Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1852-10-14
The Pain in the Chest.
BY ELLEN ASHTON.

"Efere is shirt bosom wish you to
stitch Emma" said Mrs. Harvey to her
daughter. ut is for your father, and as he
is in hurry for his shirts, | must get you TO
help me-"
"Oh! mother, said Emma, reluctantly ta-
king the piece of linen, "you know sewing
always gives me such a pain in the chest"
''But, my daughter, this is case of ne
cessity. Your father has to go South, next
week, on business, and these shirts must be
finished for him to take. really cannot do
them myself by that time"
Emma said no more. Ruefully sitting
down, she began to stitch the shirt-bosom;
and, for a while, worked with something
like real industry. But this did not continue
long. Soon she began to fdget; then to
glance at the windows; and finally she laid
down her task, under pretense of wanting
some water. 1t took her full quarter of
an hour to satisfy her thirst; at least it was
that period before she returned to her work.
Several times, during the afternoon she re-
peated this behavior. At tea she sat stoop-
ing over her plate, and when her father
asked her what was the matter, she COM
planned ofa pain in the chest.
"What have you been doing?" he said.
"Oh. thought would stitch one of your
new shirt -bosoms, replied Emma, haster-
ing to answer before her mother could speak.
"But it has made me quite sick"
Never mind the shirt-bosoms," replied
the fond father, with look of concern
81 am sure am as mitch obliged to you for
trying as if you had stitched me dozen.-
You always were delicate, my dear"
The mother gave a glance of silent re-
proof to Emma, and said, 81 ain afraid, un-
less Emma can assist me, shall have to
hire seamstress; for | cannot, without
help, finish the shirts by next week."
"Oh! then get seamstress by all means.
l declare Emma looks quite pale. Poor
thing, she can't stand what you can, my
love-"
Mrs. Harvey was about saying, in reply,
that Emma could stand as much, if she
would; but on second thought, concluded TO
be silent. Yet she sighed, as many moth
er has, to think how the inconsiderate fond
ness of the father was spelling the daughter.
Mrs. Harvey sent for seamstress that
evening, and accordingly, the next day, En-
ma had nothing to do. In the morning she
made calls, and then came home to read a
novel, over which she stopped until dinner
time. In the afternoon, having finished the
novel, she had recourse to her worsted work,
over which she stopped until ii was too dark
to see. All this time she made no COM
plant of the pain in the chest, though she
had stopped for period twice as long as on
the preceding day. Her mother, who
watched her with meaning look for some
time, at last said:
emma, how long have you been engaged
on that bit of work, my dear?"
"About six uonths, isn't it?" replied En-
ma, looking UP for second only, and resum-
ing the counting of her threads. 'One,
two, three; it was just after New Years
began it; one, two; wasn't it,"
"And what do you expect to do with it?''
"Make chair cover of it TO be sure
Why you know that, mamma"
"But we have no chairs to cover"
''Oh! it will come in use sometime, or il
it don't, l can give it way, you know"
"How much do you suppose your worst
eds have cost?"
Three dollars. l believe that was it.
But you know as well as do, ma, for you
We're with me when bought them"
II had forgotten" said Mrs. Harvey
And she mentally added, "ah! have more
important things 10 remember"
There was silence for a short period
when the mother quietly said,
"Dont it sometimes give you pain il
the breast, my dear, to stoop, hour ate,
hour, over this sort of work."
Emma looked up, crimson with shame
She was a sensible girl, and felt the home
thrust. Dropping her work, she said,
"Give me shirt-bosom, mamma, and II
stitch it, indeed will. | was wrong las
night, to say what did,"
"Oh! no." said Mrs. Harvey, with
slight irony in her tone, for she wished t,
make Emma thoroughly ashamed. "Yol
had better go on with your worsted-work
for there is no hurry for that. And besides
it is not for your father, nor even, it seems
for yourself, but for somebody, you don't ex
actly know who, or perhaps for nobody a
all. No, my dear, could not think Of ia
king you away from your useful employ
ment, and putting you to one so WORTHLESS
as assisting 10 stitch shirt-bosoms for you
father"
"Now, mamma" said Emma, with tn
tears in her eyes, ''don't, please don't.
have been very foolish. Oh! do let me hel
on pas shirt -bosoms.'
''No, my DEAR" replied her mother, gent
ly, but firmly, and dropping her tone of iro
ny. 81 have hired Susan for the week, an
ifyou should help us now, there will not b
enough for her. And I'm afraid, my child
that you would soon tire of this sort c
work."
"You don't mean SO, ma" humbly sal
Emma; snow do you?"
"Indeed do, my daughter. | have no
A ticed ever since you came home from board
ing-school, that you like no work which
: real work, though you will labor all day {
some triie more pretty than useful. Now
while | don't mean to say that maxim
|, worsted patterns is always waste of tim,
do say it is SO when things more imme
diately useful claim our attention. Nor,
Il r 4