Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-05-27


others are as painfully slow and lingering
The moral follows the physical law, and
in the death of friendship are repeated the
same conditions as those which surround
the gradually weakening vitality of the
body-or those which cut the tie between
breath and spirit with stroke as sudden
as lightning flame. Ever influenced by
Mrs Anne, the old lady's love for her ia
vorite gradually died, till at last the psy
Geological moment Came-the times were
fully ripe. and Oracle might be effectually
introduced. Destined to be the successor,
there now only wanted the occasion. Miss
Sparkles must be dispossessed but she
must be put in the wrong, and in man
ner made to cut her own throat 1t was
only a little thing. The largest events
generally do hang on little things, and
tragedies which fill the world spring from
initial circumstances no bigger than mus
tard seed Among the domestic duties
which Miss Sparkles had hitherto per-
formed with such signal success was that
of the care of the linen. Mrs. Grahame
had fine stock of linen, and was as proud
of it as a good housekeeper should be.
During the daughter-like epoch of Miss
Sparkles management no reasonable fault
could have been or ever had been found
with the manner in which she had fulfilled
her charge. But now when Anne's niece
Oracle came in as the successor, suddenly,
eric. crac. as the French say, the keys Of
the linen closet were demanded, and the
care of the linen was handed over to the
newcomer.
"How have | deserved ths?" said Miss
Sparkles, flaming, as was not unnatural.
Il have done my duty. Why do you dis
possess me?''
"That is my affair, said Mrs Grahame
Surely ! can do what l like with my own?'
Well, the bright-eyed little girl bore this
her first snub direct in favor of a rival with
as much patience as she could command
which, truth to say. was not an overwhelm-
ing amount. She did make it rather un-
comfortable for her rival, and show her
temper with perhaps less discretion than
honesty less prudence than sincerity. At
all events, she gave the occasion that was
wanted. and put herself so much in'the
wrong that Mrs. Grahame found the fitting
handle for the shaft she wanted to throw,
and gave Miss Sparllles her congo.
So now, turned out from the soft, warm
nest on to the bare and prickly perch, the
poor little girl was cast into space. and if
she fell to the ground altogether, neither
Anne influenced by greed and jealousy and
the worst form of nepotism, cared. 1t was
the fashion in the house to speak of Miss
Sparkles as ungrateful, wild-tempered, neg
lectful, impossible. 1t was the fashion to
pretend that all and sundry had borne
many things because of her neglect of du-
ty; and that they were all well quit of her,
an incubus as she had become And Ora
/ aia hnr MIA MAJ L
into her aunt's hands, as it was intended
she should.
In her neighborhood where this little
story was enacted lived wealthy man not
only little, but a great deal older than
Miss Sparkles. He had always admired
this bright vivacous. clever little girl,
with her ready wit and untring helpful
ness, her good humor, general ability, keen
perceptions and perspicacity. He had ad-
mired and loved her, and in some sort en-
We'd his neighbor Mrs. Grahame, for the
possession of such a pleasant little sing
ing bird for whom he, too, would have been
fan to find suitable cage. But it never
occurred to him to disturb existing arrange
ments, and he kept himself too tightly in
hand to allow himself To regret. to desire,
to plan. When, however, the pretty girl
was dispossessed, and so unfairly and So
unceremoniouSly treated, he recOnsdered
his own position and hers, and thought ii
over within himself, wondering if it would
be possible-if it would be wise-if il
would be right? But, nothing venture,
nothing win, and at least he might sound
Miss Sparkles herself, and hear what She
thought about the matter. Would she.
Could she? He was thirty-tive years Older
than she, but he was hale and hearty, and
at sixty he matched her twenty-five with
not too bad a grace. At all events he
loved her and was willing to give her his
name and his fortune, if so be that she
could love him and content herself as his
wife
And when he asked her. the little girl
bruised and sore and desoate as She was
unprotected friendless, homeless, turned
to him with that gratitude which. when
mixed with respect and personal liking
makes no i'll substitute for love- and said
YES, she loved him well enough to be his
good and faithful wife, and she would
spend all her strength and energy in max
ing him happy so that he should never re-
greet the trust he had placed in her
And thus, as is often in life, her trouble
became her wellspring of JOY, and her fal
was the platform on which she found hel
prosperity. The marriage turned we'll
in all respects grandly well. Miss Spark
les, with her brightness and her vivacity
brought the sunshine of youth and gayety
into her husbands erstwhile gloomy house
Loving no one else, she loved him with hel
whole heart, and never knew the moment
when she regretted her marriage. Moth
ing could be more harmonious than hel
life, nothing more prosperous, nothing
more perfect. Ii was a round of pleasant
ness and an uninterrupted flood of sunshine
while poor Mrs, Grahame, between Anne
and her niece, was as grist between the up
per and the neither millstone-iron be
tween the hammer and the anvil, ant
could no more call her soul her own. AnC
her beautiful store of linen dwindleC
strangely and rapidly, and what was lef
went into decay, and was left to ruin unre
paired. This was her punishment for lis
tening to malevolence, and being veal
enough to believe evil reports unsubstan
tiated by facts or proofs.-THe Queen.
-
You can still find man now and theI
who is expecting TO get to heaven on hi
wifes church membership.-Rdm's Horn