OUR KATIE.
PUBLISHED BY THE
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY,
150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK.
OUR KATIE.
"She taught us how to live, and—Oh, too high
The price of knowledge—taught us how to die."
Katie was born in Ireland, but at an early age her parents emigrated tothis country[4] and settled in Brooklyn, not a great distance from the LeeAvenue Sabbath-school. She was one of a family of ten children, of whomseveral were older than herself, yet from her earliest childhood sheappeared to be a ruling spirit among them. Naturally quick and apt tolearn, she readily adapted herself to the manners and customs of the newpeople she was with, and it was her earnest desire that her familyshould do the same.
Katie was not beautiful, nor even pretty, but there was an earnest lookin her large dark eyes, and an expression of frankness in hercountenance. Her amiable disposition endeared her to every one, and theinfluence she possessed among both old and young was truly surprising.At an early age she began to take charge of the younger children; andhere her care was like that of a mother.[5] She was anxious they shouldlearn habits of order and cleanliness, and she used to offer some littlereward to the one who excelled for a certain length of time in thesevirtues.
It is related of Katie, as showing her obliging disposition, that whenat home, it was her custom on every Monday, the general wash-day, tocollect around her all the children of her acquaintance, and amuse andentertain them, to the intense delight of their grateful mothers; forthe little ones all loved Katie, and would oftentimes yield to her amore willing obedience than to those better entitled to receive it.
Katie's connection with the Sabbath-school began with its organization,her name being the tenth enrolled upon the register. And little did theSecretary think, as he glanced upon the little Irish girl standing sotimidly before him, that beneath[6] that rough exterior was hidden such anoble spirit as was afterwards manifested—nor that the humble name thenrecorded was yet to be known throughout the land, and that its sound wasto bring tears into eyes which never beheld the owner.
From the first, Katie manifested the most absorbing interest in theschool, which continued unabated till her death. The second Sabbath shebrought all her younger brothers and sisters; and during the entireperiod of her sojourn here, though the school increased from ten to tenhundred members, there was not one more regular and punctual inattendance than they. None were more entirely devoted to the interest ofthe school than Katie. It was to her more than meat or drink. No weatherwas so inclement as to detain her from any of its meetings. There was noclothing, however poor and[7] dilapidated, which could not, under Katie'sskilful fingers, be made to assume an appearance of neatness, at leastlong enough for her to attend Sabbath-school. Is no