The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-27

buo l6Wul anu, QulIc euIcIlnY INC OIcdh-
fast room of this house Ga room over
looking the Lake and the tlowers) filled
it with dewy, odorous freshness. The
sunlight, drifting in, also shot quivering
shafts of light over silver and cut-glass
A bright, beautiful room it was; perfect
in arrangement and adornment. But
| all this, alasi was miserably marred and
disfigured by two scowling faces beside
the breakfast table-the owner of this
richly appointed home and the only little
daughter of the house.
Ii the truth must be spoken, in all the
world there could not have been found a
more dissatisfied, fault-finding little miss
than this same Nettie Storm.
This dissatisfied, fault-finding spirit
| was not the result of deprivation of
comforts and luxuries; nor through i'll
health; nor lack of attraction, for the lit
tie face, framed in the soft brown curls,
was strikingly pretty, when not disfg-
ured by an ugly frown or disconnected
pout of the red lips.
The disagreeable fact was that Nettie
had in part inherited this peculiar trait
| from the paternal side, and, not having
received proper check from either,
seemed in fair way of marring her
whole future.
"My dearr' Mr.. Storm was critically
examining wing of broiled chicken,
| done to charm. 81 do think that here
| in the country, at least, our food could
be palatable. Chloe has overdone this
chicken and it smells of burn"
I" was thinking it very nice" expos
tulated mild rather tired-out Mrs. Storm,
who seldom reproved either husband or
child; but bore every fresh outbreak with
a martyred resignation, that invariably
caused Aunt Janet (who usually spent
two months of the year at the Lake, to
shoot out innumerable fireworks from her
indignant eyes and wish to thrash these
three persons in succession, as she de-
clared privately.
" 1t is delicious, Howard, and think
Chloe perfect in the way of broiling and
baking" supplemented Aunt Janet, de-
cidedly.
A disagreeable silence followed; that
was broken, at length, by Nettie, who,
having arisen too early (not through
compIlsion) had been chasing from
house to garden and Lake, and, in CON
sequence. was tired and very warm,
which small matter was sufficient at any
time to bring the Immature to the sur
face.
There's nothing fit to eat, Mamma! l
don't like chicken! Why can't Chloe
give us steak?"
Although Nettie walked in her fathers
footsteps faithfully and copied him in
more ways than one, she rarely spoke in
this manner in his presence. These ebul-
litions of ill-temper, which were fire.
quent, we are bound to confess, were
usually reserved for the weak, patient
mothers RECALLING; and, therefore, not
only Mrs. Storms face expressed sur
prise, but the gentleman's also, and the
ugly frown deepened.
Don't let me hear you speak in this
manner again, particularly of your food,
Miss Nettie," commanded Mr. Storm, in
the reverse of gentle tones and seemingly
Oblivious of the fact that his daughter
was simply an echo of himself.
If he was oblivious of the fact, Nettie
was not of another, however; and, after
staring in bewildered way at her father,
moment or two, which was extremely
irritating to the gentleman, she burst
forth, triumphantly:
but, Papa, you said yourself the
chicken was bad. Why can't say it?"
This being exasperating in the ex-
treme, together with something Aunt
Janet muttered, of which he caught only
"precept and example," set them float
ing out further still upon the troubled
waters and further from reason than they
were accustomed to going.
81 am shocked that this child should
be allowed to speak in this manner to
metz
Mr.. Storm was rather majestic in his
Indignation, and, being tall man,
looked down from his towering height
(he had arisen) upon little Mrs. Storm
in manner that should have awed her,
only it failed to at this time, to Aunt
Janet's blissful amazement.
'Howardn' there was faint sparkle
in the mild blue eyes, ''Nettie copies
you faithfully. You allow yourself to
speak in that same ill-natured manner
frequently, regarding not only our food,
but other matters; while Nettie listens
and copies you carefully. Wouldn't it
be trifie more reasonable to correct
yourself first and your child laterp"
Notwithstanding Aunt Janet applaud
ed mentally and nodded her wise old
head, when no one saw 1t, it was very
unwise speech, as every one knows, to
make in Nettie's presence, however
wholesome the lesson might prove to the
father. But, considering how full each
life is of mistakes, if not made in that
same direction, in others, who shall dare
censure Mrs. Storm, even in the face of
the fact that it was not this plainly
spoken truth that in measure entirely
cured Mr.. Storm of unnecessary fault
finding, and Nettie later; but was owing
almost, if not entirely, to poor, little
Liz beth's queer shoes.
1t was Immediately after this most I'M
comfortable breakfast, that had been fin
ished in silence profound, that Mr.. |
Storm, in mind unenviable, snatchcd |
up the newspaper 1--WE say snatched,
which is an odious word; but it only suits
the action of Mr.. Stormy and stalked |
out to the shaded front porch, one ugly |
frown chasing the other from his face,
while just before him lay the quiet val
ley, tile lofty hills beyond, crowned with
crimson-topped trees, quivering in the