The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-04-05
MlsUNDERsTo0D.

Tap, tap, tap, at Bertha's bedroom
door. aI'
"Teno' clock, my dear" said her
mothers voice, "time you were in bed
II you want to keep your roSos."
AN angry scowl disEigured Bertha
pretty lace, and the tono in which she
called out: VERY wcll," was decidedly
cross.
"One would think 1 was old enough
TO use my own Judgment about going to
bed, she grumblcd, casting lingering
look on the open pages of her diary, ns
she slowly wiped her pen, and put the
cover on her ink-bottlo.
She had felt Just in the mood for
writing. 1t waS/too bad to stop just rs
she was well 'wound up" she thought.
" Misunderstood! Is there n sadder
word in the vocabulary of the English
ianguageP Ah, in many a young and
sensitive heart it has rung the death
knell of all happiness"
That is beautifully 'turned,' az
Aunt Hattie would say sho mur~
INJURED, and she cont nuoi To read aIou l.,
holding the pen in one hand, the wiper
in the other; IT,.
with each day 1 am drawing near.
er to the tomb. The icv touch OF an
invisible hand is on my brow. All.
when am lying cold and doaI my
1rail hands claspCtl over my pulse cSs
heart regret will be vain. No prayers
can call me back. In my silent grave
out under the cold blue Sky. the wind
Will chant wild requems over mo, whis.
pering that this checkercd life is over,
and after lite's tiLful fever ~
1t was just here that Bertha mother
had interrupted her. And now, with a
Rartho fln
herselt as quickly as possibc and
sprang into bed, her mind full of her
talent rs writer.
Though profoundly impressed with
the idea that she was not long for this
world, bertha was the very picture of
health, n fact which distressed her con
siderably. Willingly would she have
seen reflected in tho glass hollow
eyed pale-Cheeked, ethereal LOOKING be-
ing, whose dismal cough and lanTuid
step would move the hardest heart to
pity. But her checks were provokinply
round and red, and her ewes ns BRIGHT
as stars. And though she occasionally
essayed n cough, it was but wretchcd
traVesty on the real thing. Her broth
er and sisters laughed at her prophe
cles OF early death. and there was no
ono to whom she cold go for sympa-
Thy, Only to her diary.--the parting
GIT OF her Aunt Hattic--could she pour
out her thoughts, and the elegant blue
ana gold-bound book was made the re.
PoSitory OF great deal of nonsense and
false sentiment.
Bertha had spent the past lhrco Years
away from home, under the care of an
aunt who had indulgod her to the last
degree, and permitted her to do very
much as she pleased in ever, thing. Doc
tor and Mrs. Sumnorregrettcd now that
they had ever allowed Bertha TO leave
them, Tor they saw very plainly that in
spite OF the advantages she had re-
celVed IN the way OF music and the Ian
guageS, her long visit had been a mis-
take She rebelled against the whole
some discipline OF her fathers honse.
thought herself greatly abused when
called upoE to perform household du-
lies, and dozen times % day openly re-
GREETED that she had lett her aunt.
'Iou don t love me as Aunt Hattie
does" she would say when given the
husting brush or directed to set the din
ner;table. "Aunt Hattie tried to mako
me happy"
4 shall give Bertha a lecture" said
Doctor Sumner, overhearing a remark
of this kind one day. "Sho shall not
make the whole house uncomfortable
by her nonsense"
mo, no, dom tspoak toher about it,"
pleaded tho mother. IL am sure she
viii outgrow her foolish notions if we
only have little patience. Let me
manage her."
Very kind and gentle was the moth
err management; but very firm. She
insisted on regular routine, on the
systematic per Ormancc of household
duties, and aimed by keeping Berthas
hands protitably busy to keop hor mind
from dwelling on tho sentimental and
romantic ideas she had CLEANED from
the many novels her aunt had permitted
her TO read. But tho improyement in
The eldest daughter OF the house was
very slow. She could not in three
months forget the training of three
years.
''Do you think it is UerVawful to hayo
20 wash dishes and dustP" asked Lena
one morning, when Bertha as usual was
prosing over the darkness and cruelty
of berfate.
1.-The bare fact of the dish.washing
and dusting is not awful" said Bertha'
"but it stabs me 10 the heart TO have
s'sJ. s'ssJ;:.p parents think me on level with
suchS menial occupations. If mother
sNOuiA OiflJ loCOSuIHO InOSe liner grades
of the soul--"
%Oh, mother hasn't time for such
trash said Ned, who was listening to
tho conversation with face in which
disgust could be plainly read, "there's
Too much to be done And you only
want 70 shirk, Bertha. You'd like to
2ut al the work off on Lena and
Carrie,p I>'
How am misunderstoodr' signed
Reptha
she always took refuge in that asser-
tlon when not caring to continue an ar
gnment and she derived great deal of
comfort from the reflection.
e Bcrtha. said her mother a little
later z want you to pay more atten-
Ton 10 your morning toilet hereafter.
Do not come TO the breakfast table
again with your hair in curl. papers ),
{ Aunt Hattie always let y:,8 dFsss ne
pls2sed,n said Bertha, resentfullvs
\ Very likely; but you are not With
yoir Aunt Hattie now, and don't
want my daughters to grow up with
pntldy habits. And nowyou can oo mo
tsasfs 'tnd sew the buttons on your