The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-12-27


too"
She turned as red as beet and
pressed her lips together, bly she aidnt
say any thing. fear Mrs. Jones Is lar
from being sweet-tempered.
Then / went to Sister Harriets. Her
daughter Ella had just met with quite
severe accident, having been thrown
from buggy, while out driving, and
her arm broken. To be sure it was
painful, and the shock had made her i'll.
but then she should not have been so
foolish as to have gone out behind Ned
Pennywick's young horse. reminded
her of this.
"You ought to be very thankful,"1
began.
.'Thankful for having been nearly
killed." she cried. Really, Aunt Ma
ria, my gratitude is not so easily
aroused"
sat down on the bed beside her. Per-
haps may have drawn the cover rather
tightly over her feet, but She need not
have given such tlounce.
MY dear child, it might have been
your back or your neck, said.
well. it wasn't"
"fut it might have BEEN"
maria" said my sister at this point,
.too much conversation is not good for
Ella. The doctor says it makes her
| feverish."
So | left there and went to Mrs. Crit
tenden's She was in great trouble
She and her husband had not been mar
ried long. but they had had heavy
money losses, and he had been obliged
to leave her with her mother while he
went out West to seek employment.
had brought her some wine jelly,
and after had given it to her said:
Cheer up, my dear. 1t might he SO
much worse. Suppose he was dead?"
''Oh, don'tr' she cried.
well, but it might have happened.
In the midst OF life we are in death,
and think how dreadful it would have
been to see him lying in his coffin in
stead of his being just out West, where
YOU can hear from him twice a week.
Does he write twice week?"
"Only once" she said.
"Only once-dear dear" said /. Il
should think ned write oftener.'
He is too busy" she replied.
Then. to divert her mind from her
own grievances, / began to tell her
abott my new housemaid, Clarissa, and
how many things she had broken in the
last week.
Three saucers and a teacup-no!
three teacups and saucer" i was say
ing, whenI happened to glance at her,
and saw that she was not listening to a
word was saying.
She seems to be a poor, spiritless
creature, and made up my mind that
would not go to see her again in a
hurry.
Indeed, I came to the conclusion thai
there is very little gratitude in the
world. You can go around wearing
yourself out trying to do good to others
and never get word OF thanks.
, thought / would go on to Mrs
Stones, as she had asked the ladies o.
the church to meet at her house ant
talk over the new altar-cloth. When
, stepped upon the gallery the front doc
was aiar, and q sound Of voices came
6 from the parlor; but no one seemed t.
, hear my knock. ! paused moment
when my attention was attracted by thu
! following remark:
a "MTs, PauldiE; is one of those peopl
who are moral fiy-blisters to all thei
friends and acquaintances."
q "Yes," said another yoice-it was tina
deceitful Margie Hoffheimer-'I al
1 ways think it was fortunate for Job
reputation for patience that he did no
know her."
7 sAnd the worst OF it Is that she ha
T a good heart, and one can't quite hat
q her."
1 You are right" replied Gerarda Al
bey's voice, Mrs Paulding has one G
n the best hearts in the world. Iknow c
ever SO many sacrifices she has made i
$ order to help others"
/ "Well, should think you would b
t the last"
t But / did not wait to hear more. i wa
n so angry that / did not know exactl
S where was going when walked away
| To think that Gerarda's voice was tn
only one raised in my defense, after tn
way had always snubbed heH / fel
7 heartily ashamed of myself AS 1 wa
: hurrying along who should overtake m
5 but Gerarda. She bowed and was goin
: to pass on, but | said: Your col
' doesn't seem to get any better, m
e dear"
r She looked surprised and her Ii
r trem bled; then she answered bravely
"oh, now spring is coming it will 500
q be we'll"
, mot unless you take care Of yourseli
: You ought to get Tom to prescribe fo
a you"
: She hung her head and murmure
g something that sounded like: "Tor
Il doesn't care"
! ! asked what she meant and she al
swered: Tom and / are not engage
= any longer. did not write to him tha
/ had undertaken the dancing schot
y, for fear he would say the work was to
hard for me. But some one else mus
! have told him, for he wrote me such
$ strange letter-that could not care Il
o. him much If was able " dance an
/. enjoy myself in his abserce. / coui
o not help fancying that he was ashame
" of my doing such thing, and hay
always felt that ought TO be doubl
r proud because we are poor So matter
o went on from bad to worse until our ei
o gagement was broken off"
Q "But, my dear why did you teach?'
!. "Why, you see, we mad 50 much o.