The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-30
MISSION OR NO MISSION?

"What is the use of such ugly things,
do you think, BenP' And Fanny
Browns face was pale with fright as she
drew her dainty little foot away from a
large spotted toad she had nearly stepped
upon.
"Why, no use, of course" said Ben,
"only to scare silly girls; and they are
needed for that, because girls will
screech and squat enough to startle the
man in the moon, if they only see their
own shadow; so they are of no use for
anything"
Yes; but, Ben, mother says every
thing has mission; and this toad is a
thing, so it must have one"
go, bah! Mother is 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
iect of missions. But this toad hasn' t
any, know. And | believe a good
many people are Just like it-of no use
under the sun; don't you, FAM"
Il do, if Fan doesn't. And I am one
of them; a great, awkward creature that
has never accomplished anything but to
fill up and mar space that some one
else would have adorned. | guess Ben
is right, and | 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 a thOughtless visitor remark that
in large 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
pleXion 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
thOughin a 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
nnI ch INnn Ib,o
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 or 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 flounces and rutfles 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
Gent history; roaming with agnes of
Sorrento" through orange groves; fol-
lowing "David Coppertield'' 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 Ill hty .xrhinh oh
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.''
" L don't believe it! There is no sub
Unity to be made of my life, and l will
never make any footprints on the sands
OF time that any one seeing, may take
heart again, And, with 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
Dons to match, embarking for a 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
81 wonder if those butterflies will
make any footprints on the sands of
timeg " she said, as she watched the
twins tripping gaily down the walk, and
caught the merry ripple of their laughter
as they disappeared from sight. "Well,
may be It's 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 re-
joinder, which came clear and quick;
"No, mother is right. Everybody has