Sharp County record., 1885-07-02
"OF NO USE"
How Eleanor's Eyes Were Opened to Her
Aimless, Selfish Life.

Aimless, Selfish Life.
at does seem as if some people have
more than their share of trouble" said
Mrs. Hilton, in despondent tone, as
she held out a thin, toil-worn hand to
Mrs. Bowen, a neighbor, who had
stopped on her way "down-town" to
inquire after her health.
1T docs seem hard that YOU should
be laid up in this way, that t'sNs-,act,"
said Mrs. Bowen, sympathetically, as
she drew a chair to the bedside. The
mother of large family cant very
well afford to treat herself to the luxu-
ry of a broken limb"
a don't know how they are all going
to get along without me- said Mrs.
Hilton, MY hands have always been
full to overfowing, and now, of course,
everything will be at standstill 1t
makes me sick at heart to think of it. "
You Mustn't think of it, said Mrs
Bowen. You must keep quiet and
tranquil if you want to get well fast.
Fretting is sure to give you Il fever
1T is very well to tell me to keep
Tranquil said Mrs Hilton. tae tears
rising to her ewes, but how can | help
fretting when know that | shall prob
ably have to lie here six or eight weeks,
utterly unable to do anything. The
| Ill +hnI tl,n hnnsn ,,.iil ~
along somehow, but that is cold COM
fort. If only had a sister who would
come here now, how thankful | would
be-
but there is Eleanor said Mrs.
Bowen. "she is nineteen, ! believe;
certainly old enough to take charge Of
the house for a few weeks. You must
have forgotten her.
Indeed, | often do forget her, "
sighed Mrs. Hilton, Il see so little of
her. She stays in her own room day IN
and day out. Eleanor! might as well
have no one in charge as Eleanor. She
is of no use
The door opening into the adjoining
room was ajar, and the mother words
were heard distinctly by a young girl
who was standing listlessly at VIM
dow, looking out on the garden below.
She started, and her face flushed pain
fully.
"Of no use,' she repeated to herself
in low voice. "How unkind of moth
er to say such a thing! And how un-
just"
Unable to repress the angry tears
which rose to her eyes, and fearing dis
, covery, she left the room, and, rum no
, down to the library, threw herself on
the well-worn lounge, burying her face
in the patchwork cushion.
Il wonder if my own mother would
ever have said such cruel thing she
thought as her tears flowed freely.
"She would have found me of some
use, know"
: She could not remember her own
: mother, who had died many years be,
fore, but heretofore she had had no par.
!, ticular fault to tnd with the stranger
: who had taken that mothers place. The
) second Mrs Hilton had been warned
both by relatives and friends, that the
, position of step-mother was difficult
one to fill acceptably, and she had, from
the first, been very cautious in her treat
ment of Eleanor, telling herself that tht
child should never be able to say thai
she had ill-treated or made a servant o
E her. This feeling had become almos
4 morbid, and when Eleanor returned
? from boarding school, she was treated
+ with the consideration usually shown
guest. She had one of the best room
! in the house, and was never called upol
: to assist in any of its duties. She spen
her time as she liked; read embroid
cred, crocheted, made calls, and wen
: to entertainments without suggestion
= or hindrance from her step-mother
, And, having no especial duties to per
form, she found life very dull and weari
:. some.
!. 'If | only had some particular talen
; that | could turn to account, " she ofte
-, thought. "Then l would have some
= thing to which | could look forward
;, and the DAYS wonld not seem SO long
! Many an idle hour did she spend i
= foolish dreaming of the future ant
- what it would bring her, and the sigh
of the perpetually over-fowing stock
, ing-basket on the window-seat by he
mothers chair did not suggest 10 he
u that there was plenty of work close a
hand if she only chose to take it W
. She did not know that she was leadin
selfish, aimless life, wasting time ths
I God had intended her to use for tn
good of those about her.