The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-05-13

world spring from initial circumstances
no bigger than mustard seed. Among
the domestic duties which Miss Sparkles
had hitherto performed 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 good house
keeper should be. During the daughter
like epoch of Miss Sparkles' manage
ment, 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 come in as the successor, sud
denly, eric! crac! as the French say,
tie KEYS of the linen closet were de-
manded, and the care of the linen was
handed over to the newcomer.
GLOW have l deserved this"' said
Miss Sparkles, flaming, as was not I'M
natural. 81 have done my duty. Why
do you dispossess me?"
"That is my affair."" said Mrs.
Grahame. "Surely can do what like
with my ownY'
Well. the brighteyed 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 overwhelming amount. She
did make it rather uncomfortable Tor
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 MT
ting handle for the shaft she wanted TO
throw, and gave Miss Sparkles her
congo. -.
warm nest on to the bare and prlckly
perch. the poor little girl was cast into
space, and if she fell to the ground al
together. neither Mrs. Grahame insti-
Gated NV Anne. nor 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, wiid-tempered neglectful,
impossible. 1t was the fashion to pre-
tend 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
as She had become. And Oracle took
her place calamity, and played into her
aunt's hands, as it was intended she
should. ,..,
In the neighbcrhood 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, vivacious, clever
little girl, with her ready wit and I'M
firing hei pfulness, her good humor,
general ability, keen perceptions and
perspicacity. He had admired and
loved her, and in some sort envied his
neighbor, Mrs. Gfahame, for the pos
session of such a pleasant little singing
bird for whom he, too, would have been
fain to find suitable cage. But 1t
never occurred to him to disturb exist
ing arrangements, and he kept himself
too tightly in hand to allow himself to
regret, to desire, to plan. When, now
ever, the pretty girl was dispossessedC,
and so unfairly and so unceremonlously
treated, he reconsidered his own position
and hers, and thought over within him
self, wondering if 1t would be possible
| if it would be wise-if it would be right?
But, nothing venture, nothing win, and
at least he might sound Miss Sparkles
herself, AMI hear what she thought about
the matter. Would she? Could sheP
He was thirty-five years older than she,
but he was hale and hearty, and at sixty
he matched he 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
! yirl hI,IiSed anil Ooro and desOlatG as
she was, unprotected, friendless, home
less, turned to him with that gratitude
which, when mixed with respect and
personal liking makes nn ~ ; ouDsI't 1';t
| for love, and said, - Us, she l0Ved MN
we'll enough 20 be his good and faithful
wifc, and she would spend all her
strength and energy i'll making him
happy, so that he should never regret
the trust he had placed in her"
And thus, as is often in life, her
trouble became her wellspring of joy,
and her fall was the platform on which
she foun her prosperity. The marriage
turned well-in all respects grandly
well. Miss SparlIles, with her bright
ness and her vivacity, brought the sun
shine of youth and gayety into her hus-
bands erStwhile gloomy house. Loving
no one else, she loved him with her
whole heart, and never knew the
moment when she regretted her mar
riage. Nothing could be more harmo-
NOUS than her life, nothing more pros
porous, nothing more perfect. 1t was
round of pleasantness and an uninter-
rupted flood of sunshine; while poor
Mrs Grahame, between Anne and her
niece, was as grist between the upper
and the neither millstOne-irOn between
the hammer and the anvil, and could no
more call her very soul her own. And
her beautiful store of linen dwindled
strangely and rapidly, and what was
left went into decay, and was left to
ruin unrepaired. This was her punish
ment for listening to malevolence, and
being weak enough to believe evil re-
ports unsubstantiated by facts or proofs.
The Queen.