Katharine's Yesterday Read Online Free PDF Page B

made up his mind to become a good player, and be equal with her. So he put his will to it, and straightway won a game from her. They played on till called to tea, and then came in with bright eyes and glowing cheeks, laughing and talking together as their mother had not seen them do since they were little children. Katharine felt proud of John, and told with glee some comical remark of his to her father and mother at the supper table. Her father looked at her in a pleased way, and the mother dropped her anxious, worried expression. Altogether it was a very happy evening. John stayed at home, and Katharine spent some time in explaining to him the intricacies of a game with four players; and they decided that after he had a little more practice they would try to get some of the other young people in town to purchase rackets and learn the game, so that they might have a full set. Really, John was growing almost as enthusiastic over it as Katharine. It was quiet a new order of things for him to take such interest in home amusements, and it made his mother’s troubled heart glad.
    It became the rule now to play tennis every afternoon; and soon two other young people came to learn. The autumn was stretched out much beyond its usual length; and many days that were, strictly speaking, early winter, were warm enough to be delightful for tennis. There was no mistaking the fact that tennis had taken a firm hold on John Bowman, and was rapidly growing popular with several other young people in the village. Katharine, who had always been so reserved, and had kept much to herself when her summer friends were not with her, was becoming the center of attraction. She was rather astonished when she realized it herself, and remembered Andy’s words, “I think that there game would make good bait.” It was very evident that the bait was good, but she began to question whether she were using it in the right way. She had gone for several weeks to the young people’s prayer meeting, and was becoming quite interested in it. She had even timidly ventured to recite a Bible verse once or twice; but she had never invited John since that first night in which he had repulsed her. Now she began to think about the matter again. He had not been to church since that Sunday when the sermon had so impressed her. She was much troubled about him. She was beginning to love him in a different, more interested way than she had ever loved him before. Indeed, she had been praying for him not a little lately, but in that mind timid, half-unbelieving way in which we sometimes pray for our friends, feeling that God has told us to do it. We wish them to be different, but we cannot see how it is possible that they can be changed. The wished-for alteration may come in the distant future, but in some mysterious, gradual way. Therefore, we feel no need for undue haste or earnestness.
    Katharine had been thinking it over one morning, and had resolved that she would make another attempt to get John to the young people’s meeting. She had just decided how she would introduce the subject, and was smiling over the way in which she thought her brother would reply, when she heard a ring at the doorbell, and went to answer it.
    It was a young lady, a little older that Katharine, a member of the young people’s society. She had come to see if Katharine would lead the next Sunday evening’s meeting. She asked it in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone, as is she supposed, of course, it would be the most natural thing in the world for Katharine to say “Yes.” But Katharine’s heart came up and stood in her mouth in amazement and horror. She lead a meeting? No, indeed! She could not possibly do it! She was sorry they had thought of such a thing. She never could lead a meeting; she would break down.
    Then the young woman looked at her kindly, and said, “Dear Miss Bowman, do you think it is right for a child of the heavenly Father to feel that way?”
    “Right?” said Katharine in