The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-09-02
PERSEVERING AGNES.
BY GEORGE KRINGLE.

BY GEof6E hitlNrbE'
Il AM going to learn, too
you? oh, bear it. Agnes going to
learn, too" and Ursula's laugh was merry
and long.
Why do you Iaugh?" asked Agnes, her
face flushing.
Because you are such goose
at is not being a goose to try when
mamma says may"
"You are goose, for you might know
y0u could not do it. Agnes learning to
play by noter' and Ursula sank down
among the cushions. almost Tpsctting
mammals astral On the table, and laughed
until Agnes, quite cast down from her
flight of high spirits, ran off 10 find mani
ma and to know if she really, being no.
body but Agnes," could learn to play on
the piano by notes.
Il shall learn this one to-day and that
one tomorrow, and these the next day and
the next" said Ursula some time after
ward, counting over the exercises in her
book. 81 shall have finished them all by
New Years Day and be ready for 2 real,
regular piece"
What, a piece like Lucille plays"
asked Agnes.
"Yes, something like hers"
"By New Years? How many days is
thatY'
"Oh lots of days; l do not know how
many"
"Why, I've only four exercises learned,
Ursula, and you are talking Of learning
piece"
"Well, / told you 50, Goose; knew you
could not learn"
Cannot learn" thought Agnes, turning
away; "cannot learn? If Ursula can
learn them by New Year so can |, if do,
as mamma says, persevere and she ran
out to take a peep at Towser-" poor,
chained Towscr"-and to try to forget
that Ursula had said that she could not
learn.
But Ursula began on the exercise of the
day. "How easy it is,' she said to her
self, stopping, after the first few notes, to
see if the exercise did not look like Lu-
cill1s scales; " can learn it in a minute
two or three more notes and stop.
"To-mOrrow' exercise looks like Il
tune" and Ursula hummed pretty little
air, thinking how fine it would be could
she play such an air by note.
The first note over again; two or three
stumbling sounds, and Ursula had to stop
to remember what she must do when there
were more notes than she had fingers, and
to regret that exercise makers ever ar
ranged for a passing of thumbs and cross
ing of fingers.
IF this is what it is, there is no east
| ness about it, and | shall not learn it in a
minute" and she twisted around on the
| twisting piano-stool and wished the prac-
| tice hour was over. But knowing that,
somehow, she must get to the end she
commenced at the first note to stumble
and blunder to the last, and recommended
once more, only to stop, when she reached
the sixth note, all in confusion.
Il don't like it," she cried; )" it is ugly
and hard; III never learn it, I'm sure" and
she glanced at the hour. If could skip
this l could get on with the rest, but this
is humbug and nothing else;" and she
turned over the leaves and wondered how
long it would take to play like Lucille.
So the hour passed by and Ursula fol
that day was done and Agnes screwed the
stooba little higher and began her prac
tice, wondering, in spite of herself as SHIT
looked at the puzzling dots and lines, i
it could be possible that Ursula was righ
and that she could not learn.
"lt is hard" she thought as she triet
and failed and tried again; "hard, bu
nice too, and mamma says that almost ev
erything is hard at first"
Steadily one note followed another; tn
line when finished was rebegun with til
right hand, then with the left, then bot
together.
Agnes was tired.
mamma says we must not mind bein
tired if we want TO learn" she thought, a
she rested her fingers and then went o.
again steady as the tick Of the parlo
clock note at time, line after line, til
the little fingers ached and the head wa
, weary, and the exercise at the end Of til
time was done.
Ursula was sleeping one day, and jus
J awoke in time to hear, pretty clear notes
t and, knowing Lucille was away, started u
: to see Agnes, a little finger-sore ana goo
deal tired, finishing her hour.
"What are you trying that for?" aske