News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-03-08

Helen.
"Why, so [ do" returned Molli
"And that's the very reason I'm goin
q to practice these exercises and scales.
never liked them and rather neglecte
:. them, and now I'm being punished, fc
my fingers are really growing quite sti
and clumsy. And, you see, if l practiC
them thoroughly, and review my piece
occasionally, [ shall keep my hand in
rs people say, and not lose anything,
| don't gain much,
'Of course" answered Helen.
''But, presisted Bessie, "ten minute
is not any time at all. You ought t
practice an hour at the very least, and
can see you are too busy to do that
''TCn minutes is better than nothing,
argued Mollie "And you can do a goo
deal in even that time if you give you
mind to it, and really ac0rk and don
fuss. And, another thing-I just de
test those scales, and / think it's kind @
weak minded to hate thing you hav
to do every day of your life, and so In
going to try and like them. Perhaps b.
the end of the year [ shall quite enio;
them. Who knows?"
Bessie looked at her with admirin!
eyes. She often opposed her for tn
sake of getting her into an argument
for she liked to hear Mollie talk cd,
You know what my brother Harry sait
about YOU the other day2 He called yol
"a real little enthusiast
Mollie looked slightly puzzled. %
don't know whether to take that as
compliment or not" she said "H,
might have thought I made too mucl
fuss over little things"
The girls laughed. "I should call il
decided compliment, said Helen, "anc
/ should be charmed if any one said il
about me-
"Don't be alarmed; they never will, >
said Bessie
Helen sighed. 81 know it." she an
swered; in a mock-melancholy tone
t'No one appreciates me. Nobody un-
derstands me. When leave this dreary
world | shall have this inscription on my
tombstone:
She hath done what she could.
And been misunder stood"
When the small breeze excited by
Helen's nonsense had subsidized, Bessie
inquired, with provoking GOODNESS:
''Mollie, what will you do if you should
| go out camping as you did last summer,
where you cannot by any possibility have
piano 2"
| This was question, and for minute
an ominous silenre ensued. .. Then
Mollie said, with cheerful vagueness
ooh, [ shall find some way, [ am sure: y
''Might practice on an old tin pan, -
put in Bessie. sarcastically. .,.....
eyes, said Mollie, gravely "That's
a good idea, and I'll remember it. Or I
might take some paper, and mark off
! keyboard of an octave or two, and paste
it on plank. I could play beautifully
on that, and it would at least keep my
fingers Timber"
"Bravo!" said Amy. "NIoIlie, you're
$50 she is, and shouIl love, to eniov
her edifying company longer, but / sup
pose | must 90 to my oid painting les
son, sighed Helen.
''Old painting lesson, ec1oed Mollie.
81 thought you liked it."
$50 [ should, if could paint flowers
and people and things, but as sitting
and looking at an old vase for two hours,
gazing along q pencil to get the pro
portions, | think it's stupid" growled
Helen. 81 know [ could paint ten times
better if l did the things that l liked"
"When you converse upon topics
beyond your comprehension, Miss Starr,
you do not create an impression of your
knowledge, but only expose your pro
found ignorance, prOsed Mollie, in a
grandiOse manner
''Well, L sha'n't stay here to be
laughed at" said Helen. "It's time I
was there, this very Misunderstanding
at the clock. "Good-bv, Mollie." And,
giving her hasty kiss, she took Bessie s
arm, and the three girls hurried from
the room.
During the months that followed
Mollie had abundant opportunity to test
the strength of her resolution. At first
the sense ofnOvelty and enthusiasm that
always accompanies a new idea made her |
self-lmposed task an easy one, but gradu-
ally this died away, and many times |
was the music neglected until almost /
bedtime when she reluctantly left the |
pleasant game or fascinating book to do
what, with little forethought, might |
have been an agreeable duty. Mamma
had been told of the plan, and had
laughed at the formally wOrded, ere
solve, but heartily approved of it, and
now, though she sometimes wondered at
her daughters forgetfulness, she held
her peace, remembering that it was
Mollic's affair, and knowing that, if the
girl did once really neglect it, her
wounded pride and sense of failure
would be sufficient punishment. And
by and by Mollie discovered the value of
n little system, and then she might have
been seen every morning, directly after
breakfast, practicing with an energy
and determination that went far toward
the difficulties of the com
plicated exercises.
At last the time arrived for Mollie's
summer fitting, and one pleasant day
in June the four girls were gathered to-
gether in her little sanctum for "good-
by talk.
''Oh, dear !" sighed Helen. ''It does
not seem any time since winter, and
now it's summer again, and | shall miss
you so dreadfully."
''Ditto," answered Mollie, brightly.
But perhaps it won't seem any time
till autumn, and then / shall be back
you know. And you will not miss me
ong, for in another month you will be
reveling in the pleasures of Martha's
Vineyard
hIIO" lJ3 SIOhutU 1DuG
whole month in this dreadful city, with
he thermometer over eighty. and every
soul away, and nothing to do-oh !"
Come, Helen" cried Amy, "don't
ook so doleful, or you'll give us all the
blues. You've made even Mollie look
SOBER"
Mollic contradicted this statement by
. beaming smile that was reflected in
he faces of the others. Even Helen
looked more cheerful. "You are the
most comtort0JIe girl?' she said. az
tont believe you ever were homesick in
your life"
Wasn't, said Mollie promptly. 81
have tried hard enough"
The girls broke into a chorus of laugh
5er. ''Tried to be homesick What do
you mean 2"
''Just what | said," answered Mollie, !
stoutly. "You know that summer nam
ma went to Europe, and left me with
Aunt Linda? Well, everybody kept .
'aying, Poor little girl, how you must ,,
Mss your mother Aren't you dread
ully homesick 2 until l began to feel
'eally troubled because I wasn't. And
me night L tried to cry myself to sleep :
about it. But twas no use. ;
never did cry easy, and l thought [ !
vas 0he most heartless creature alive.
so L wrote to mamma that everybody
seemed to expect me to be homesick,
Dut wasn't, and [ hoped she would not {
eel hurt, for / tried real hard, but | I
vas having such a good time that | S
,Oul6p't - .