Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-21
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MISS BERTnA's VALENTINE.

very much alone in The world. wondered
what on earth she would do if her eve'
and health should fail her. aud ptied hel
in that easy-going way which subtract,
nothing from the pocket, but leaves a resi-
due OF sef-satisfaction in the conscience,
while they paid as little for her services
as they could help. But Miss Bertha
never grumbled; she put as many stitches
and as much eye-sight into the fine sewing
as if she had been paid a ducat for every
stitch. Ii was her way never TO slight
anything. But sewing was not the only
occupation in which she excrlled. II any
poor struggling mother with little children
toddling about her fell ill, Miss Bertha
quilted her needle into her cushion and
stepped into the breach; when watchers
failed, Miss Bertha came to the front and
when the smallpox visited the little sea-
port of Great Harrington, IL was she who
went about from house to house, giving
draugbls and doses, comforting the dy ing.
and making the last CHASTITY toilette tur
the dead.
'What does it MISTER to me ?" she said
when some one expostulated at he risk.
There's nobody in the wide world to
mind whether live or die. I'm the light
of nobody's eyes. and as for Disagreement
law | left off caring for my good looks.
such as they were, twenty years ago.
Time was when ! should have been as
scared as any of you about being marked
and losing my complexion, but it doesn't
signify in the least now. If | were ugly
as a nightmare, folks W uld give me their
sewing to do Just the same, | suppose.
"Oh. but should hate to be SO distig
ured that Sam wouldn't like to look at
me p said Sue Blair, all pink and white
and eighteen, with The world before her
II dare say; but there's no Sam to care
whether Pm u fright or mott and Miss
Bertha drew 10 her breath with quick
gasp, as if the fact hurt her.
you don't know, Miss Bertha" laughed
giddy Sue; "your Sam may be on the road
toyou."
why, Aunt Janet was as old as the
hills before she married Uncle ARENAS,
and Parson Charpell's second wife was no
chicken. Every body has chances, they
say"
"Yes. lsuppose everybody has chances
but some of them are mighty small-hard-
ly worth calculating" she returned.
Miss Bertha. to be sure, never accepted
the sick room; indeed, few dreamed of
offering any remuneration. One might
have supposed that the universe had pro-
vided her Tor their benefit, along with
seed-time and harvest. the common air,
and other common blessings TOR which no.
body was expected to render other than
to make use OF them.
Her neighbors stayed at home, sitting
with burned birthstone and camphorated
atmosphere, and yet caught tn infection,
while she walked abroad in the thick of
1t, Sinking nothing, and came out, like
those holy men from the fiery furnace,
unscatbed, yet more or less reduced in
finances. She was a cheerful body, and
doubtless sent to carry warmth aud heal
ing into the sick room. But poor Miss
Bertha had not always been old and use
full 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 SOP" asked
Bertha, lifting her faded eyes to the mir
ror. at is like tracing the existence of
the extinct megatherum from footprint
In the rock"
But Sue spoke truly. Bertha had been
fair in her day; the hair that was rs white
as new-fallen snow had once been brown
and bonny the eyes, which to-day were
sunken and pale, had looked out like lu-
cent beryls from, under dark lashes time
and toll and trouble had robbed the satin
skin OF its foe texture, and scanned ii with
many line; little OF youth remained TO
her but a heart alive to generous impulses
and the color that still burned in her
cheeks in spite OF the trosts of her forty
odd inters. Yes, Miss Bertha had had
her heyday. Miss johnson. the squire's
daughter, who lived in the finest house
In Great Harrington. and wore silks that
could stand alone and sable cloaks reach
Ing to her heels, who ale off French china
every day, and had never known what il
was to suffer from hunger, cold, or fatigue
who had never had Il sorrow or lover
even she might have eDvied poor Miss
Bertha those halcyon days when Angus
Aiken loved her, when they walked to-
gether In the moonlit gardens in their
English home, and sat beside the ioun-
tains and listened to the silvery monotone
like some sad and gentle voice complain
ing. No doubt Miss johnson would have
bartered all her dry goods and imported
NH~'J III al cApciltuCc Us litn ds tuis vi
her elderly seamstress, about whom no
romance seemed to linger To be sure,
everybody in Great Harrington knew that
alter The visitation of the smallpox Par
son Chapel had invited Miss Bertha to
share his temporal blessings, which con-
sisted o. small salary and four mischiev-
Gus boys with torn jackets aud dirty laces.
The parson wanted housekeeper,"
the neighbors agreed "Ot course a man
OF his aye don't tall in love like a boy
with an old maid too Seems as though
she must have thought he'd ask again
with house all carpeted from garret TO
cellar, and the gentry in his gates. 80 to
speak wonder what Miss Bertha .x-
pects-at her time Of lite too-when OIL
iers OF marriage aren't as plenty as
wrinkles
But Miss Bertha expected nothing.
There was that in her history which she
would not exchange tor the kingdoms OF
the earth and the glory thereof the dust
OF twenty years had in no wise tarni,hed
the brightness Of it. She had her ami
versaries which no one reckoned but her
sell; delicious anniversaries OF half
guessed happiness; DAYS iull of sunshine
and the music OF the spheres; dark and
cruel days when the clouds that threaten
ed showed no silver Innings. Ga such a