Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-10-09
MISC Ill A n Y.
IFrom Fraser's Magazine.l
THE GOOD DAME BERTHA.
a i, the sorrow. and deep is the wall.

Wild 10 the sorrow, and deep 10 the wall
We were examining some quaint o!d pictures in our
chamber in an old country inn when we rep
Sssenting the "good Queen Berha'-ridng forth on her
pNfey and knitting by the way The inscription beneath
notified this fact and reminded me Of namesake Of the
royal lady who had also reoced in the familiar appeaton
of "x,nd" My Dame Bertha was and ten years
old when we first were known each other; circamsan
ces Inducing friendship between u.s. which led her to
rate the singular experiences Of h1r life Dame Bertha
sided in River Mil Cottage with her halfbruther, Mr.. ST.
mon, the miller, who rather than ten years her
Junior, Imagine the low rooed gray gabed dwelling. the
perfection Of welloulered neatness, with its trinity kept
dOwcr.garGen slipping down TO the water slde-the spark
ding beautiful river. dear 10 every honest anglers heart
The whole perSonfed peace, plenty and cuntent
eut nor the personifcaon lsethe sister and bro
her with their eek affection and universal beneyoence,
adding to It's tranquil charms.
MIR. Simon, the miller, was small, well made tidy
bachelor with clean shaved round face, and bright
blue eyes very particular in his psrsuna appointments and
in all the minua u life, Mr.. Simon both relative to
business or pleasure. The rrmer namely, the mn and
its thriving trade he Inherited fyom his fathers while the
latter consisted sey uf pa 'sina for piscatoal pursuits
engJossng all spare time which SirRm cuuld give from
the concerns his mill lie read any buUks save the
Bible and zaac Walton; and there strong resem-
sance between that worthy pscator and his humble dsc
pe pety aud sngeness of hear and also in quaint
nerisus seeming belong former age and making the
comely middle aged miller appear far more ancient per-
soHsge than his years warranted And the guUd
Dame Ber,ha-she oo crude trth her pallrey, knit
ting by the way - for her hands never idle. She
ordered her humble household with perfect regularity aud
taught the poor children bu, To the countless
hOse size manufactured meanwhile We're impossible, Teach
ing. she kad talking she knitted riding. she knitted;
think she ciud have knitted sleeping well and the
memory uf the god Dame Bertha associated in my
mind with that feminine and useful occupatlon She was
TALL ladyke woman, FAR above her station both in tau-
ners and appearance, although she never asped 10 any
thing beyond it. She impressed with the idea Of une
whom early sorrow had caused find refuge in everlasting
knng as kind of sedalve for her pleasant, though Sc
rous eulnrnance preuaurey aged, and it WAS easy
TO discern that she had passed hrough life without
Thought nr withuut cafe. Dame Bertha and Mr. Siuon
were children ,f the same nulh,r by cirre fathers Mr.
simon as have already sad beag the deceas'd miler's
son By mere chance had learnt that Dame Berlha's pa
ternsl relatives Of class far remoyed irrn that
- 49, wv belonged there was, indeed, both "boot
sshen knew hnw devoted daughter and sister she haC
prov,d thought the epthe Of good" we'll bestowed
II has uen been afned that fiction stops shnr OF real
iy and Dame BerIhas "reminiscences fully cOrroboraIet
this truth: her words, nearly remember, thus
(she knitting all the while y
"My mother was an orphan, and very young when she
became nursery -gOverneSS in uobemans family. The
third returned from wild and thouuhess youth
but unfortunately handsome and inSinuang kr nv mo-
ther withstand the persnaSuns he used induce her
become his wife. They married. and my father wa;
an oucas from his family in consequence Almost the frs
thing can remember my fair young mother ia her wild
ows weeds working al her needle. and weeping sht
worked. We lived in village few miles from hence
and lodged at bakers my mother supporting herself anc
child by teaching any pupils she could get. Sorrow hat
dimmed her charms. bu, still she was beautiful exceeding
ly and when anxiety and overwork undermined her deli
cate constitution lingering illness ensuing want and mis-
cry stared in The aes One day, as entered the bak
ers shop midy asking for another loaf 1--WE had heavy
bill already) tall thin Did man. with silver hair and
pleasant sms Paed my bead caessingy nqui.ng at the
ssrs time, How my poor mamma wasp lie pu, crowa