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LTTTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

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LITTLE KITTY’S

KNITTING ~ NEEDLES.

BY

REV. P. B. POWER, 11.31.,

VVORTHJSG, SUSSEX.

 

L O N D O N :
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK‘.

1872.

 

 

 
. :3 12m;

 

 

 

 
 

TU" “37’

 

LITTLE KITTY’S
KNITTING-NEEDLES

CHAPTER I.

. . the borders of Lancashire,
C Yorkshire and Westmore--

 

highly respectable yeomen,
who are possessed of small properties
of their own. These little properties
have been handed down from father
to son, in some instances, for many
generations ; and the different families
seem to be almost part and parcel of
the soil itself. But now, many of

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6 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

these families are breaking-up, and
the little estates are purchased by
neighbouring proprietors, and ab—
, sorbed in their large properties.

It is in this part of England we are
going to lay the scene of our story,
which, as you perceive by the title on
the cover, is called “Little Kitty’s
Knitting—Needles.” And very beauti—
ful is this part of our country: hill
and dale, wood and river, diversify the
scene ; and the church-spires and
towers, peeping up here and there,
lead us to hope that amid this beauti—
ful scenery there may be found some-
thing more beautiful still,—even souls
knowing and loving God, and living
for a world fairer and more beautiful
than all the loveliness around.

There are districts in that part of
the country that are famous for knit-
ting. Almost every one handles the
“pricks,” as the knitting-needles are

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES. 7

called; knitting is part of the business
of life, and part of its pleasures. There
are even knitting-parties, and no end
of gossip at them; and in fact knit—
ting forms a prominent part of the
thoughts, words, and deeds of the
female part of these good people’s
lives.

Amongst these yeomen lived a
worthy man and his wife, who farmed
about forty acres of land. They were
industrious and thrifty; they lived
happily together, and were a good
father and mother to. a large family
of boys and girls; and if only their
little estate had been clear from debt,
their hearts would have been as light
as the lark’s when she soars to heaven
in the clear morning air, leaving be-
hind her a more glorious train than
ever adorned a monarch in his court,
——a train of clear and melodious sOng;

But John Bulwer had one great

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8 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

trouble upon his heart; and happy as
he and his wife Mary were together,
this trouble kept them awake many a
night. Their little estate was heavily
in debt—not through any fault of
theirs, for they had ever been prudent
and thrifty, but it had been handed
down to them with heavy incum-
brances; and they did not know the
moment when the lawyer, in whose
power "they were, would turn them
out.

When John Bulwer sowed a orOp
he often sighed, and said to himself,
“Ah, who knows who will reap this
crop?” When he did any little job
about the house, the strokes of the .
hammer were as though they knocked
against his own heart, as he said,
‘ “ Who can tell for whom I am doing
this ? ” .

At length the evil day really came.
One morning the postman who went

 
 

LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 9

round that way left a letter for poor
John, and it contained a notice from
the lawyer to pay up the mortgage,
or the money lent on the security of
the farm; and unless it was paid
within siX months, the farm was to
be sold.

' There was sore distress in John
Bulwer’s house when the contents of
this letter became known; for there
was no doubt but that the farm must
go. Looking forward to this evil
day, the worthy yeoman had often
tried to raise the money, but he could
not; and now he felt that in a few
months the old homestead must be
left, and he must go forth into the
wide world.

Never did siX months pass so
quickly for the poor Bulwers, as those
succeeding the day of notice, and at
last the evil time drew near, and the
farm was put up to auction. It

 
 

 

10 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

fetched less than was expected, some
of the interest could not be paid, then
followed a sale of the poor man’s fur-
niture, and, as he himself anticipated,
he was thrown out upon the wide
world. '

John Bulwer’s good conduct and
kind neighbourly ways secured him
many friends in this sad state of
affairs. Every one pitied him, and
many were willing to do what they
could for him; but. as almost all had
large families to support, and only
too many Were themselves laden with
debt, they could not do much.

The worthy yeoman was grateful
for all kindness, but he was not the
man to eat the bread of idleness or
charity when he could work, so he
speedily cast about him as to what he
was to do. A very humble cottage
at the foot of a neighbouring hill was
to be had for a triﬂing rent, and that

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-VEEDLES. 11

he hired for a dwelling; and a situa—

_ tion offered by a neighbouring farmer
promised to give him just bread
enough for his little ones. John
Bulwer was to be a kind of head man
over the farm, turning his hand to
whatever was wanted, superintending .
the men, and giving a general eye to
his master’s interests.

For a while all went on tolerably
well in the little cottage, but there
was more trouble at hand; scarlet
fever broke out in the family, and
swept away one after another of the
children, until, when the disease had
passed away from the house, it was
found that but one child was left, and
that one the weakest of the little
party. Kitty Bulwer had never been
strong, but she survived the fever,
when all the rest were laid low in
their graves.

Little reader, rejoice not in your

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1 2 LITTLE KITTYlS KNITTING -NEEDLES.

strength; say not, “ I am too strong
and well to be near death; I will
think about my soul when I come to
die.” Ah! how soon the strongest
are laid low. Disease will soon take
away all your strength. ‘ In one day
or one night you may be reduced to
such a state of weakness that you
cannot either stand or speak. Pre-
parations for another world should
never be put of? because we are
strong and well.

So little Kitty was the only one
left, and upon her the ﬁerce disease
left its mark, for during her illness
her hands became contracted, so that
she was not able for a considerable
time to help herself in the least.

In the midst of all this loss John
Bulwer murmured not: he said, “ The
Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away, blessed be the name of the
Lord.” He read about Job the man

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES. 13

of patience, and, still better, he read
about Jesus the Man of sorrows, and
he said, “The disciple is not above
his Master,” and he bowed his head,
and amid all his trials gave thanks to
God.

Very grateful indeed were the
stricken parents that their little
daughter Kitty had been spared to
them. True, her hands were a piti-
able sight, and she was evidently very
delicate, and probably would continue
so all her life; still she was their
child, and not to be left altogether
childless was a great mercy.

Some persons are ever thinking of
how much they have lost, and never
look at what has been spared. Be-
cause the clouds are thick, they shut
their eyes to the little rays of sun—
shine which break through them ; and
thus they miss the alleviation and
comfort which may generally be

 
 

 

 

14 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

found' even amid very sore trials.
What is there so bad but that it
might have been worse?

Mr. and Mrs. Bulwer often went
on Sunday, which was their only day
of leisure, to look at the graves of
their ﬁve little darlings, all lying side
by side in the churchyard, and there
they dropped many a‘warm tear ; but
often also they stood over little
Kitty’s humble bed at night, and
watched her heavenly countenance as
she slept, and then they shed a tear
of" gratitude and joy as they looked
on her, and thought that they had
one child left.

Little reader, always have an eye
for your mercies ; if you have one eye
for your sorrows, (and who can help
seeing trials and troubles when they
come upon him ?) have the other for
your mercies, and you will ﬁnd that
your heart will thus, by God’s grace,
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 15'

be kept from sinful repining, and have
a spring for exertion, and strength
for endurance, until the time of trial
be overpast.

No one who knew little Kitty Bul-
wer would have been the least sur-
prised at the delight her parents took
in her. She was obedient, gentle,
cheerful, and loved God, and showed
that love in her daily life; ever had
Kitty a cheerful word and smile, and
the light danced in her bright eyes,
just as the sunbeams do in the rippl-
ing mountain-streams.

Kitty’s great grief in life was her
crippled hands. She had been very
useful about the house before the
scarlet fever attacked her,——she had
delighted in helping her mother in
her daily household work, and her
heart sunk at the idea of being
always useless, always an incum—
brance, unable to do anything to earn

 
 

 

16 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

a triﬂe to help in the expenses of the
house.

It is very true, little Kitty knew
how to knit—almost the very babies
round about knew how to knit, and
such an “ intelligent little girl as she
was not likely to be behindhand ; but
what good was this, seeing that her
poor ﬁngers were now so contracted,
andindeed almost twisted, that they
could not hold the pricks any more?
She could not grasp the thin needles
with her contorted ﬁngers, and with—
out knitting—needles it was of course
impossible to knit.

Often did Kitty lie awake at night
pondering over her sad affliction, and
thinking, “ What can I possibly do
to help my father and mother?” At
one time she fancied that she could in
some way tie the pricks to her ﬁngers,
and when that failed, she got some
cobbler’s wax, and tried to stick them
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTINGfﬁEEDLES. M17 ' ' f

there; but it was all in vain, the steel ‘ ;
needles seemed determined to have
no more to do with Kitty, and at
length she was obliged to give up her
experiments in despair
But though obliged to give up her
experiments on the steel needles, she
still continued to ponder in her mind
whether something could not be done, I
and at last a bright idea ﬂashed across I 1
her mind. True, she could not hold 1
steel knitting-needles, but as her 1
ﬁngers had not lost all their power, }
perhaps she might be able to do some— 1
thing with larger ones ; the only 1 ;
drawback to this idea being the coarse— l .
ness of such work. All around her
were knitting ﬁne articles, and for j ..
them they procured a ready sale : t '
would work done with coarse needles I

sell at all ? “ I can never know
unless I try,” said Kitty, “ and if only

I have a blessing on my efforts I shall
2

 
 

18 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

do well, despite all my disadvantages.”
With Kitty Bulwer this was the
grand point; she observed that in
spite of many days of sharp winds the
little lambs throve and grew into
sheep, and also that with all the
vicissitudes of the weather the crops
came to perfection, “ and surely,” said
she, “I can do a great deal, and my
work can prosper, if only it have a
blessing from on high.” This idea of
“the blessing ” gradually became a
very prominent one in little Kitty’s
mind, and the more she thought about
it, and the more she prayed for it,
the more did she expect it, and great
things from it.

A neighbouring carpenter, who had
a great regard for Kitty’s father, was
made the little girl’s conﬁdant, and
he promised to make her some needles
of wood. Kitty Visited him at‘his
shop, and he tried her hands to see

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES, 19

how small and ﬁne a needle she could
hold, and sent her away with the
joyful intelligence that she should
have them ready for work by the
following Monday morning.

Kitty’s father and mother fell very
readily into her plans, and provided
her with some coarse wool ; they were
only too delighted to ﬁnd that she
could occupy herself usefully in any
way. They knew that idle time
hangs heavy upon the hands, and
they remembered, good as Kitty Was,
that what the Christian poet had
written was true——

“ For Satan ﬁnds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.”

The head full of knowledge, the
heart full of love, and the hands full
of work, and thus, with the blessing
of God, we may be kept out of much
evil. It is a mistake to suppose that
idleness is happiness,—~very few are

 

 
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20 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

more truly miserable than the idle;
and it is well known by medical men
that idleness will even make people
_: ill,—it gives them what the French
call ennui; and when people are
troubled with ennui, they get cross,
and do not know what to do with
j ‘ themselves, and become fretful both
' in body and mind, many a time fancy-
ing themselves a prey to all sorts of

diseases and trials.

Kitty Bulwer would have always
found something to do, but to have a
regular resource like this was quite a
bright prospect.

It required some practice on Kitty’s
part to be able to hold the needles,
and her ﬁrst attempts at knitting were
very awkward; but she soon got used
to the wooden needles, and by degrees
she became quite handy at her work.

Even in the humblest spheres of
life we are liable to trials and troubles

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 21

which will] test our Christian char-
acter ; and humble as Kitty Bulwer’s
position now was, she found herself
tried in it. Kitty Bulwer’s rough
work could not, of course, for one
moment be compared with the ﬁne
knitting done in the neighbourhood
around; and indeed she did not pre-
tend that it could. She did not exhibit
it to any person, much less make any
boast of it, still she found trouble in
this humble work.

The carpenter who had befriended
her, and made her needles, had a
daughter, whose name was Nancy;
and this Nancy was not a well—dis—
posed girl. So long as she could have
eyerything her own way, she seemed
amiable enough; but as Nancy could.
not always have her own way, any
more than other people, we need not
be surprised at hearing that she was
Very often out of temper. Nancy

 

 
22 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

 

_ Sawyer was full of self-conceit ; she
’, _ was also jealous and selﬁsh ; and, in
fact, had in her character many ele—
”I ments of misery for others and her-
, self ‘
_ ; Just now this unamiable girl was
" very wroth with Kitty Bulwer. It
so happened that she wanted her ‘
father to turn an old box into a rabbit—
hutch for her while he was engaged
in making little Kitty Bulwer’s knit-
ting-needles, and because he would
not put by his work and turn at once
to hers, she ﬂew into a dreadful
passion. L

I“ You never do anything for me,”
cried Nancy Sawyer, “ although I am
your own daughter ; but any brat that
comes in the way, and wheedles you,
you’ll do anything they like.”

“Nancy, Nancy,” said the car-
penter, “ think before you say such an
untruth; didn’t I mend your hoe and

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES. 23

spade for you the other day almost as
soon as you gave them to me ? ”

“Ay, ay,” cried Nancy, “because
you wanted me to work in the garden ;
that was for you as well as for myself;
but you won’t make this hutch, that I
want only for myself.”

“ ’Tis true,” answered the carpenter,
“that I hurried with your hoe and
spade because you wanted them for a
useful purpose ; and now I am hurry—
ing with Kitty Bulwer’s knitting—
needles because it’s a useful job ; and
indeed, more than that, it is an im—
portant one to her.”

“ Ay, ay, but Kitty is not your
daughter, and I think you ought to
help your own daughter before, any
one else.”

“Nancy,” answered the carpenter,
“ we may be selﬁsh in what we do for
our own relations, as well as in what
we do for ourselves, and I should be

 

 
 

24 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

selﬁsh if, to please you, I took your
plaything in hand before these neces—
sary things for a sick neighbour.”

“ I hope they’ll never come to any
good,” passionately screamed out the
wicked girl, in a high tone of voice;
“ and I don’t believe that they will.
What can a twisted-ﬁngered creature
like she do with knitting—needles?
I don’t believe she’ll ever make a
siXpence with all her knitting.” And
so saying, Nancy Sawyer’ﬂung herself
out of her father’s workshop 'in a
great rage.

The carpenter was a kind-hearted
man, but he was sorely in' fault in
not correcting his daughter; the
consequence was, her temper grew
worse and worse, and she promised
fair to be a plague to him, as Well as
to herself. Contenting himself with
not doing the hutch, and keeping On
at the knitting—needles, the carpenter
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. '25

took no more notice of his daughter’s
passion; but the matter did not pass
so easily out of Nancy’s mind. This
evil girl determined to spite Kitty
whenever she could, and many were
the plans for doing so which she
turned over in her mind. Meanwhile
Kitty Bulwer was turning over many
plans in her mind as to what she
should do 'with the produce of her
work. Two great objects she had in
view 3 and as her father had told her
that she might have for herself what—
ever she was able to earn, she de-
termined to divide her earnings
between the two great aims she
wished to carry out. One of Kitty’s
great desires was to add something to
her father and mother’s comfort ; the
other was to be able to send some-
thing to the missionaries, in whose
work she had taken the liveliest
interest, almost ever since she could

 
”g“ sva—n.

 

 

26 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

understand anything. There was to
be one stocking out of each pair for
Kitty’s father and mother, and
another stocking for the missionaries ;
and if only her work were blessed,
Kitty hoped to do great things.

.“ Great things, indeed!” perhaps
some of our young readers exclaim;
“how could she be so foolish
as to expect that? Perhaps she
might do something, but to expect
to do great things is rather too much.
If Kitty could give a donation of
£1000, or even £50 a year, she might
do something great, but not with the
humble means at her disposal.”

But, strange as it may appear,
Kitty Bulwer really did aspire to
doing something great ; it was one of
her great encouragements in thus
trying to make use of her crippled
ﬁngers that she might be eminently
useful, and she thus reasoned with
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 27

herself: /“ One half of my money is
to buy Bibles to send to the heathen ;
if my money is forthcoming, there
will be so many the more Bibles,—
perhaps a dozen, or say but half—a—
dozen. As each heathen will only
get one Bible, there will be a supply
of the Holy Book for siX more persons
than there would have been if I had
not given my money. If I ask a
blessing upon those siX Bibles, who
can tell but that they may be the
means of the conversion of siX souls ;
and would it not be worth even a
whole life—time of labour to be the
instrument of bringing siX souls to
glory, of rescuing them from the
fearful horrors of the lost ? ” _

Thus reasoned Kitty Bulwer with.
herself, and she determined, with
God’s blessing, to succeed. “I will
try,” said she, “again and again,
until I am able to knit with these

 

 
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28 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

needles, even if it took me years
before I succeeded.”

‘A very useful lesson does little
Kitty teach us all. How apt are we
to think that we cannot do anything I
One says, “I am too young,”
another, “ I am too poor ;” another,
“I am too small,” and so on; few
comparatively remembering that God
requires, from a man according to
what he hath, and not according to
what he hath not. Every one can
do something in God’s kingdom and
to promote his glory, and oftentimes
he uses the very feeblest instruments
to bring about the end he would have
accomplished. But the great point
is to be determined. If we make up
our minds that, with God’s blessing,
we will do what is right, he will help
us in carrying out that determination ;
we must do our part, he will not fail
in doing his. '

 
LITTLE KITTY, S KNITTING—NEEDLES. 29

Dear young reader, sometimes
remember poor little Kitty Bulwer
with her twisted ﬁngers, and think,
What can I do? and be determined
to do it.

.___-__

CHAPTER II.

AFTER many attempts the young
knitter succeeded very well; and
great was her joy, and great also the

delight of her parents, when she ex;

hibited to them the ﬁrst pair of
ﬁnished stockings. The carpenter
also was highly delighted; he was
rejoiced that his needles had done
so well, and his benevolent heart
was glad, as he thought that he had
been the means of beneﬁting a
fellow—creature. Several of the neigh-
bours also came in, and shared in the
family joy, and spoke encouragingly
to Kitty of her work. Many of them

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30 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

thought that it would have been
quite a disgrace for a woman or girl
not to be able to handle the pricks;
so they also, even though they
rejoiced on no higher g10und,we1e
yet well pleased.

There was only one person who
was not pleased, and that was Nancy
Sawyer. That evil—minded girl had
been for a long time on the watch to
do Kitty Bulwer some harm, and g
was sorely grieved that as yet no
opportunity had been afforded her.
True, she had been able to give some
vent to her spite, for when Kitty sat
knitting on the sunny side of a neigh-
bouring hedge, singing now and
again snatches of her favourite hymns, _
she used to come and twit her about
her failures, and mock at her twisted
ﬁngers. At times she used to contort
her own ﬁngers into strange twisted

shapes, and hold them up before

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 31

Kitty’s face, and then she used to
pretend to try and knit in an awkward
fashion ; but she had been obliged to
content herself with these evil ways,
——-she dared not really lift a hand
against her little neigthur. Never-
theless Nancy Sawyer kept constantly
in view her intention of playing Kitty
as scurvy a trick as she could ; and the
great desire of her mind was to get
hold of the newly-ﬁnished pair of
stockings, and to destroy them if she
could. “ That will be tenfold better,”
said Nancy, “than hindering her as
she goes on; that will bring all her
work to nothing in a moment; that
will pay her out for all I owe her,
and I shall have my revenge.”

In the course of a little time Nancy
Sawyer got the opportunity she
desired. Kitty Bulwer’s new stock—
ings were lying on the window—sill
of her cottage, and Nancy spied them

_. .7 a... JL—wM

 

 

 
 

 

32 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

as she passed by that way. Cautiously
did she peep through the window to
see if any one were at hand, and when.
she had made fully sure of the room’s
being empty, she took her scissors
from her pocket, and gave the stock-
ings several small cuts ; then, with a
horrible smile upon her mouth, she
.. crept off as quietly as she could.
'When Nancy Sawyer had fairly
made her escape, and was out in the
ﬁelds, she put her hands to her sides,
and threw back her head, and burst
out into a loud ﬁt of laughter. “ Ha,
ha!” cried she; “I’ve done for you
now, my‘ﬁne lady; you’ll stand in the
way of my hutches again, won’t you ?
I think I’ve paid you off pretty
handsomely now——ha, ha, ha ! ” and
Nancy roared out with laughter again.
Nancy Sawyer’s heart was glad for
the moment ; she had just such happi—
ness as the devils have, when they are

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 33

able to do mischief; and indeed she
had just yielded herself as an instru—
ment to Satan, to do what he desired.
Whoever spites another is thereby
doing the evil spirit’s work; malice,
spite, revenge, are all the devil’s
- delight; and let no young reader of
this story yield himself or herself to
Satan, a ready instrument to do his
will. Is not the very thought of such
a thing horrible? The bare idea of
being an instrument of the devil
Ought to make us shudder, and deter
us from rendering evil for evil.

When Kitty Bulwer discovered
her misfortune, her little heart was
almost broken. A kind neighbour
who was going to the next town,
where the stockings were generally
bought, called in for Kitty’s pair.
The good woman had all along taken
an interest in the child’s efforts, and

had promised to do her best to sell
3

 

 
 

34 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-VEEDLES.

her stockings together with her own ;
and although no one knew it, she had
even made up her mind to buy the
stockings herself, if she could not ﬁnd
a purchaser. “’Tis a brave thing,”
said this honest woman, “for that
young creature, to work so hard with
those crippled ﬁngers; and I’ll be
bound she has some good way in her
head of spending what she earns.
If she does get some of my money, it
won’t go to any bad use; some one
will be the'better of it.”

Mrs. Wilson was a right cheery
woman, one who was always glad to
do good to others, one who made the
best of everything as it turned up; and
now humming a tune, she made her
appearance at Kitty Bulwer’s house.

“Here I am,” said Mrs. Wilson,
throwing down a large bundle;
“here is all my girl’s ﬁne work
going into town, and I’m come for

 
LITTLE KITTY’S'KNITTING-NEEDLES. 35

your coarse stockings, Kitty—ﬁne
capital stockings for some big giant;
why, one pair of them would make a
dozen of, ours. Folk think your
stockings won’t sell,” said Mrs.
Wilson, “ but I’m sure they will ; I
think I know somebody will buy
them; they’re capital for any rheu-
matic or gouty people, for drawing
on over the others. I never saw any
of these in the market, so you’ll have
the market all to yourself; and who
knows, Kitty, but you’ll get a name
for coarse stockings, and make a
fortune in the end ? ”

Kitty laughed at the idea of the
fortune, and laid hold of her stockings
to put them up in paper.

“Stop, stop!” said Mrs. Wilson,
“let me run my eye over them; I
should like to know well what I’m
recommending. I must be able to
say, ‘ I know they’re good work.’ ”

 

 
 

 

86 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

Kitty handed her friend the stock-
ings, and ﬁxed her eyes upon her,
hoping to see a look of approbatiOn
upon her face. Mrs. Wilson was
herself one of the best knitters in the
neighbourhood, therefore her opinion
would be worth something, and, in
Kitty’s mind, if it were favourable,
she felt pretty sure that the stockings
would be sold. Judge therefore of her
distress when she saw Mrs. Wilson’s
eyebrows lifted up, and then when
she perceived a frown gathering upon
her brow.

“ They ’re as good as I could make
them, indeed I’ve done my best,” sob-
bed Kitty as she burst into tears, for
Mrs. Wilson had steadily ﬁxed her
eyes upon the stockings, and was evi—
dently in a high state of displeasure.

. “You have done your best, I believe I
you, my poor child,” said her friend,
“ and the stockings are as well knitted

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 37

as if you had been paid £1000 for
doing them ; but lock here,” and she
showed poor Kitty the little cuts in
the wool. “ How did these come
here ? ”

When Kitty saw the cuts, her little
heart was ﬁt to break. In a moment
all her golden visions of the Bibles for
the missionaries and help for her
father vanished from her mind, and
she felt as if this calamity would quite
’ crush her spirit. 0

“ Come, Kitty, we must not waste
our time in crying over the matter;
there is some mystery here, these are
the cuts of some sharp instrument, and
as they are in more places than one,
my belief is that they have not come
here by accident. We must unravel
this mystery; what has happened once
may happen perhaps again, and ’twill
never do to knit stockings to have
them cut in pieces in this Way. If.

 

 
 

 

38 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

these stockings have been cut by de-
sign, the person that cut them must
have wished to do you some harm—~—
that’s quite plain; now who is there
hereabouts that has ever tried to do
you any harm? ”

“ The only one that ever was unkind
to me,” sobbed Kitty, “was Nancy
Sawyer; but I have no reason to
think she cut the stockings; indeed, I
don’t know that she has been this way
at all. Oh dear, oh dear, it was a
cruel thing to do.”

“We must try and ﬁnd out more
about it,” said Mrs. Wilson, “but
meanwhile let us not be idle ; I never
like to lose any time in useless fretting,
let us see what we can do to repair .
the loss. The best thing you can do,
Kitty, is to set about a new pair of
stockings at once; they’ll be ready
against next market—day, and you
sha’n’t want for wool, for I ’11 buy these

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 39

stockings from you for the price of the
wool; I want a piece of net for our
fruit—trees, and this will just do to
make it, so you can start again, and
everything will turn out for the best.
If you asked a blessing on your work,
not even this sad misforture can pre-
vent its coming. NOW good-bye 3 ”
and Mrs. Wilson took her departure
with a great many thoughts in her
head, leaving poor Kitty standing at
the cottage door, with a great many
tears in her eyes. “ I ’ll unravel this
mystery,” said Mrs. Wilson to herself,
“ even if it cost £10 ; ” and ruminating
on the matter, turning it over again
and again in her mind, she trudged
along to the market—town.

The triumphing of the wicked is
often destined to be but short ; an eye
is upon them when they do not think
it, and their evil is brought to light.
So was it in the present case. Nancy

 

 

 
 

 

40 LITTLE KITTY’s KNITTING-NEEDLES.

Sawyer was destined to be discovered
in a very unexpected way. '
As Mrs. Wilson was going to the
market-town with her bundle of knit-
ting, her way lay through the very
ﬁelds where Nancy Sawyer had been
giving vent to her delight and exulta—
tion at having successfully accom—
plished her evil deed ; and, as she
walked along, she saw a poor old man,
and apparently his little daughter,
lying in a hedge by the wayside.
Mrs: “Wilson was not the woman to
pass by any one in distress without a
kind word, so she stOpped and spoke
to the poor people. The old man said
he had had very little to eat that day ;
“and indeed,” said he, “we have not
met with any one who would give us
anything; the only person we have seen
this way was a girl that we thought
was mad, and she frightened my poor
child here almost out of her very wits.”
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 41

lVIrs. Wilson’s curiosity was a good
- deal stirred at this ; she did not know
of any one’s being insane in the neigh-
bourhood, so she put a few questions
to the poor people to ﬁnd out some
more about the matter.

“ What kind of girl was she?” asked
lVIrs. Wilson. ,

“ A tall, slouching—looking girl, with
a red handkerchief crossed upon her
breast, and a straw bonnet with a yel-
low faded ribbon.”

“ Why, sure alive,” said Mrs. Wil—
son, “it must have been Nancy Saw-
yer; but she’s not mad. And what
did she say or do to frighten you, my
child ? ” asked Mrs. Wilson.

“Why, she was so wild-like,” an-
swered the little girl ; “ she didn’t see .
us, for we were then lying at the other
side of the hedge under yon ferns, but
she talked to herselﬁ'and threw her—
self about, and was quite mad—like. I

 

 
42 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

couldn’t hear all she said, for we were
not close enough, but she was saying
she had done for somebody, and she
cried out ha, ha, ha I very often.”

“As far as we could make out,”
chimed in the old man, “somebody
had angered her, and she had been
spiting the person and had her re-
venge, and she was delighted at what—
ever she had done.”

“Ho! ho!” said Mrs. Wilson to
herself; “ I ’m on‘ the scent now,—that
girl was Nancy Sawyer, and I expect
she has been cutting Kitty Bulwer’s
stockings g”, and so saying, she gave a .
couple of pence to these poor folk and
went on her way. 3

 

CHAPTER III.

A W'HEN Mrs. Wilson returned from the
3% market—town, she came back by Kit-

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 43

ty’s cottage. The little girl had ex-
pected to have received her ﬁrst earn-
ings just at this time, so it was a sore
trial to her to see Mrs. Wilson with—
out having her hopes realized. There
was a smile, however, on that good
woman’s face, which made Kitty feel
sure that she had something interest—
ing to tell.

“ I have it all,” said Mrs. Wilson.
“ There can be little doubt that Nancy
Sawyer did all the mischief, that’s the
way she took to spite you. I’ll go to
her father, and get her such a thrash—
ing as will do her good for the rest of
her life.”

It was some time before Kitty Bul-
wer could fully persuade herself that
Nancy Sawyer could have been guilty
of so wanton an act of mischief; at
last, however, she came to be of l\/Irs.
Wilson’s opinion.

“ I fear,” said she, after thinking for

 

 
 

 

44 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

a long time, “ she did it: but don’t get
her beaten, I’d rather lose the stock-
ings than have her thrashed.”

Mrs. Wilson could not understand
this at all ; she thought that a good
thrashing was just what Nancy Sawyer
deserved, and indeed she went so far
as to say that she should have no ob-
jection to give it to her herself—“ the
good - for - nothing hussy,” said she ;
“ but she ’11 suffer for it some way or
other.”

Mrs. Wilson was rather vexed that
Kitty would not let her go to the car-
penter to get his daughter thrashed; '
she said, however, that it was Kitty’s
stockings that had been spoiled, and
that it was her affair, and that she
would leave it where it was, as such
was her wish ; and, after encouraging
Kitty to begin another pair of stock-
ings as soon as she could get the
coarse worsted, she took her leave.

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 45

No doubt now remained on Kitty ,
Bulwer’s mind as to who had injured
her work, and she was the more con-
ﬁrmed in her belief by the fact that
Nancy Sawyer avoided her as much as
she could. That evilgirl was not with-
out a conscience, and her conscience
would not let her look Kitty in the
face.

“I must pray for that girl,” said
Kitty ; “ we are told to pray for those
that despitefully use us.”

From that day forth Nancy Sawyer
Was never an' entire, day out of Kitty
,Bulwer’s mind ; her one great wish
was that she should come to repent-
ance, and not perish at the last.
Kitty’s parents had the same desire ;
they could not but feel sorely hurt at
their poor child’s having been so per-
secuted, but they were ready to bless
them that persecuted them.

Sad as poor Kitty’s misfortune was,

 
 

 

46 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

she was not destined to be entirely
disappointed in her desires of earning
both for the missionaries and her pa—
rents; on the other hand, a double
blessing was about to be her lot.

As the little girl had been so much
put back by the loss of the ﬁrst pair
of stockings, she began earnestly to
think what she could do to repair the
loss. At last she hit upon a thought.

Some little distance from Kitty’s
cottage lay the coach road, and on
that road was a very steep hill. The
little girl, whenever she went that
way, had observed that the horses .
generally stopped in the middle of the
hill to take breath, and then it was
necessary for some one with the car—
riages to put a stone behind the wheels
'to prevent their slipping down the
hill, especially in frosty weather. As
many of the carriages passing that
way had no footman, Kitty thought

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 47

that if she took her pricks and did
her work by the road-side, she might
be at hand to supply a stone for the
wheels, and so might earn some pence.

The old man who kept the turnpike
at the bottom of the hill agreed to
give the child shelter in case of the
weather’s turning out unexpectedly
bad ; and it was settled that she should
go just. when she liked, and stay as
long as she pleased. In this matter
also the carpenter proved himself a
friend. He promised to throw to-
gether a rough seat for his little friend,
and he suggested that she should have
a couple of wedge—shaped pieces of
wood, which would be lighter than
stone to move, and would answer the
purpose more effectually. “Besides
which,” said the carpenter, “it will
look much better, and more useful
like; and perhaps when folk see you
with your regular tools, they will be

 
 

 

 

48 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES

more inclined to give you something,
than if you just put a stone behind
their wheels.”

The carpenter was as good as his
word ; he soon tossed together a rustic
seat, and made the wedges, and Kitty
took her place by the road—side one
sunshiny morning, with her pricks in
her hand, and the wedges by her side.

Kitty was not discouraged because
at ﬁrst not many pence came to her
lot: her new stockings were getting
on, and she was delivered from the
mockings of Nancy Sawyer, and the
little she had received would buy wool
for three or four pairs more of her
stockings, so she thought she had no
cause to complain. _

.There was, however, what some
people would call a great piece of
good luck in store for Kitty. One
day a travelling—carriage with four
horses dashed through the turnpike
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES. 49

and up the hill. The postilions in
all probability thought to surmount
the hill at a gallop, and they whipped
and spurred their horses so as to reach
the top in a single run; but midway
in the hill the horses found their work
too heavy for them, and the leaders,
apparently quite blown, stumbled and
fell. Kitty was at her post ; had she
not been, who could tell what fearful
consequences might have ensued, for
the carriage was heavily laden with
luggage, and the great probability
was that it would drag back horses
and all down the steep incline. Kitty,
as we have said, was at her post, and
in a moment her two wedges were
pushed ﬁrmly under the hind wheels.
The footman behind shouted to the
postilions that it was all right, and
then leaped down to help to extricate
the horses, and to wait on the occu-

pants of the carriage. Theyiconsisted
4

 
   

50 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

of a lady and her little daughter, and
they were both as pale as- marble,
l and their eyes were wet with tears;
3 they felt they had escaped from a great
peril indeed.

“ Please your ladyship,” said the
footman, “it is a providencethat we
have not all been destroyed ; we might
3 3 have been killed but for yonder little

3 girl on that seat.”

.. ' ' “ The horses cannot go on for some
i ' -' 31 time,” said the countess,——“ put down
' ' ,3 the steps, Thomas, and let me out, and

T3 l: ' take out Lady Mary also. Come,
' " Mary, darling, and we’l 1 thank the
3 little girl for having been the means
i of doing so much for us.

 

: ‘ The little girl called “ Lady Mary”
was about Kitty’s own size, but she
was even much more delicate in form.
,She was thin and pale, and it was
quite evident that she was not strong
upon her feet; indeed, her feet were

I
l
f. "l’
s
1?,
.
iii
. V {l‘
1 .“
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1 ,
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1

 
LITTLE KITTY S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 51

so wrapped up, that it was almost
hard for her to walk. Young as Lady
Mary was, she was a martyr to rheu-
matism ; her little bones often ached,
and it was only by great care that she
had been reared.

“ Thank you, my little girl, a thou—
sand times,” said the countess to Kitty,
“ for I believe that, under Providence,
you have saved our lives.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Lady Mary.
“ I am sure we shall never forget you;
shall we, mamma ? ”

Kitty courtesied and got very red,
for she felt sure she was speaking to
some very grand people, and at last
she stammered out that she was very
glad she had been of any use.

“ I think, under God, you have
saved our lives,” said the countess,
“ and I should like to give you s0me
little acknowledgment of our thank—
fulness ; ” whereupon, having drawn

 
‘52 LITTLE .KITTY, S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

a handsome silk purse from her
pocket, she took ﬁve sovereigns from
it, and put them into Kitty Bulwer’s
hands.

Nothing could have set Kitty more
at‘ ease than this mention of the lady’s
thankfulness to God. “These are
good people,” thought she to herself;
"‘ they no doubt love and worship the
same God that I do,” and she now felt
less inclined to slip away.

By way of putting the child more
at her ease, the countess took up her
knitting and began to ask her about
it; and Kitty, getting communicative,
gave her the whole account of their
misfortunes, of the death of her
brothers and sisters, of her own ill—
ness, and of her effort to help her
parents and the missionaries.

“I had almost despaired of ever
being rich enough to give them any
real help, but now I can,” said the

 

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 53

little girl joyfully, as she looked at the
golden coins.

“You shall not be disappointed in
your work either,” said the countess,
who was greatly interested in Kitty’s
story. “ I approve highly of your at-
tempt to do something; I always help
those whom I ﬁnd endeavouring to
help themselves, and I will buy a
dozen pairs of your stockings as soon
as they are ready. Here,” said the
countess, taking a card from her card-
case, and writing an address on it with
pencil, “is the name of the place
where we shall be staying for the
next three months, and you can bring
the stockings when they are done.
They are to be a child’s size, the size
for this little girl ; ” and the countess
told Kitty to measure Lady Mary’s
foot. “My little daughter is subject
to rheumatism, and these will do to
draw over her feet.”

 
 

 

   
 

'wr ,.-., . <-

. ,-., A

‘4‘-'.‘.v“~7-TE" n—.. ;_.;.av “2“ 7-34:

4 , -‘ v71

54 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

By this time the carriage was got
to rights, and the footman came for-
ward to announce that all was ready ;
and in a few moments the handsome
vehicle, with its four horses, was out
of sight, and Kitty Bulwer remained
by the road-side, almost fancying that
all that had just passed was a dream.
People don’t ﬁnd golden sovereigns
in their hands when they have been
dreaming of them, and there was no
denying that there they were in Kitty’s
palm, so she made the best of her way
home. As she went along the road
she had some sore temptations about
the money; two pounds ten shillings
seemed to be a great deal to give away,
especially for one in her circumstances,
and when her dear parents were in want
of so many things; and it was suggested
to her mind that if she gave ﬁve shil-
lings, that would do very well, especi-
ally as it would be a great deal more

 
LITTLE KITTY’S 'KNITTING—JEEDLES. 55

than. many of the neighbours gave; But
Kitty held ﬁrm, and after many argu-
ments, and indeed no small contention
within herself, she determined that
one half should be given. “ Is it,”
said she to herself, “ because God has '
blessed me above all expectation that
I should draw back? I thought to
have made a few shillings, and then
he should have had the half, and now
that I have pounds shall I do less in
proportion? N 0,” said she ; “ two
pounds ten shall go to the mission-
aries, and two pounds ten to father and
mother—the more liberal God is to
us, the more liberal should we be in our
gifts to him.”

CHAPTER IV -

THE story of Kitty’s wonderful ad—
venture soon got abroadthrough the
neighbourhood ; and every one except

 
 

56 LITTLE KITTY’s KNITTING-NEEDLES.

Nancy Sawyer rejoiced at her pros«
perity. Amongst those who rejoiced
most was good Mrs. Wilson. “ You
remember,” said she, “ you asked a
blessing on your work, Kitty, and you
have received it, only in an unexpected
way. All our blessings do not come
on the road we expect them to travel,
and this one has come a round—about
way. You remember that it is written
that ‘ all things shall work together
for good to them that love God,’ and
thus has it been in your case.

“ And I hear you have an order for
twelve pairs,” said Mrs. Wilson; “ well
that’s grand; and if I can give you
any help I will.” ‘

 

Kitty Bulwer worked away at her
coarse stockings, and was getting on
pretty forward with the execution of
her order, when a groom rode up to
her cottage door. She soon knew
whence he came, for he had the same

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 57

livery on as that worn by the servants
of the countess ; and it was from the
. countess he had come. The man
brought a note to Kitty, saying that
the countess wished her to come at
once to the Hall where she was stay-
ing, and to bring with her as many
of the stockings as she had ﬁnished;
the groom had instructions also to give
her ten shillings to pay her fare by the
coach. -

When Kitty Bulwer arrived at the
Hall, she was taken to a small room,
where, laid upon a sofa, was the little
girl she had seen on the road—side—
the Lady Mary. The little lady was
suffering from rheumatism, and now
she tried to raise herself on the couch.
“ We sent for you,” said she, “ to know
if you would teach me to knit. I have
been thinking too a great deal about
your having been the means of saving
our lives, and as I wish to try and

 
 

 

58 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

learn to knit, I should rather learn
from you than any one else. Mamma
will give you plenty of money if you
teach me; only I am very slow at
learning, and you must have a great
' dealot patience with me. Have you
plenty of patience ? ” I

Kitty had been told by the house—
keeper to call the little girl “My
lady ; ” “ for,” said she, “ her father is
a grand lord.” So she answered,
“ My lady, I’ll be very glad to teach
you to knit; and I hope I can [be
patient, for it took me a long time
before I was handy enough to do any
knitting after my hands got bad.”

“ Perhaps it will take me ever so
many months,” said her little lady—
ship.

f‘ Oh, I don’t mind how long ; only ”
——and here Kitty burst into tears, the
thought of her father and mother
crossed her mind—“ only I should

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES. 59

not like to be so long away from my
parents.” .

“ I’ll take care of your parents,” said
a voice from the door, and at that mo-
ment Lady Mary’s mother entered, “ if
only you’ll remain with . my daughter
until she has learned.”

Then and there was the whole
matter settled ; and before long Lady
l‘vIary let Kitty into her whole secret.

“ You see,” said her ladyship, “ that
I am now laid here; and although
I can often run about, still I am
often laid for whole weeks upon my
sofa, or perhaps in bed, and then
my time does not always pass very”
, quickly; and I often keep thinking
that I should be much happier if I '
had something to do, especially if it
were something that would help to
make other people happy; so I have
made up my mind to learn to knit.

And when I have learned to knit,

 
 

 

 

60 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.

I mean to make a great many stock-
ings for the poor. We have a great
many poor people in our neighbour-
hood, and on our estate; and it will
be a great pleasure to keep them
warm in the winter.”

What a delightful prospect now
opened out before Kitty Bulwer, and
it became much more delightful when
her parents gave their assent to it,
and it was settled that Kitty Bulwer
should live as knitting—teacher and

thalf waiting-maid on Lady Mary.

“All the waiting I want,” said the
countess to Kitty’s mother, “can be
easily done by your daughter; and if
she reads to my child, and they knit
together, and she conduces to her
happiness, that is all I desire.” And
thus Kitty became installed for a
while as an inmate of a great house.
As weeks passed on, Kitty Bulwer
became more and more acceptable to

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES. 61

the little lady, so much so that Lady
Mary could not bear to part with her;
and when the situation of farm—bailiff
became vacant the countess gave it to
[Kitty’s father, who came south, and
lived near his daughter, in something
like his former house again.
ﬁe 9% 9K 9% 9!?

Years rolled on, and Kitty Bulwer
had grown into a strong woman, when
one day as she was returning to the
castle, in the frosty twilight of Christ—
mas, she was accosted by a gipsy—like
looking woman, with a wretched-look—
ing child upon her back and two
more following her. Kitty was very
respectably though not ﬁnely dressed,
and the woman took her for one of
the ladies of the castle. “ Oh, listen
to me, my lady,” said she, and give
me something to cover my feet;
they’re frost—bitten, and I feel as
though my toes would drop off, and

 
 

 

 

62 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

the children are as bad. My husband
is dead—ay, he died in a ditch, of
cold, not a month ago 3 and I’ll soon
go too.”

“If you go up to the castle-yard
I’ll relieve you,” said Kitty ; “ I’ll go
on and get something warm for you.”
And hastening home she took out the
last pair of socks she had knitted, and
got some warm soup from the kitchen.
The woman was at the door ; and
when she and the children had de-
voured the soup, she stretched out
her hand eagerly for the stockings;
but she no sooner saw them plainly,
than she ﬁxed her eyes on Kitty, and
then with a loud scream she fell faint-
ing on the ground. When the strange
woman came to herself, she thrust out
her hand Violently, as though she
were pushing some one from her, and
cried out Kitty’s name several times.
Who or what could she be? whence

 
LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING-NEEDLES.‘- 63

had she come ? Kitty ventured close
to- her, while one of the servants
threw a light strong upon her face,
and in a moment the truth was
revealed—the wretched woman was
Nancy Sawyer! It was too much,
even for her, to receive the stockings
from one whom she had so wronged
_ in former times! ,

Kitty begged the servants to with-
draw and leave the strange woman
with her; and in a short time she
heard from her her whole story. She
confessed to having cut the stockings ;
and ever since she had done that mali-
cious deed she had no peace. Things
seemed always to go wrong with her.
In spite of her father’s disapproval,
Nancy had married a travelling tinker
and knife—grinder, and had wandered
about half—starved over the country
for many a long day.

A comfortable place was provided,

 
 

 

 

 

 

64 LITTLE KITTY’S KNITTING—NEEDLES.

by the countess’s direction, in one of
the out—ofﬁces for the poor vagrant;
and Kitty Bulwer intended on the
following morning to give her some
substantial help. But when morn-
ing came the vagrant was not to be
found. Lying close to where she.
had slept were the stockings which
had been laid for her; and it was
supposed that, sore as was her need,
she could not take them, when she
remembered the past. No more was
ever heard of Nancy Sawyer; but
a person answering her description
was transported for theft. But Kitty
Bulwer lived on, honoured and [re—
spected, at the castle, ﬁnding out,
more and more every day, how all
things work together for good to those
who love God.

 
 

 

 
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‘ ’III'H.IIV“ \

7 ‘ .Riié‘ \ I'll}; x51

 
 
 

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