The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-01
"Alas, that I can do no useful thing as


Bettine would have coveted for herself
II there had been chance, for the girl
was chaste and delicately -minded-the
people who had so incOnslderately died
tand left her unguarded upon the world
had been people OF pride equal to their
poverty, and the strait-laced cOunsels
of her three respectable maiden friends
had preserved to her traditions Of repu-
1 alton, all OF which were shocked by
this well-intentloned proposal Of the
lame ex-dancer. But Bettine was help
less; she would soon be shelterless, and
a million little devils gnawed raveIi-
ously at her faint, starved stomach, and
she went where you, my good friend, 20
| for lesser reasOn--to the theater.
| Although Bettine was not in the least
lovely in feature, she was, in appear
ance and manner, modest and graceful,
and albeit that as managers, especially
Satans, are painted exceedingly black,
our little fower-branchsrs had the for
tune to finu favor in the eyes Of this par
ticular person of damaging repute to
wnom she was presented, and in due
course-being engaged-she worked out,
with nimble toes and flexible limb, the
problem of existence at which her small
helpless hands had miserably failed
over whicn her impractical and beauty
dreaming brain had struggled in hope
less confusion. r.l
! Aud tor time the worll went wei |
with her. Having carried pure heart
| into the profession, BetLine found the
stage as sale as she would have found a
throne. There was tyranny and imper-
tiuence to bear here as in every suDOr-
dinate position. Her skirts were some
times too short and sometimes too long
her stockings sometimes too pink and
sometimes too pale, and the same OBJ
lection was frequently extended to her
cheeks when the ballet-master was in
bad humor; but the stage held for this
single-mlnded girl no alarming neces-
sity TOR corruption, the salary paid her
was sufficient unto all her wants, there
was something of grace and ideallty at
Itached to the gauze aud tinsel and color
harmonies OF her nightly cape. Jugs, the
lsprlug-Lime was advancing, velvet
footed, to meet the glowing summer,
i where awaited the first vacation of her
life. and Bettine was as content and
Ijoyous as 1t was in her natural soul to
ue until the three elderly, proper, and
precise maidens who hau been the tas I
friends Oh her artificial days came home.
When the now uanseuse, aLtired in the
demurest Of gray cos stumes, tied the
strings Of her more demure gray bonnet
under her chin in making ready to pay
the ancient ladies' "a call OF respect and
congratulation after their safe return,
There was degree of anxiety in regard
TO ner reception in, the young things
mind that caused her to stuuy her mir.
ror longer than was her custom, in order
Ito make certain that no otensive change
mad inspired in her countenance or ap.
pearance, even should there chance tt
be anything else pertaining to her to lind
lault with.
However, nothing could have exceed.
ed The kindness OF the greeting which
the klnd-Aearted ladies extended to her,
and the girl quite took heart of grace
and was grown nearly com ortable
when MISS Matilda, Lne elder, asked:
"But you are very fine, chili-hoW is
it that you are SO prosperingT
"Please, miss, l am dancing at the
thealerw answered BeJtine, family.
..Ul" at once shrleked Miss Eliz 1, ano
cop echoed Miss Nancy, and a,Ier re
garuing Bettine Dlankly a few seconds
about as they would have regarded I
young alligator nad it suddenly ap
peared before Them on the carpet, and
alter one or two abOrtIve attempts a
further expression, the maiden ladiel
, headed by Miss Matilda, withdrew
themselves to a dark, closet under the
stars where there was sAnctIfying
odor OF preserved fruit, and sat dow
there In solemn consideration OF the
astounding, the shocking, aud highly
improper doings OF the unfortunate
young person who at that very momen
sat upon one OF their primmest cnairs il
their most precise parlor, weeping bit
terest tears OF wounded pride and re
gard.
Il Whatever the maiden ladies may have
said to each other, in their excess o
Ieeling, it is quite certain that there wal
no inconsiderable conflict between thei
| piousiy prejudiced notions Of right ant
wrong and their kind:heartedness, TO-
presently Miss Matilda returned to th,
I apartment alone, because in their ex
cess of virtue il seemed to them no
t proper that the younger OF these unmar
, ried ladies should Sit unnecessarily il
the same apartment with person o
such doubtful calling and associations
, and with much crying and many re
, proaches, this testy old lady informed
poor Bettine that while they could no
, willingly believe i'll OF her, they coul,
not 70 ON receiving her al their house
alter what she had done, especially al
they were now expecting a younJ
nephew to live with them whom, at al
COSt, tuey lnuoe 6uoiN "S"NAoe soupGd
tions.
!, At the same time the distracted Mics
Matilda pressed a rich, choice plum-cak'
: into the weeping girps hands, as IA com
promise with her sympathies, and Bet
: tine went away for the tirst time sine
, the failure of the artificial business int,
the park, where she ted the plum. .cak,
TO the white owls in crossing the Mall
away to the museum, and up its ston,
stairway, where she sat herself dowi
: quite close to the great glass cases o
corals and glittering shells, wishing
more than ever that her time to die ha'
come, and that she might find wander
, ing grave among the argonauts, and tn
nautiIli, and the pearl-bearing mussel
far down in the shining sea, lor it ap
peared to her bruised spirit that she ha.
done with all prideiul living and respect
, ability forever. While thus she sat Their
with the stuffed lion glaring at her witt
, its yellow glass eyes, and all the ser
/ pents seeming to writhe within thei
glass jars for sympathy, a low, kin,
, voice said to her:
"You seem in some great distress
young lady. Can be Of any assIstanc,
TO youW
1t was an old gentleman that spoke
4