The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-04-27
Selected Storp.
Miss Sparkles.

ana she might at times name OUT lnLO
rage when things went wrong and
her blood was up; but this only re-
deemed her from the monotony of
cheerfu,ness, and gave her the variety
that belongs to rich nature. or the
darker, the more sullen passions, she
had not a trace; and the worst that
could be said 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, for she was an
orphan, with no greater protection than
might be found in a couple of fine
hearted brothers, one of whom was on
o 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 Greathearts; 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 hap
piness in the association which gave
herself loving companion and Miss
Sparkles an affectionate home. But
trouble had 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 her 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 Sparkles would be vast deal
better employed getting her living in
some quasi mental way that would teach
her her place, rather than living here as
the daughter of the house, where never
a daughter was wanted. What did
Missus want with young person hang
ing around when she, her own old
Anne, was there to look after her COM
forts and see to her fads and fanciesp
And if she did want any one, 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
a 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 eff
cient for its purpose; and for the first
time in their joint lives together the
kind old friend and quasi-mother began
to donbt, to suspect, and find fault with
her adopted daughter. The home which
had once been like a 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. Grahame, who in times
gone by had never spoken harsh word
to her bright-eyed companion, now
scarce ever spoke a kind one. Poor
Miss Sparkles opened those bright eyes
of hers to the widest, but she could not
understand what was passing about her,
and Mrs. Grahame did not explain
nor did her old maid, Mrs. Anne. Mrs.
Anne would have been a little EN-.
barrassed 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 appointment
of one of her own. 1t would have been
a sorry and sordid revelation had she
shown how at every instant she stole
into Mrs. Grahame's room when Miss
Sparkles was away, saying in low
whisper: "She just did this" "She
said that" Watch her when she
comes, and just see how she looks; :"
"She had some underhand work going
on, and l can't abide them underhand
ways myself. All! you should see my
niece, Gracie There's girl, if you
like, as true as true, and as upright as
they make theml" "Call that good
needlework, nam? Why, my niece
Gracie's work would beat them out of
the field!" And so on.
As constant dropping wears away the
hardest granite, so do these incessant
insinuations and fault. findings make
their mark on even the stoutest heart
the strongest love. And when coupled
with continual belittlement Of one is
the corresponding exaltation of another,
the seed sown is sure to terminate, and
dstrust here reacts in desire there.
AS Mrs. Grahame grew cooler and
cooler, more dissatisfied with and es-
tranged from Miss Sparkles, she grew
more wistful to see this paragon, this
Oracle, niece to old Anne, her faithful
friend and servant, who was so
far superior to her own dscredited
and dsgraced favorite. 1t was in
vain that poor dear Miss Sparkles
tried to recover her lost ground. She
had no foothold, nothing by which to
cling, and no tangible obstacle to over
come. She was simply slipping down
the steep incline; and each attempt to
make stand and have it 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-rubber ball that gives you no
solid part to pummel, and only yields to
your blows and returns Immediately to
the old form? When Miss Sparkles,