Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-29
GROSS PATCH"

This was the nickname Hclen's mates
all gave her, and I'm sorry to say it was
appropriate. Helen was an interesting
girl in many ways; but cross from morn
ing till nj ght, and though not in her
teens, crows feet already disisured her
brow. A voice originally sweet was fast
bect ming shrill and discordant, and the
rosy lips, from habit of poutlng, pro-
truded far too much for beauty.
She wondered why other girls were
greater favorites than herself; why her
mothers most intimate friends soon be-
came weary ofand Indifferent toward her.
Some of these ugly facts stared her in
the face every day. Still she never stopped
to reflect on the cause OF such disagree
able effects, but fretteu, tumed and scold-
ed because everybody was having nicer
times than herself.
She had darling, blue-eyed sister,
golden haired, sunny-faced, with nature
so genial, and a disposition so lovable,
her friends, young and old, called her
Sunbeam. il regular duty of these two
sisters was to wash up the breakfast and
tea-things each day, to relieve their moth
er, who was burdened with many cares,
but deprived herself of their assistance
at other times so that they might attend
school One March morning, heavy
sleet covered the ground. After freak
fast, as Eva was feeding the poultry,
Helen looked cut of the window and no.
ticed her sisters happy countenance as
she stood with her flock Of white Leg
horns and Chillagongs around her, the
tamest eating crumbs from her hands.
Although pretty sight, it reused
Helen's envy, and her cross spirit vented
itself in scolding: "You lazy girl! Out
there playing with those chickens! Come
right in to your work' Eva made no re-
ply; only continued to smile and scrape
the dish she held in her hand. This was
too much for Gross Patch" so she crept
up behind Eva, and, jerking her by the
arm, exclaimed, "You naughty girl
| Why don't you come in when call you9
The plate was shivered to atoms-a small
matter, however, compared with the &C
cident that betel! poor Eva; for she
slipped on the ice in such manner as to
dislocate her hip, and was carried into
the house shrieking with pain. A sur
geon was summoned, and all that love
and skill coulu devise was done for her
relief, but tor hours her suffering was in
tense. The deplorable accident finally
resulted in disease of hip, by which
poor Eva was rendered cripple for life.
| You may TEST assured that Helen was
cured of scolding;a terrible cure, certain
| ly, but sure one. No one ever heard a
cross word escape her lips again, but
often tears filled her eyes, aud her perfect
devotion to her injured sister was attested
by many delicate and loving attentions.
Helen hunted the woods and the
meadows for the earliest wild flowers;
gathered baskets of tiny rocks; shells,
lovely MOSES, ferns and lichens; read and
sang to Eva; caressed her tenderly as if
trying (ah! so valnly to make amends
for past unkindness. Helen could never
| be happy again. She were sad face
and her heart was sadder still, aching
| with bitter remorse and unavalling re-
grets. The neighbors and school chill
dren dubbed together, and purchased a
comfortable invalid's chair for their ut
tie favorite, Eva, and during the pleasant
SpIIDS udyS I1tICu lOOk Il LlOuTulu I'll pleas
ure in wheeling her sister around the
yard under the ilacs, the rose bushes,
the cherry and apple trees. Grateful
smiles were her sweet reward; for Eva's
was torgiving heart; and though daily
sufferer during the few years she lived,
the little invalid was ever patient and
accomplishing
Persons often remarked, "What pity
her bright young life should have been
thus overshadowed!' They could not see
that darker, invisible cloud which brood
ed over Helens spirits, Helen's home,
Helen's life: and all the sad result of
needless display of ill-tenper.
Dear children, never scold! Never i'll
treat brother OF sister. You knog not
the sorrow 1t may cause. "Be sunbeams,"
like Eva, it you would be loved, lovely
and happy. "Llttlc children, love one
another. "-Christian Observer.