Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-11-12
burning at once-and such a mild day

Her daughter Ella naQ JuSU met WITH
quite a severe accident, having been
thrown from buggy while out driving,
and her arm broken. To be sure it was
i'll, but then she should not have been
so foolish as to have gone out behind
Ned Pennywick's young horse. | re-
minded her of this.
on ought to be very thankful" |
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.
Perhaps [ may have drawn the cover
rather tightly over her feet, but she
need not have given such a fiounce.
"My dear child, it might have been
your back or your neck" / said.
"Well, it wasn't"
"But 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 be much
worse. Suppose he was dead -
ooh, don't ~ she cried.
"Well, but it might nave 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 week.
Does he write twice weekP'
"Only once" she said.
"Only once-dear, dear ~ said /. 81
should think he'd write oftener."
Gle is too busy" she replied.
Then, to divert her mind from her
own grievances, l began to tell her
about 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 | was say
ing, when | 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, [ came to the conclusion that
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 l would 90 on to Mrs.
Stones, as she had asked the ladies of
the church to meet at her house and
talk over the new altar-cloth. When l
stepped upon the gallery the front door
was ajar, and sound of voices came
from the parlor; but no one seemed to
hear my knock. [ paused a moment,
when my attention was attracted by the
following remark:
Mrs. Paulding is one of those people
who are moral fly-blsters to all their
friends and acquaintance"
YES" said another voice-it was
that deceitful Margie Hoffheimer-''I
always think it was fortunate for Jobs
reputation for patience that he did not
know her."
''And the worst of it is that she has
a good heart, and one can't quite hate
her"
you are right" replied Gerarda Alb
bey's voice, Mrs. Paulding has one of
the best hearts in the world. | know
of ever so many sacrifices she has made
in order to help Others"
ven, L SnOUlu Inlnk you would Do
the last"
was so angry that did not know exact
ly where | was going when [ walked
away. To think that Gerarda's voice
was the only one raised in my defense,
after the way had always snubbed herl
| felt heartily ashamed of myself AS
[ was hurrving along who should over
take me but Gerarda She bowed and
was going to pass on, but [ said, "Your
cold doesn't seem to get any better,
my dear"
She looked surprised and her lip
trembled; then she answered bravely:
'Oh, now spring is coming it will soon
be WELL"
mot unless you take care of your
self. You ought to get Tom to prescribe
for you"
something that sounded like: ''Tom
doesn't care"
[ asked what she meant, and she an
swered: TON and I are not engaged
any longer. I did not write to him that
l had undertaken the dancing school,
for fear he would say the work was too
hard for me. But someone else must
have told him, for he wrote me such a
strange letter-that [ could not care for
him much if [ was able to dance and
enjoy myself in his absence. [ could
not help fancying that he was ashamed
Of my doing such a thing, and [ have
always felt that I ought to be doubly
proud because we are poor. So matters
went on from bad to worse until our en-
gagement was broken off,"
But, my dear, why did you teach ?"
"Why, you see, we had SO much ex-
pense in fitting Morton out for Cincin-
natl, and then Jenny's long spell Of
typhoid got us into debt. | don't know
how to do anything but dance, and it
was my only chance to earn money.
But l never thought Tom would be
ashamed of anything did
A sudden idea struck me and took
away my breath.
"lNell, Gerarda, if you have never
hated me before, [ am afraid you will
hate me now," said and remembered
the allusion [ had made to her dancing,
which Toms jealousy had clearly mis-
understood. [ told her the story, and
said | would write to him Immediately.
"But suppose he's fallen in love with
some other girl in the meantime - said