The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-26
pieces occasionally, shall keep my tscd
in, rs people say, and not lose anything,

pieces occasionally, shall keep my tsrd
in rs people say, and not lose anything,
! u don't gain much. y
cot course" answered Helen.
But, ">persisted Bessie, ten minutes
( Is not any time ut all. You ought 10
/ practice an hour nj the very least. and
/ can see you are too busy 10 do that"
Ten minutes j. better than nothing"
argued Mollie. and you can do a good
deal is even that time Il you give your
mind to IT,, and really work and don't
/ fuss. And another thing-f Just detest
! those scales, and think is Kind Of weak
minded to hate thing you have TO do
every day Of your life, and so I'm going
4 10 try and like them. Perhaps by the end
OF the year ] shall quite enjoy them. Who
knows
! Bessie looked at her with admring eyes.
She often opposed her for the sake Of get
/ ting her into an argument, for she liked
/ 10 hear Mollie talk DO you know what
| my brother Harry said about you the
other day. He called you a real little
enthusiast.
Nollie looked slightly puzzled. II
don't know whether TO take that rs CON-
pliment or not" she said. ''FIc might
have thought made TOO much fuss ovdr
little things"
The girls laughed. II should call it a
decided compliment" said Helen. "and l
should be charmed if any one said it
about me-"
"Don't be alarmed, they never viii,
said Bessie.
Helen sighed ~ know it," she
answered, in mock melancholy tone.
mo one appreciates me. Nobody under
stands me When ! leave this dreary
world shall have the inscription on my
tombstone:
''She hath done what she could
And been misunderstood"
When the small breeze excited by Hell
ems nonsense had snbsdcd, Bessie III
qured, with provoking GOODNESS, "Mollie,
what would you do if you should 60 out
camping AS you did last summer, where
you cannot by any possibility have
piano.
This was question, and FOR minute
Nh omnibus silence eusued. Then Moilie
said. with cheerful Vagueness: "Oh,
shall find some way, am sure"
might practice Oh an old tin pan, " put
in Bessie, sarcastically.
Yes" said Mollie, gravely. "That'sa
good idea, and III remember it Or
might take some paper and mark of a
keyboard Of an octave or two and paste it
on plank. could play beautifully on
that, and it would ut least keep my fingers
timber "
Bravo cried Amy. "Mollic, you're
a genius"
80 she is, and l should love to enjoy
her cdifying company longer, but | sup
pose must 90 to my old painting lesson"
sighed Helen.
"Old painting lesson" echoed Mollie,
Il thought you liked it."
80 should, if | could paint flowers
aud people and things, but as for sitting
and looking at al old vase for two hours,
gazing along a pencil To get the proper
lions, think It's stupid, growled Helen.
II know ! could paint ten times better if
| did the things that liked"
when you converse upon topics be-
yond your comprehension, Miss Starr,
you do not create an impression Of your
knowledge, but only expose your pro-
found ignorance" prosed Mollie, il a
grandiose manner.
well, ! shan't stay here to be laughed
at, said Helen. ITS time was there,
this very minute" enhancing at the clock.
Good by, Mollie.n And giving her a
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 Of novelty and the enthusiasm that
always accompanies n new idea made her
self imposed task an easy one, but gradu-
ally this died away, and many times was
the music neglected until almost bed
time, when she reluctantly left the pleas
ant 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 Resolve but
heartily approved Of it, and now, though
she sometimes wondered at her daugh-
ter's forgetfulness, she held her peace,
remembering that it was Mollie's affair,
and knowing that, if the girl did once
really neglect il, her wounded pride and
the sense Of failure would be a sufficient
punishment. And by and by Mollie dis
covered the value Of little system, and
then she might have been seen every
morning, directly after breakfast, practic-
ing with an energy and determination that
went far toward conquering the difficulties
of the complicated 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, dearn sighed Helen. 1T does
not seem any time since winter, and now
it's summer again and | shall miss You
SO dreadtully"
Ditto" answered Mollie, brightly.
But perhaps il won't seem any time till
autumn, and then ! shall be back, you
know And YOU will not miss me long,
for in another month you will be revel'
ling i'll the treasures OF Martha's Vine
yard
Il know it." groaned Helen. But
whole month IN this dreadful city, with
the thermometer over eighty, and every
soul away, and nothing TO do--oh"
"Come, Helen cried Amy, don't
look so doleful, or you'll give us all the
blues You've made even Mollie look
sober
Mollie contradictcd this statement by
haaufn ~ emilia that u-ac rpnorf p1 In tho