GERTRUDE'S INVITATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7, 20 February 1908, Page 37

GERTRUDE'S INVITATION.

• A whole summer at the seashore. How lovely ! There was just a little wisttulness mingled _ with Uie congratulatory words and tha other girl noticed it and opened her eyes. Seasons at the seashore were an old story to har. Her father's handsome summer home stood fronting th© rolling breakers, and every summer smco she could remember she had fallen asleep to the majestic music of -the waves, fche had wanted .to go abroad, tn is summer, and had fretted a little when her father had decided that it would not be possible for him to ltave his business for any length of time. ' I get so tired of the same old things year after year,' she complained. But something in the tone of the girl who said' 1 how lovely ! ' suggested to her that some people might consider hier fortunate. She reflected, too, that when a girl's father is a bookkeeper he is not likely to, own a summer home, and that when there are four or five younger children in the family, the oldest sister has considerable practice in self-denial. She was silent for a minute. Then she spoke out the pleasant idea that had suddenly occurred to her. i ♦ Gertrude, couldn't you spend a couple of weeks at the seashore with me ?' 1 Oh, May ! ' The exclamation came as if the hrart of the speaker was too full for another* word. Gertrude's face was a?low. She seemed to hear the lapping of the waves against the beach, to see the glitter of the white sand, and feel the sea breeze in her face. ' I'd love to come ' she said, when she could jind her voicie. ' Well, then, I'll arrange with mamma about the best time for you- to come. There's to be other company, of course, but the house is yery large. I'll let you know later. The sight of the happiness in her friend's face gave -her a most comfortable feeling. She reflected that it was nice to he able to do things for people who had less than one's self. As for Gertrude, her plans for two weeks at~ the seashore beeran that very evening. 1 Her dimity must Ye burdried and put away.,. It had done duty for several seasons, and she knew"' that it. was^nbt good for many more encounters with the washtujbC But skilfully mended, and carefully laundried, she trusted that it would carry her through the two important weeks. And, of course, she must have a~ bathing suit. After an examination of the materials in the, house, she-reluctantly decided that there was nothing she could use, ■ and she took the money she had been saving for excursions and picnics, ' and other summer enjoyments, andbought some blue flannel. July came, dry and hot, but Gertrude's spirit rose wi+h the thermometer. Every morning she came down stairs !asMns: expectantly : ' Any letter for me?' By i lie time the month was , three-^q/uarters over, she drooped' the question, but she met the postman at the - door

at each visit, almost before he had time to* ring. The bathing suit was finished and folded, along with a number of other things. If the summons had come sua denly, she- could have packed in fifteen minutes. Along .in August she received an inv T J ( t r a * lOQ ,^ om re S aunt to spend" two weeks in the country. She reaa the letter and. looked "at her mother with a'sudden tremulousness about her lips. _ <i m ' I don't see how I can go,' she said. The season is so far gone now that Mays invitation is likely to come at any minute. And I can't give that up^rter looting- forward to it all summer.' - , The mother remembered the proverb that a bira 1.1 the hand is 'worth two in the bus,h, but it seemed ra- * ther heartless to qsuote it. Moreo\er, she, herself was hopeful that the delayed invitation .would soon appear. And accordingly Aunt Carolines invitation was deMay came back early in, September, Gertrude was hoping; that she would have some "very goad- excuse lor her strange silence— illness in i the family, an avalanche' of visitors, tronbde with the servants, anything that would help her conquer her sense of having been unfairly treated. May did not offer- these excuses, nor any other. She had simply forgotten about the whole matter. When she asked Gertrude if she had had a pleasant summer, Gertrude smarted and blushed. The question seemed- to hen a needless bit of cruelty. She could not ' lid herself of the impression that May must know the answer. She found voice to say at last : 1 Why,- there have been some ;pleasant things about it ' 1 That's more than I can say,' remarked May. * I'm so tired of go*ng to the same place each year. I teil | papa that I really think it will be had for me _if I don't have a decided change) next year.' In her selfishness she failed to see that 'the change. she needed was making) somfon^ else happy, and forsrertin'g; about herself. If she had had Gertrude to plan for. and look after, the days would have fairly flown an-i she would have looked forward, eagerly to the coming of each mornin?. One girl's blindness made a disappointing 'summer for two.— Exchange.