Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-02-28
WHOLE NO. 1873,
FOR THE CHILDREN
A Hard Lesson---For the
Older Girls.
BY ELEANOR KIRK,

49,
sMA AIRY Herbert was tired and dis
A3 appointed, and when this was
IE4W the case she was very apt to be
tS04 cross; and when cross, was
exceedingly disagreeable and hard to be
managed. Sometimes Mary was cross
without the least shadow of an excuse for
it, but on this occasion she was a good
deal fatigued, and correspondingly ILL.,
tempered. Mrs. Herbert saw the frown
on her daughters face, and the ugly
look round her pretty mouth, the mo-
ment she entered the house, and pro-
ceeded at once to dispel the shadows that
encircled her. Her tender efforts were
all thrown away. Neither word nor
action had the slightest effect. Mary
would sulk and pout, and persist in de-
claring that she was the most abused
| girl that ever was born.
Have you failed in your lesson, my
| dear? p Mrs. Herbert enquired kindly
Let US do Mary justice, and state that
| she was most industrious scholar, and
always ambitious to keep at the head of
| her class.
Yes she answered with snap. Il
| lost a mark in Algebra, and two more
in history; and who do you think got
| ahead of me in both these, and took the
composition prize away from me, too p
Mrs. Herbert hadn't the slightest idea.
THAT mean little Plessy Sinclair re-
piled Mary. THAT mean, red-eyed
! creature, hate her.
Mrs. Herbert grew very sad as she
listened to these miserable words. Her
mothers heart ached to think that
she could not enable this child she loved
so well to understand the mischievous
effect of such bitter thoughts and ex-
pressions. How would it be possible,
she asked herself, with eyes full of tears.
to arouse this child to a realizing sense
of the misery she was accumulatfng for
herself, and her friends, in the future.
is Plessy any better than she was
when / last saw her?' Mrs. Herbert en-
quired, in tone SO low and full of feel
ing that, at any other time, Mary would
| have Immediately enquired into the
cause; but now she took no notice.
Il don't know whether she is any bet
ter or not,' she answered sharply. She
| is always grunting, and her mother is
| forever coddling her. / hate Mrs. Sim
clair, too.'
Mary interrupted Mrs. Herbert,
warnlngly.
'She is disagreeable, fault-fnding
thing, and this afternoon when she was
giving me my music lesson, she did
nothing but preach, preach, preach. !
don't see why she don't set up for a
minister at once. Pm quite sure that's
her business
what did she preach about?'
'Oh, little of everything. / told
her, to begin with, that l didn't care to
know anything about harmony or thor
ough bass. All l wanted to know was
| to understand time and execution so as
to make brilliant performer
fWell?'
Mrs. Herbert was evidently deter
mined to touch the bottom of this con-
versation if possible.
'Then she Informed me that my father
and mother were not only amply able to
have me instructed thoroughly in every
! thing, but had desired her to take par
| ticular pains with the rudiments, and
| that she should obey orders or give up
| teaching me. Wasn't that fine in wo-
! man who hasn't dollar but what she
earns giving music lessons?'
what reply did you make?'
''Oh,' l said, indiferently II should
like to have boxed her ears, though)
'just as you please, Mrs. Sinclair. l
suppose there are other teachers to be
| found.''
'What answer did she make to this,
Mary?'
'Oh, you know she never answers
back; / wish she would just once. She
said that had good touch, and an ex-
eelient idea of time, and when at my
best, spirit that would not be satisfied
| with shams; that two-thirds of the pro-
fessional musicians had no idea of the
science of music; and that by -and-by
when wanted to compose, l should not
have single principle to help me; and
| a mess more of stuff that l can't re-
| member. Plessy, you know, has writ
ten little march for the gymnastic
class, and they are both as proud of it
as two preachers. / suppose Plessy's
mother did half of it. So l told Mrs.
Sinclair that when l wanted to compose
a march or sonata, I'd send round and
get Plessy to help me-
'Well?'
THAT was about all; she turned away
her head and commenced to sniffie, and
muttered something about Plessy's time
on earth being short-E don't remember
what it was. l don't see that anything
ails Plessy Sinclair; and the rest of the
girls don't. The only difference be-
tween her and the rest of us is, that she
takes notice of every pain and ache she
has, and we DON'T
Mrs. Herbert was wounded to the very
depths of her heart. That her daughter,
only child, whom she had taken such
infinite pains with, should find it pos
sible to thus insult her teacher, was very
hard to bear. Mrs. Herbert's sympa-
thies were quick and practical. She had
become greatly interested in the Sim
clair's. and it was partly due to her
strenuous efforts in their behalf that the
mother had been able to support her
family of four children by giving les
sons in music. What should she do
now? She understood Mrs. Sinclair's
keen sensibilities and loving soul well
enough to feel that Mary had deeply
grieved her, and she knew, too. that
Mary would hardly have entered into
the full particulars of this most dis
tressing interview, had she not suspect
ed that the truth would ultimately have
been brought to light.
you can go to your room now, Mary
and remain until tea-time,' said Mrs.
Herbert.
Il promised Sue Bingham I'd come
down to her house and help her make
some bows for her party-dress,' said
Mary, ill-tempered, now giving way to
disappointment.
Remain in your room until tea-time,'
repeated Mrs. Herbert sadly, 'and try
and think over what you have done to-
day, what pain you have inflicted; and
see IL you cannot devise some means to
atone for your cruel conduct
An hour afterwards one of Mrs. Sim
clair's little boys came in hurriedly, and
wanted to know if Mrs. Herbert would
please come over to his mothers house
little while. Plessy was very sick,
and his mother was frightened.
Mrs. Herbert determined that Mary
should accompany her; and ten minutes
afterward mother and daughter present.
ed themselves at the residence of the
Sinclalrs-Mary entirely unaware of the
reason for this sudden visit.
Il would rather not go, mother, was
the only protest made by Mary, who
had come down from her room 4 good
deal subdued, and looking very much in
earnest. Poor Mrs. Sinclair was over
whelmed with grief. Plessy, who had
been subjected to spasms caused by some
spinal trouble, was now in the most ter
rible convulsions, The doctor had been
aud gone. evidently considering the case
beyond his skill To reach. The girl was
entirely unconscious, and as she clench-
ed her little hands In the agony that was
fast separating the spirit from the casSet
that contained 1t, her mind went over
the events of the past few hours with
singular clearness.
Snh mamma, Sho ar,n.l wish I