The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-03-31

In the haven Of His Heaven where the weary
and release.
Naomi Med. Phelps, in Interior
PRETTY MISS SPARKLES.
Her Seeming Misfortune Resulted
In Ultimate Happiness.
She had the brightest eyes and the
sunniest smile to be-foundz ithiH4tife
four seas. She might have her mo-
: ments Of depression, as we all have,
and she might at times flame out in a
rage when things went wrong and her
blood was=np;~ but this only redeemed
her from the monotony of cheerfulness,
and gave her the variety that belongs
to q rich nature. OF the darker, the
more sullen passions, she had not
trace; and the worst that could be sail
of her was that she was "soon up and
sometimes down" But in general she
was miss Sparkles;" and the name
expressed all that the world loved or
cared to know.
She had occasion enough for the ex-
ercise of her brightness, Tor she was an
orphan, with no greater protection than
might be found in a couple OF fine
hearted brothers, one of whom was on
a Texan ranch and the other in one OF
her majesty's ships as lieutenant in
the Australian seas. Either OF these
men would have protected her with
his hearts blood; but with all these
miles between her and them, they were
not very efficient Greathe arts; and poor
little Miss Sparkles had practically no
one but herself as her guardian and
caretaker. For years she had fulfilled
certain duties in the house OF an old
friend. She had been as the adopted
daughter of the widow who loved
her, trusted to her, and found her
own happiness in the association
which gave herself loving COM
panion and Miss Sparkles an af-
fectionate home. But trouble hal
come between the two and an enemy
had sowed tares, as enemies have the
trick~of doing.
Anne, the old servant who had lived
with her mistress these twenty years
gone, had never quite liked the. close
association of Miss Sparkles with the
mistress She grudged the cares that
were given on the one side, and the
protection that was granted on the
other. She thought that Miss Sparklcs
would be vast deal better employed
getting her living in some quasi-menial
way that would teach her her own
place, rather than living here as the
daughter of the house where never u
daughter was wanted. What did
missus want with young person
hanging around when she, her own
old Anne, was there to look after her
comforts and see to her fads and fan
cies? And il she did want anyone,
why should she not have her own
niece Oracle, sister James eldest, and
as fine girl as ever stepped? She was
bigger and taller than Miss Sparkles
and quite as good companion; and
she was the eldest of seven, and it
would be ''the worlds for sister Jane
to find her such good situation as
this of missus' would be. So she set
herself to work to try and GUST Miss
Sparkles from the place and wriggle
her niece Oracle into it.
Heaven knows what she said, but
she said something that proved quite
efficient for its purpose; and for the
first time in their joint lives together
the kind old friend and quasi-mother
began to doubt, to suspect and find
fault with her adopted daughter The
home which had once been, like soft,
warm nest lined with down became
now cold, hard, prickly perch, where
footing was not too secure. Miss
Sparkles, who in times gone by had
never been known to displease, could
now scarcely please the lady. Mrs. Ora
hame, who in times gone by had
never spoken a. harsh word to
her bright-eyed companion, now scarce
ever spoke a kind one. Poor Miss
Sparkles opened those bright eyes of
understand what was passing about
her, and Mrs. Grahame did not explain
nor did her old maid Mrs. Anne.
Mrs Anne would have been little
embarrassed had she essayed to tell
how she was like murderous shadow
ever on the track of the girl she was
seeking to dispossess for the safe ap-
pointmcnt of one of her own. 1t would
have, been a sorry and q sordid revela-
ton had she shown how at every in
slant she stole into Mrs. Ordinances
room when Miss Sparkles was away
saying in a low whisper: 'She just said
this; "She said that Watch her
when she comes, and just see how she
lool1s;" '.She had some underhand work
going on, and can't abide them under
hand ways myself. All! you should
see my niece Oracle! There's "a girl,
II you like, as true aasstrue. and as up.
right as they make them! Call that
good needlework, mem? Why. my
niece Gracie's work would beat that
out Of the field" And so on.
As constant dropping wears away
the hardest granite, so do these inces-
SAINT installations and fault-findings
make their mark on even the stoutest
hcart-the strongest love- And when
coupled with this continued belittle-
ment of one is the corresponding ex-
a)tation of another the seed sown is
sure to terminate, and distrust here
Grahnine grew cooler and cooler, more
dissatisfied with and estranged from
Miss Sparkles. she grew more wishful
yto see this paragon, this Oracle. niece
q old Anne, her faithful friend and
servant, who was so far superior tc
her osn discredited and disgraced
favorita.
Il wn in vain that poor Miss