"Children and fools speak the truth."


I


"What's that sigh for, Polly dear?" "I'm tired, mother, tired of
working and waiting. If I'm ever going to have any fun, I want it
_now_ while I can enjoy it."

"You shouldn't wait another hour if I could have my way; but you
know how helpless I am;" and poor Mrs. Snow sighed dolefully, as she
glanced about the dingy room and pretty Mary turning her faded gown
for the second time.

"If Aunt Kipp would give us the money she is always talking about,
instead of waiting till she dies, we should be _so_ comfortable. She
is a dreadful bore, for she lives in such terror of dropping dead with
her heart-complaint that she doesn't take any pleasure in life herself
or let any one else; so the sooner she goes the better for all of us,"
said Polly, in a desperate tone; for things looked very black to her
just then.

"My dear, don't say that," began her mother, mildly shocked; but a
bluff little voice broke in with the forcible remark,--

"She's everlastingly telling me never to put off till to-morrow what
can be done to-day; next time she comes I'll remind her of that, and
ask her, if she is going to die, why she doesn't do it?"