Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-02-28
MisfeIIaneous.
Miss Berthas Valentine.

Everybody said that Miss Bertha was
very much alone In the world wondered
what on earth she would DO /, her eve,
and health should fail her. aud pitied her
In that easy going way which subtracts
nothing from the pocket but leaves resi-
due OF self-saiisiaction In the conscience.
while they paid rs little for her services a.
they could help. But Miss Bertha never
grumbled; she put as many stitches and a
much eyesight into the fine sewing a. II
she had been paid a ducat for every stitch.
" was her way never TO slight ANYTHING
But sewing was not the ouly occupation in
which she eNceled. II any poor .trpy
CLING mother with little children to,idlinp
about her fell III. Miss Bertha Quilted her
needle into her cushion aud stepped into
the breach; when watchers failed. Miss
Bertha came To the front: and when the
smallpox visited the little seaport Of
about from house 10 house, giving 'J1raug:;6;...
and doses. comforting the DYING. aud
making the last ghastly toilette for the
dead
What does Il matter to rnei' she said
when some one expostulated 81 the risk.
There's nobody In the wide world 20
mind whether | live or die. I'm the ligh,
OF nobody's eyes, and a. for Disagreement
'''N 80 N~' 'tfs ibA aA'f -V'A A'th''
such a. they were. twenty years ago.
Time Was when | should have been a.
scared as any Of you about being marked
and losing my complexion. but il doesn't
signify In the least now. II were ugly
a. nightmare, folks would give me their
sewing to do just the same, / suppose"
"Ob. but should hate TO be so dishgur-
ed that sam wouldn't like 10 look at me -
said Sue Blair. sll pink and white, and
eighteen. with the world before her.
II dare say; but there's no Sam to care
whether I'm fright or not" and Miss
Bertha drew in her breath with quick
gasp. as II the fact hurt her.
"Iou don't know. Miss Bertha" laugh
ed giddy Sue; your Sam may be on the
road TO you"
"A precious long road"
why. aunt Janet was as old as the hills
before she married Uncle Artemss. and
Parson Chapell's second wife was no
chicken. Everybody has chances. they
say"
Yes. suppose every body has chances :;
bnt some Of them are mighty small-hard-
Is worth calculating" she retained.
Miss Bertha, 10 be sure. never accepted
anything but thanks tor these services in
the sick room; indeed. few dreamed OF
offering any remuneration. One might
have supposed that the universe had pro-
, vided her for their benefit. along with
seed-time and harvest. the common air
and other common blessings for which no.
body was expected 10 render any return
other than 10 make use of them. Her
| neighbors staid at home, sitting with
burned birthstone and a camphOrated at
mosphere, and yet caught the infection,
while she walked abroad in the thick of il,
shirEipn parhipu apd ;Ea no
holy men from the fiery furnace uuscathed,
yet more or less reduced In finances. She
was 4 cheerful body, and doubtless
sent to carry warmth and healing into the
sick-room. But poor Miss Bertha had not
always been old aud useful and thoughtful
for others.
you must have been pretty once that
needless chatterer Sue Blair had said to
her one day.
What makes you think so?" asked
Bertha, lifting her faded eyes to the mir
ror. 1T is like tracing the existence of
the extinct megatherium from foot print
In the rock
But Sue spoke truly. Bertha had been
fair IN her day; the hair that was as white
as new fall snow had once been brown and
bonny the eyes, which to-dly were sunk
en- and pale, had looked out like lucent
beryls from under dark lashes; time and
toll and trouble had robbed the satin skin
OF its fine texture. aud scanned il with
many a line; little of youth remained To
her but heart alive 10 generous impulses.
and the color that still burned In her
cheeks in spite OF the frosts OF her forty
odd winters. Yes. Miss Bertha had had
her heyday. Miss johnson. the sqaire's
| daughter. who lived in the finest house in
Great HerriBgton, and wore silks that
could stand alone and sable cloaks reach
| ing to her heels, who ate of French china
every day. and had never known what IL
was to suffer from hunger. cold, or fatigue,
who had never had sorrow or a lover
even she might have envied poor Miss Ber-
| tina those halcyon days when Angus Aiken
| loved her, when they walked together in
| the moonlit gardens in their English home
and sat beside the fountains. and listened
to the silvery monotone, like some sad and
| gentle voice complaining. No doubt Miss
| johnson. would have bartered all her dry
goods and imported finery for an expert
ence as rich as this of her elderly seam
stress, about whom no romance seemed t0
linger. To be sure. everybody In Great
Harrington knew that after the visitation
of the smallpox Parson Chapel had in
v;ted Miss Bertha to share his temporal
blessings. which consisted of small sal
| aTy and four mischieyous boys with tori
jac6ets and dirty faces.
THE parson wanted q hOusekeeper.'
the neighb0rs agreed. ''Of course man
of his age don't fall in love like boy
with an old maid too! Seems as though
| she must have thought he'd ask again
with house oil carpeted from garret t6
cellar, and the gentry In his gates. 80 t.
speak! ! wonder what Miss Bertha ex