The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-12-10

hVh A IhlLD CONQUEkED FEAR.
Ok the rug before the open fire sat
Pussie. her head against her aunt
knee. her Skye in her arms-a picture
of content. After a silence Of at leasttwo
minutes she drew 4 long breath-so
long that Aunt Kitty laughed, and
asked her what the matter was.
With a good deal Of hesitation the
little girl answered. in a very sad voice.
Because il IS almost time 10 20 to bed
"Pussie, why don't you like 10 60 to
bed?''
"Bccause-because don't want
TO saw"
Then viii tell you why. Shall /.
dcar?"
"Oh. auntie. You don't know. You
can not even guess why"
Aunt Kitty stopped over and wills
pered something. which had the effect
Of bringing Pu,sie on her feet. as she
exclaimed. why, how didyou know"
II once wasalittle girl myself. DEAR
"Oh YES. | know; but then you never
felt as feel about the dark
Don't be too sure OF ANYTHING. little
one. What should YOU say If | told YOU
that | found out your fear OF the dark
just because l used 70 feel as you feel
now9r
Still i~ncredulous, Pussie shook her
head. saying. But when did il go
away? You are not afraid Of anything
now
Come here. and | will tell you.-
and taking the child on her knee Aunt
k.fkAna s~HI - @Le- HAL. -
her own life.
~ hen | was a child | was as timid
as a hare. / was very shy; l did not
like strangers. and | did not care for
companions Of nv own age. | was
perfectly happy with my mother and
father and my beloved dolls. Now you
see you have the advantage OF me for
YOU are not shy. you are fond Of little
girls and BOYS. and then. too. you have
our dogs and your pony. Now | was
so afraid Of a dog that the sight Of one.
a. far OF as l could see him. filed me
with snch terror that l i~nstinctiyely
drew up my small legs, and then took
10 my heels. was % afraid Of a worm
that have gone = whole block ont Of
the way 70 avoid passing one. am
afraid. Pussie, that | was a born cow
ard, but nothing was so absolutely awful
to me A. the dark a familiar room
was bad enough when unlighted. but
one that vas unoccupied was 10 me the
most truly horrible place that could
be conceived Of. The windows. with
their distinctly defined sashes. were one
OF the most frightful features for me.
and l remember lying awake AZ night
and seeing the Tour or eight white
squares in the darkness. and trembling
with fear-of what I did not know
And Miss Katherine heard a little muir
muir.
"Oh. auntie. il always frightcns me
50! l am glad ii frightened You. too
And with a closer cuddle she said.
please 90 on"
"Once my father spoke TO me about
il. reasoning with me most lovingly and
tenderly, never uttering one word Of
ridicule or Of reproach. telling me that
no n else could help me in overcom-
ing the dread Of darkness. but that |
might conquer il myself. / used TO
wonder If ! should ever feel as he did
about ii. and be as brave as he was in
every way.
some little time passed away. and
when | was about seven or eight years
old an idea flashed through my brain,
and | viii tell you what ! did.
1T was just about this hour. between
six and seven o'clock. and at this sea-
son Of the year. when l made up my
mind 10 explore the whole house in the
dark. Sir John Franklin and DR.. Kane
(you remember was telling you about
them onH last night?) could not have
had a firmer conviction III the dangers
they were Drawing than ! had at that
moment. 1.-The Dark was quite as un-
known n region to me as the north pole
10 them. and set thick with terrible
risks and perils; but having made up
my mind to do 1t, the possibility Of re-
treat did not occur TO me, for | rcmem-
Der | felt as IL il were a sort Of duty, n
promise to my father; 50 I walked M
Of the room where NIL the family were
sitting by the iire-light. and began to
70 up the first flight Of stairs in the
back part Of the housc-unlighted save
by a ground-glass window. through
which the hall lamp threw a dim light
! had made up my mind to begin with
the worst, and went steadily up. one.
two, three, four fights Of stairs; the last