hiis path roo war loosening he lath from hi hounds in place of the church bolls abo cannon while adne moke hung over tho bill that echol back jus ringing of on astl the of the horses of men hauca brothers went out from tho coni and laid down the plow or the word there acro wet caca and ad hirt nt tho but tho country called out for her tons and tb broad laddie must go and tho wire the moth m and ilsun bravely through all their learn cypa crew daily ilent and thought auy hr bauo eyes wide and wistful wal ails yon child asked her mother one dy ii they all at out on thi undy piazza baily plying the luring lurl ng nedla through the bands of libin that were to go M bandage to ali wounded far away N mother answered hope mi ng u he turned down hem and went on gwng hut docs all you aad M larri her aged byca marching ri the fair young fc you arc av quiet hope but lately a atone chaj hardly be duller than you I 1 arti dont play with us or tell u tor aunt hope chimed in volca at her kaw an I 1 arni to your room last night cabio I 1 nt alwn an there you was at the inlaw in lw lookin out I 1 w went ack to ix il in you aunt hope you at amt in love homr her itar it tr laughing no wid hope imply then the M c 1 ni wall W i on ar poke biln her blue aya w looting aarom the wheat field to t il tot altu ol 01 b aid auly ie ded R quion which ku nir very buob causly away offa thoi hill llo tho battlo beld bd bic ani where our wounded man acro ling anre 0 o lew to nur aim uck to af you have my here I 1 can bo of no little use to you or them and it is my duty to go and do what I 1 can for our soldiers do not try to dissuade me as started up in surprise and horror my mind la mado up to ilo abl thins aart I 1 rou dousto sto I 1 have written to oni of thi nurses aud sho tells me gladly to sa can not miss me and perhaps as tharo are so few there I 1 can bo of somo little service and 0 o she went unclasping tho clinging finders of abo children back at the gathered on tho rose twined of timeworn time worn homestead oscr whole ihra her light feet had 0 o and BO gaily t lionia without her how plainly the big rooms told of the absence of a small gentle woman whose voice and eyes not being there left no little music and sunshine yet hey said comforting one another hope was BO helpless and weak she surely can not stand tho train on her strength or bo of any uso there in the hospital tents on the battlo field and will goon return but the days anil ccok went by and faill hope harris did not return worn and weary to tho old farmhouse farm house as a s her parents and sisters and friends expected instead sho in and out to and fro among the soldiers lying helpless upon the rude beds liko an angel of mercy with eyes like the skies and hair like stray gleams of sunshine she grew brave in the midst of danger her real womanly nature asserted itself at the minister eil to alie wounded and dying them she found lier work which biad slipped past her at homo her hands acro small perhaps and slender but strength lay under the delicate blue veined llesh while tharo reposed in alio dainty fingertips finger tips a magic power that charmed away many a from broad manly brows A comans womans hand is an exquisite poem with rare sweet rhythm in curves and lines the hands of hope harris were small anil womanly but tho work they accomplished complis hed was a wonderful work two sturdy young acu were wounded and brought to tho tents one day tho one with his right leg gone the other minus his left arm A nurse was needed tho surgeon called for nurse harris and without one word of warning or preparation little hope white faced but steady bent over tho bedside where lay broad shouldered john hope he cried amazed starting up only to fall back helpless among alio pillows tho red blood staining alio torn blue sleeve while hope her lips tram with helped j the surgeon in his work of dressing taci terrible wound and when that was finished and the big fellow lying quiet went to the other poor soldier ana up into hopes set faco looked tho bannio blue eyes and features stern from pain of him who had been his mothers pride and darling mischief tho surgeon said afterward that bo wondered liow she stood it so dainty and so small bo looked bending above the painfully set face of the man lying helpless before her and added as ho brushed something from his eyes thai alio hungry look on tho big fellows face as sho leaned down to him was enough to laako tho hardest heart ache dut the recovery of the two young fellows he said was entirely duo to the untiring care of the gentle nurse while anway off in the farm bouso hope was blessed with tears and prayer for the good that abo bad bonu and when the battle was over and all root around the hearthstone in the big homestead bound in roso vines tho hearts of each and nil swelled with unutterable love and gratitude to the small golden haired blue eyed little lady who over afterward was tenderly cherished as our hope to never again bo only copol F it ludawn in afie oman i |