The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-07-22

teacher, mother, but have been taught,
and l think | can soon acquire the art. AS
for my qualifications, it would be areproach
to me, after so much had been expended
on my musical education, if l were not
competent. have the vanity to believe
that am, and that, you know, mother
dear, is one-half the BATTLE"
Having fresh in her memory her late life
of affi uency.and luxurious ease, remember
ing also how her daughter had been
brought up, with every want supplied, with
not a wish ungratifled, it was not strange,
nay, it was very natural, that Mrs. Fortes-
cue should at first view the proposal of
Alice with some degree of repugnance.-
But her own good sense, backed up by the
heroic arguments of her daughter-and in
her case they ioere heroio-at last overcame
this feeling, and reluctantly brought her to
entertain and finally sanction the project
This point settled, the next was to OBJ
tain pupils. To this task Alice immediate
ly applied herself Unfortunately, her
sanguine hopes were doomed to an early
disappointment She found the field al
ready fully occupied. Teachers of long
standing had monopolized all the scholars.
One or two only could be secured, not suf-
ficient to make the business an object.
Disappointed but not disheartened at
her failure, Alice had another proposition
to offer.
You once complimented me, mother"
she urged, "on my expertness with the
needle. Now have ascertained that there
is quite demand for this kind of work.
that it is remunerative, and why should we
hesitate to perform it P'
"ro think we should be reduced to such
q straitp sighed Mrs. Fortescue, with
very pardonable show of distaste. i
at is hard" said Alice, "but is it not
something worse than folly to indulge in
such reflections AS we are compelled to a
humble diet" she added, with a light
laugh, I" the sooner we commence eating it
the sooner we shall become used to it. 1
dare say, after while, we shall come to
relish livery well r'
Alice spoke thus lightly, not that she did
not fully sympathize in her mothers feel
ings-not that she did not feel keenly the
position in which they were placed-but
she did it in part to give, if possible
cheerful tone TO her mothers spirits, and
partly to cloak the emotions warning in her
own breast Mrs. Fortescue at once ivin
ed her motive, and folding her in warm
embrace, she said, with much feeling:nii5
"The sacrifice, my dear daughter, will
be thousand fold more hard to be endur-
ed on your part than on mine; therefore do
as you will, and may Heaven reward you
for your filial devotion ~ G uI...f
1t was not long before mother and daugh-
ter found plenty of employment, and the
hungry wolf prowling at the door took his
departure. If the elite of the place were
not disposed to associate with Mrs. and
Miss Fortescue, they were very ready to
bestow upon them their patronage. With
this the latter were well content. They
were not ambitious to mingle with those
who assumed to rank higher in the social
scale, and they were too well versed in
ways of the world to resent their exclu-
sion. ,
1t was blessed thing for Alice that she
was one who possessed hopeful, cheerful
disposition, and who preferred rather to
bask ON the sunny than grope ON the shady
side of life. Many placed in her situation
would have made themselves miserable by
contrasting their present with their former
condition. But she wisely entombed the
past, and successfully resisted any inclina-
ton to exhume it, She would not permit
herself to indulge in repinings knowing
well how useless they were, and what evils
they wrought, both, mental and physical.
She instituted strict guard over her feel
ings, and whenever she experienced ten
dency to dependency, she combatted it
with a firm determination to overcome it;
and such was her strength of resolve, that
she at last achieved that most difficult of
all conquests, victory over self.
Hence it was that you seldom found
shadow upon her brow. Hence it was that
her features always wore pleasant, sunny
expression, the reflex of contented mind.
We are aware we are portraying very
perfect character, but do not think it has
not its prototype in life. .l. s.
II was not customary with Alice to make
engagements away from home. If her SER
vices were required the work was brought
to the house. This was the general under
standing. Still, in few instances, and on
special occasions, she had been induced to