Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1882-09-28
MISSION OR NO MISSION :

upon.
''Why, no use, of course" said Ben,
''only to scare silly girls; and they are
needed for that. because girls will
screech and squall enough to startle the
man in the moon, if they only see their
own shadow; so they are of no use for
anything"
Eyes; but, Ben, mother says every
thing has mission; and this toad is a
thing, so it must have one"
30, bah! Mother is a mighty smart
and good woman, but she says herself
she doesn't know everything; and it's
my opinion that on this particular
point as Squire James would say, she
is mistaken. She is crazy on the sub
ject of missions. But this toad hasn't
any, l know. And l believe a good
many people are just like it-of no use
under the sun; don't you, Fan?'
81 do, if Fan doesn't. And l am one
of them; a great, awkward creature that
has never accomplished anything but to
fill up and mar a space that some one
else would have adorned. 1 guess Ben
is right, and 1 belong to the class of
people like the tOad-Of no use under
the sun" And bitter expression, sad
to see on so young face, settled in the
dark eyes and around the thin lips of
their eldest sister, Sue, as, sitting by a
window, hidden by the dark green
leaves of large lilac bush, she had been
listening to the children's prattle.
Poor Sue Of a naturally sensitive
and rather melancholy disposition, she
had, unfortunately, in her early girlhOod
heard thoughtless visitor remark that
in aslarge family of children of remark
able beauty, she was the only ugly one.
And her mirror seemed to her to verify
the statement; for the great black eyes,
straight, raven-black hair, dark COM
ploXiOn and thin lips, were striking
contrast to the other fair faces with their
light, waving hair, that daily surrounded
the family table of the Browns. Her
disposition, too, was unique, and
unlike all by whom she was surrounded.
She had lived an almost isolated life,
though in large family of brothers and
sisters. The brother next in age to her.
self had died in infancy, and the twins,
Nellie and Dellie, four years younger
two gay, bright creatures, as much alike
In nature as in names and age-had no
need of any company or sharer in their
mutual objects of interest, while Fanny
and Ben were as inseparable as sub
'
the grove in search of nuts or berries,
pouring over the same lesson or story
books telling to each other all their hopes
and plans, or forming themselves into
a self-appointed committee for the
purpose, they criticised and discussed
the merits and dement's of the Brown
family as freely as if they themselves
had no part nor lot in it. So, left to her
self, she had found companionship in
books, whose dear old authors never al
luded to OF reminded her Of her ''unfort-
innate ugliness," as she termed it. And
while Nelly and Dellie were crimping
and frizzing their hair and arranging
their tlounces and ruffles for party or
picnic, she, in careless attire, with hair
drawn back any way to keep it out of her
eyes, was reveling in the scenes of an
cient history; roaming with "AgneS of
Sorrento" through orange groves; fol-
lowing 'David Copperlield'' through
his weary childhood, or wandering with
''Evangeline" in her hopeless search for
the loved and lost. But to-day a strange
feeling of unrest had taken possession of
her-a nervous dissatisfaction with her
self and all by which she was surround
ed. Turning with restless fingers the
leaves of her favorite poet, Longfellow,
the psalm of Life met her eye, with
its
''Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time
81 don't believe it! There is no sub
Unity to be made of my life, and will
never make any footprints on the sands
of time that any one seeing, may take
heart again" And, with a rudeness
and snap which might have startled its
author from a quiet nap in his chestnut
chair, she thrust the volume in the book
case and sauntered down stairs, where
she arrived just in time to see Nelly and
Dellie, radiant in fresh muslin, with rib
bons to match, embracing for picnic,
OF which she had not even heard. The
father and mother gone to the city on
business, taking the two little ones with
them, and she had the great, quiet house
to herself.
u wonder if those butterflies will
make any footprints on the sands OF
timer" she said, as she watched the
twins tripping gaily down the walk, and
caught the merry ripple of their laughter
ashley disappeared from sight. 'eWell,
mag be tbs better to be butterfly out in
the sunlight than dreary black cricket
up in the attic, and she seated herself
at the window just in time to hear Fan
and Ben's conversation. Though she
had herself answered Ben's question,
she leaned forward to hear Fanny's re,
ioinder, which came clear and quick;
i"No, mother is right. Everybody ha;
mission. You know mission mean:
work, and all can work some way
''Well, Fan, as you seem to know SC
much about it, let's play you are mis-
sionary-soPt of woman preacher, yoU
know-and I'll be a heathcner; and il
the course of your remarks inform YOU
benighted audience what great mission
or any other Brown has. Say you be
gin at the head of the family, and take
us all in order down to the baby. There
is lot of Browns, and maybe the con
version or the conquering of the worlC
depends upon our family
''WeH, to begin" said Fannie, moth
ing daunted by the task assigned her
though, like many another speaker, she