St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-03-26

Sparales tried to recover her lost
ground. She had no foothold. nothing
By which to cling. and no tangible OBJ
stacle to overcome. She was simply
slipping down the steep incline; and
each attempt to make . stand and have
IL out resulted in worse discontinue.
How can you have it out with person
who denies that you have cause OF
complaint? How can you batter to
pieces with your fist an India-rubler
ball that gives you NO solid part 70
pummel. and only yields to your blows
and returns Immediately to the old
form? When Miss Sparkles, poor dear.
al in angry tears and vivid nush Of
eager scorn. besought Mira Graha,ne
to tell her how or why or where she
had offended. that lady put on her
iciest look and answered. primly: ..You
have not offended me, Maria Have
| made any complaint?"
NO" said Miss Sparkles, vehement
y; and only wish you had! II would
be more satisfactory to know what had
displeased you than to be treated with
this odd coolness-so unlike your for
mer self"
Am I to be taken to task for my
manner?" asked Mrs Grahame, In re-
ply. do you hold that to be . very du.
tiful or respectful thing to do from yoR
to me, Maria?'
And poor Miss Sp arkles. baffled 1t
each turn and every endeavor. felt
there was nothing for It but silence.
patience. and doing her best to re-
cover the affection she had lost-lost
she could not tell how.
Some deaths are mercifully swift,
and others are ~ painfully slow and
lingering. The moral follows the
physical law, and in the death offriend-
q those which surround the gradually
weakening vitality Of the body--or
those which cut the tie between breath
and spirit with stroke Is sudden IS
. lightning fash Ever influenced BY
Mrs Anne the old lady's love for her
favorite gradually died, till ct last the
psychological 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 mnst b
dispossessed, but she must be put In
the wrong, and in . manner made to
cut her own throat. It was only . lit
tie thing. The largest events general
" do hang ON little things, and trag-
edies which I'LL the world spring from
initial circumstances no bigger than
mustard seed Among the domestic
duties which Miss Sparkles had hith-
erto performed with such signal sue
cess was that Of the care Of the linen.
Mrs. Grxhame had . fine stock Of
linen. and was rs proud Of it Is = good
housekeeper should be. During the
daughter-lilke epoch Of MissaSparkles'
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 - the succeasor,
suddenly, eric! crac! - the French say,
the keys Of the linen closet were de-
manded. and the care Of tho Ii men was
handed over to the newcomer.
s.How have I deserved this?" said
Miss Sparkles. flaming, as was not I'M
natural Il have done my duty. Why
do you dispossess me?" \
THAT is my affair."" said Mrs Ora
hame. ''Surely can do what like
with my own?'
Well. the bright-eyed little girl bore
this her first snub direct in favor Of .
rival with as much patience IS she
could command-which, truth to say,
was not m overwhelming amount
She did make il rather uncomfortable
for her rival. and show her temper
with perhaps less discretion than hon
esty-less prudence than sincerity.
At all events, she gave the occasion
that was wanted, and put herself 70
much in the wrong that Mira Grahalne
found the fitting bundle for the shaft
she wanted to throw. and gave Miss
Sparkles her congo.
So now. turned ont from the soft,
warm nest on to the bare and prickly
perch, the poor little girl was cast into
space. and il she fell to the ground a.
neither Mrs Grahame insti-
gated BY Anne. nor Anne influenced BY
greed and jealousy and the worst form
Of nepotisn:, cared. It was the fashion
In the house to speak Of Miss Sparkles
- ungrateful, wild-tempered, neglect
full, Impossible. 1t was the fashion to
pretend that all and sundry had borne |
many things because OF her furious |
passions-because of her neglect Of |
duty; and that they were all well quit
Of her. an incubus . she had become.
And Oracle took her place Rallantly.
and played into her cunts hands, IS it
was intended she should.
In the neighborhood where this little
story was enacted lived . wealthy man
not only little, but . great deal older |
than Miss Sparkles. He had always |
this bright vivacious clever |
little girl. with her ready wit and un-
firing helpfulness, her good humor,
general ability, keen perceptions and |
He had admired and |
loved her. and IN some sort envied his |
neighbor Mrs Grahame, for the posses-
lion of such . pleasant little singing
bird for whom he. too, would have been /
lain to find . suitable cage. But it
aever occurred to him to disturb exist
ng arrangements. and he kept himself /
100 tightly in hand to allow himself
% regret 70 desire, to plan. When.
however. the pretty girl was disf os-
'essed. and 50 unfairly and % uncere-
treated, he reconsidercd his
,wn position and hers, and thought II
,ver within himself, wondering il it
would be possible-if It would be wise
If it would be right But nothing
,enture. nothing win. and 1t least he
night sound Miss Sparlsles herself, aud
,ear what she thought about the mat
er. Would she, could she? He was thirty.
I've years older thanshe, but he was hale
md hearty, and Ut sixty he matched
Ter twenty-five with not too bad
race. At al events he loved her. and
vas willing to give her his name and
lis fortune, II so be that she could love
i'm and content herself = his wife.
And when he asked her. the little
'irl, bruised and sore and desolate -
he was. unprotected, friendless. home
ess, turned 70 him with that gratitude
vhsrh when mived with rnsnerA aud |