The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-10


Why, OF course, my baby dear!
Mary d. Brine, In Independent.
Grandnother's Gold Beads.
[By Leslie Thsrn.l
"Oh, DEAR" said little Bessy Garland, chow
I should like o string of gold beads, grand
motherl"
"What do little girls want of gold beads"
said Grandmother Garland, good-naturedly,
''little girls that have got rubes in their lips,
and sapphires shining in thier eyes, and any
amount of gold dust in their hair"
Bessy laughed, and shook her yellow curls
Eyes, grandmother, I know" said she.
"But Mary Hare has got a torquoise ring, and
Lulu Price wears real little red coral neck
lace, and Susie Lee is to have chain and
locket for Christmas, and haven't thing,
except just piece of lace frill around my
neck"
Grandmother Garland viewed the little
lassie very kindly through her spectacles.
"And I'm sure you look very nice, Bessie"
said she.
Grandmother" said Bessy, you've got a
string of gold beads, haven't your"
"Oh, yes" said the old lady; 1--WE got a
string of gold beads that I've had ever since
1 was a girl"
II wish had 'em," said Bessie
"Well," said old Mrs Garland, laughing
But this did not suit Bessie at all. She
loved her grandmother very much, and did
not want her to die; but she did want the
gold beads terribly, and, what was more,
she wanted them to wear to Ellie Pride's
birthday party, the very next week. She
was thinking how she could contrive to give
her grandmother a hint to this effect when
the old lady said suddenly:
"Dear me- 1 haven't bit of this red stock
.. l1rt oh, ha-o he. To-
to my trunk run upstairs and bring me
roll of the red yarn you will find down in the
left-hand corner-theres good girl"
EYES, grandmother" said Bessy, jumping
briskly up. For she knew that Grandmother
Garland kept her gold beads in a little glass
lidded box, in the top tray of THAT very trunk,
| and she thought it would be nice opportu-
nifty to take look at the shining treasure.
| There were all sorts of nice things in
| Grandmother Garland's trunk. Rolls of
brocade, and silk, and satin, which she had
promised to give Bessy, 10 make into patch
| work, when she had learned to sew little
more neatly-curious old wooden boxes,
which Grandfather Garland had brought
home from China, before that last sad voy-
| age, when he was buried at sea-funny en-
| broidered pin-cushions, books full of pictures
| and packets of old letters, tied with discolor-
ed ribbon. But Bessy, though she was Or
| dinarily very much interested in these things,
took no notice of them now-she saw only
the shining string of gold beads in its glass
| covered box.
Kneeling on the carpet, before the open
trunk, Bessy took them out, looked with
| greedy eyes at them, and even tied them
| around her neck, and looked in the opposite
glass, to try their effect.
ooh, must wear them to Elfe's party"
she cried, aloud-and looking guilty around
to make sure that she was observed by no
one, she dropped them into her pocket,
caught up the roll of red stocking yarn, lock-
ed the trunk again, and rushed downstairs
to her grandmother.
Dear me, child" said the old lady, who
had nearly fallen asleep in her chair, "what
kept you SO longf"
feel her cheeks burn as she spoke.
But when she dressed herself in her neat
| little blue-and-white checked silk and new
kid boots for the party, she put the gold beads
in her pocket, intending to tie them on when
she got there.
"I'll show the other girls that can have
pretty things as well as they" said she to her
self, with throb of triumph in her foolish
little heart.
For Bessy did not remember what the
Rible says about the "ornament Of a meek
and quiet spirit" being better than all the
jewelry and adornments in the world.
The dressing-room in Ellie Prides house
was quite full of little girls, when Bessy
Garland came in. She walked straight up
to the looking-glass, pulled off her things,
and felt in her pocket for the gold beads.
But to her dismay and surprise, they were
not there.
She looked all along the stairs, she turned
the pocket inside out, she searched in every
possible fold of her dress where they could
by any chance, have got caught, but all in
vainl They were certainly lost-Grand-
mother Garland's precious gold beads
And I leave you to guess how much Bessy
enjoyed Ellie Pride's party She went home
that night and cried herself to sleepl
The next morning she had hardly made
up her mind what to do. Of course the best
way was to go to Grandmother Garland, and
confess the whole truth. But that required
good deal of courage, and Bessy was only
timid little 1O-year-old girl.
, Just ten years old-for, as it happened, to-
day was her birthday
She went into the breakfast-room looking
very pale ane red-eyed.
"Hallol" said her brother George. al
guess being up late at parties don't agree
with our Bessyp
any dear" said her mother, "dont you
feel well?"
And Grandmother Garland looked kindly
at the child.
aBsssy," said she "come herel'
("Oh, dear" thought the little girl, "is il
possible that she has missed the gold beads
already. and is she going to scold me now?",
"You are ten years old to-day" said
Grandmother Garland, patting the little
yellow head.
"Yes, grandmother" said Bessy ready t.
cry.
"And I'm going to make you nice pres
ent," said the old lady. "My gold bead,
which you have wished for SO iongl'
She paused moment but Bessy nevel
lifted up her head nor answered.
"Here are are my keys, dear, said Grand
| u,ofhar GARLAND uCo IN af.;rc ond Lob l.