Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-02-14
"SLS.' 80
ny ALICE p. CHARLESTON.

'u1 ry ALICE p. CHARLESTON.
al &c was pretty. She was so very
0ttv. that she narrowly missed being
,ro ontiful. but, if her pretty face and
hi mtv form attracted all persons, her
eu loyelv manners and spiteful tongue
u or drove away all who sought her
|onl,hip, men and women alike. She
ral no one, and no one loved her,
IN the exception OF her mother, who
- ourbt her perfection itself, and her
. ep.tather, who bore with her until he
rs considered somewhat of a martyr.
There never were a lovelier pair of
cet blue eyes fringed with long
own lashes. nor could a mouth be
Ore beautifully formed, or red, OF
bme a set of teeth more perfect, nor
ud brown hair be softer. c%urlier, OF
oe abundant, nor could hands and
ee M be timer and neater shaped, nor
'p Md a waist and shoulder be found,
l.. IT., lat had a FOUNDER, more graceful out
Ne. nor could q color be prettier, than
rose pink and white that made up
M 5 complexion. But those lovely eyes
ire ID a %scornful droop, and the lips We're
he1 ed to frame the bitterest words that
p Fnd be imagined by a mind naturally
ny f%elligent, aided by a very full vocabu-
y.
-QtH She was not four years old when she
org gan TO show her "smartness" as her
lad ther called it, her impudence, the
u Fghbos said, and, as her sharp say
II 5 were laughed at and repeated, the
alM Fblt grew upon her, until it seemed
e knew no kind words, and she had
JADE herself thoroughly detested.
Ter perceptions were keen, and she
Fdal almost painfully acute sense of
y eIudlcrous, so that it was not remark
a Die that she found plenty of exercise
e,1 her barbed arrows of wit, in the I'M
Nth country people, with whom she
Rs brought i'll contact.
her mother, Mrs. Terhune. had been
"a widow with three small children,
~. lis or Eva, as her name really
~ Y, was the Youngest, and it was a
II III struggle for the mother to support
en- all, so, when Thomas Harrison
III Ae'' her to marry him, she did, and
M yer mad one moments regret for her
ason' for he was good to her and
~ 10 her children. lie was fairly
noe I on' and was what they call a good
and ''0ef' SO that they never knew
s." '4''e MI. Harrison was kind to the
F" O0Ss, his heart was given to his
} ea y little stepdaughter, and she
is a ' 1''iu with her %exacting ways and
An sharp little tongue, and though
$ W ,liaes she wounded him cruelty,
key ss'll loved her devotedly, and saw
vo save faults to correct.
,riej % Eva, Or Sis, grew and blossomed
olao S'Hl rarer prettiness, and her
hug gre" apace. There was nothing
the ~1uisent parents did not provide,
fol ~e was better dressed than any
,ut : glrl In the town, as far as the
AM ~ nuMoe OF her clothes went,
thu bo% ~le was not naturally neat, and
Assl TO imagine that her beauty gave
La ssoft OF right to be as careless as
/. n ana, indeed, she would have
him Saleu ~Sslovenly," had she been
less 'us else than herself. But people
pr b m AFRAID Of that sharp tongue,
ered : uA'ldlness passed unremarked.
lis nv ~ Que gave a party, a quilting,
led ~ social meeting was pro-
atod d. 81 ;pefe was always a desire to ex-
N.Y. on account of her tongue,
S were equally afraid of it, in
tbi ke. was not invited, and so she
Cd aSe had a lively voice, and
- sh slns ballads in a charming way.
NJ I 4 poth was Aa&t at the piano. There
fore led - sue eaad not do, but she
ttl;n: 1t all by her perversa habit of
,aly conia every one and every thing.
,oull who vance we'll, but the young
deal a lanau succeeded in gaining her hand
nraa aee' was more afraid of her
On IN Ejs 10y her stepfather said:
+ all. bp Sl' afraid you r a little too
NTH Io'k out that you don't take
crooked stick, after going