Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-10
A GIRLS AMBITION.


teel
''Mr5. Rhadamar is all the fashion,"
pleaded Silvia, land yet she gives pub
lie readings"
THAT, pronounced Mira, ''is quite
different thing"
81 don't perceive the distinction"
said Silvia with quiet Obstinacy.
''Weu, said Mira impatiently, ''you
may as we'll put the whole thing out of
YOUR head. Papa Will never consent
and as for mamma, she wouldn't hear
= word of it from the very beginning"
Silvia Seton was silent. She saw
that any further discussion of the sub
iect would be worse than useless, and
vet her mind was made up.
its all very well for Mira to talk"
she pondcred, ''but there are six of us
Girls at home, and Uncle BOb's dear
old eyesight is failing, and Josie can't
get Z place as teacher, and nobody
buys Stella's pictures, and Juliet has
only four music pupils, and l should
like to know how we are all to live!
And after all, | am no real relation to
Unc.c Bob, although | don't know
what on earth would have become of
me ii he hadn't adopted me when l
was . child. | would have been bound
out somewhere, or q stewardess on q
steam boat, may be, +" and Silvia laugh
ed merrily at the idea. But all the
same, " she added to herself, Il mean
to be an actress!'
Old Colonel Seton shook his head
when Silvia yentured to hint at such
career for herself.
'Nonsense-nonsens he said.
put all that sort of thing out of your
head, child. / shall never consent"
Neither shall /, said Mrs. Seton,
pretty, mild-eyed old lady. 81 would
rather that Silvia sold oranges in the
street"
But Silvia was not one TO be easily
diverted from any project on which she
had set her mind, and on pretence of
visiting an old school-friend, she came
to the metropolis, and boldly dared the
current Of chance.
''If you should failp' said Miss Cour-
tenay, the school-friend, who was of
timid temperament.
s.But [ shan't fall" said Silvia.
''Why should [ fail?''
1.-The people, you know, and all the
footlights-" feebly suggested Miss
Courtenay.
''Oh, bother the people and the foot
lights!' said impetuOus Silvia. Il
shall not think of them
So Silvia made her debut in q COM
paratiycly unimportant part, and ac-
cOmplished triumphant success.
One step led to another, one victory
prepared the way for 4 second, and be-
fore the winter was over, the beautiful
Young actress was drawing crowded
houses in the most prominent dramatic
presentations.
Signora Silvia she called herself.
Uncle Bob wouldn't like it, per
haps, if [ assumed the family name,"
said she.
And so the good people at home never
suspected that Silvia was winning both
golden opinions and golden ingots on
the stage, although they began to think
that her visit was unnecessarily pro-
lonGed.
Somehow l never missed Silvia so
much rs [ Go this winter" said old
Colonel Seton. Barbara don't read
the papers rs Silvia used to do"
''Silyia was very useful about the
housekeeping, added Mrs. Seton.
'Josie never cared for domestic details
and Juliet has no time TO help me.
Stella is always engaged in her studio,
and Mira's spine troubles her if she at
tempts to do any work. AS for Barba-
va, she IS only child"
Il wish Silvia would come back
said Barbara dolefully.
But, as the season crept on, things
the Seton family
Colonel Sefton's dim eyes failed him
more and more, and he was compelled
to resign the insignificant revenue office
whose petty income had helped to keep
the wolf from the door.
Mira'S health broke down altogether.
Stella's pictures created no demand,
and Juliet's music pupils dropped away
one by one.
But a CLEAN of hope seemed to irradi-
ate the dull horizon when at last Squire
Burgoyne told Colonel Seton that he
had the patronage of q good school ap-
pointment.
''Josie couldn't hold it," said he.
sJosie hadn't dignity enough-and
Josie never could manage class of
thirty rough boys. But Silvia is the
very girl for it! And one hundred and
twenty-five pounds! Think what a
glorious compensation that would be!''
''How kind of you, dear Mr. Bur-
goyne,n said Stella. L will write at
once"
Suppose mother and 1 go up to
town?' said Colonel Seton. at would
be good chance to visit my sister
Adeliza, and | could perhaps Get lit
tie advice about my eyes from one of
the dispensaries there. And we can
bring Silvia back with us. )"
Eyes, yes" said Squire Burgoyne.
rubbing his fat palms together; land
don't let the grass grow under your
feet, Seton. Such positions don't go
begging every day in the week, | can
tell you"