Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-15
BERTHA'S UNLUCKY OPAL.

Among the Christmas gifts received
by an uptown young lady was bcauti-
full opal ring of exquisite design. The
opal setting was as large as Boston
bean and in its depth shimmered the
combined, subdued and refined sun
and moon beams, like the reflection of
n rainbow upon the crystal surface of
secluded mountain pool. The ring
was the gift of the young lady's lover,
and the gift carried with it the evil
lence of true heart and a depleted
pocketbook.
When the ring shone forth in all its
bnrnished glory the recipient shed
tears of Joy as she fitted it upon the
thumb of her left hand, it being too
large for any of her fingers. She raised
it to her lips and kissed it fervently;
then, running into her mothers room,
exclaimed: "Hello, MON. wake up
there, and get some life into you. 1t $
Christmas morning, and I've got one of
the sweetest rings you ever dreamed Of.
1t came from dear old precious Tom.
Bless his loving soul! See, here it is
now gaze upon the treasure rare.
The mother sprang out of bed, lit
the kerosene lamp and taking the ring
from her daughters thumb, held it
close to the light. After examining it
she dropped the jewel upon the bureau
and exclaimed:
Bad luck as sure as you're alive.
Send it right back to the giver. No,
throw it out of the window as quick as
you can. No! No! That would not
do, for some poor creature might pick
it up. Pitch it into the fire, for you'll
have bad luck as long as you keep it.
Tom is an ignorant dolt to spend his
hard earned money on such trash. I'll
give him a piece of my mind the first
time he comes here, see if 1 don't
Now, Bertha I want you to do just
what I've told you and burn up that
omen of i'll luck
Bertha left the room in far more
detected mood than she had entered it.
She went to the kitchen, threw open
the window and looked out upon the
spotless snow that lay untrodden in
the back yard. She raised the lid
from the stove, threw the ring in upon
the Goals and sat down upon q chair
and wept bitterly for the space of half
an hour, when it occurred to her that
the room was cold. There she sat
wrapped in thin gown and her own
thoughts, thoughts or regret and rebel
lion. She had always been dutiful
and obedient daughter, and even now
had not hesitated to throw away an
evidence of her lovers affection in
obedience to her mothers command.
Her frame shook with emotion and
cold, her teeth chartered and she be-
came most miserable. Arising, she
walked to the stove, placed her dainty
hand upon it anu found that it, too,
was cold. She raised the lid, and
there, half buried in the cold ashes,
lay the ring. Gazing upon it for mo-
ment, she picked it up, and replacing
it upon her thumb, ran down into the
cellar for wood to kindle the fire
The ring was saved, and on informing
her mother how she had obeyed her
command, the old lady replied : ''Oh,
well, Bertha, you can keep it, and we'll
trust to luck. Everything went along
all right till nearing dinner time, when,
just as Mrs. Murtha was carrying the
roasted turkey from the kitchen to the
dinningroom, luckless mouse ran out
from its hiding place across the floor.
Prince, the pug dog, saw the mouse,
and springing from the lap of Mrs
Isabella Lukens, Mrs. Murtha's aged
aunt, went for the mouse, which ran
right in front of Mrs. NIurtha, and she,
tripping over the pet, fell forw ard, and
threw the plate containing the turkey
towards the table, where it landed
among the dishes, breaking several and
sending the coffee urn and cream
pitcher on the floor. Poor old Mrs.
Lukens was so frightened that size
jumped up so quick and so high that
her head struck the bird cage that was
hanging near the window and knocked
it down, the bird escaping just as old
Kit, the turtlesh cat, came rushing
into the room. In an instant the bird
was a corpse, for the cat had caught it.
The mess was cleared up and tho
dinner proceeded with. Things had
not gone far, however, when jacob
Murtha, Bertha's father, broke the
horn handle and carving knife in two
us he was trying to unjoint one of the
turkeys wings. The end of the knife
flew in one direction while the dismem-
bered wing flew in another and landed
against framed picture of Columbus
discovering America with such force as
to smash the glass and smeer the old
navigator all over with turkey grease
No further mishaps occurred till late
in the afternoon, when Bertha under
took to amuse the. company by playing
upon the piano She requested Tom
Fletcher, her beau, who had called
early in the afternoon. to raise the pi.
ano lid. He was so eager to oblige her
that he never took time to notice that {,
large vase of wax fruit, which Aunt
Belle" Lukens had brought as a Christ
mas present for her sister, was on the
piano. Tom threw the lid up with Il
vim. and crash went the frail glass Gov
ering, while the fruit, that looked az
natural as if it had grown, was smashed
into atoms of different colored bees.
wax.
After sweeping up the broken glass
and wax Bertha began to play some of
her classic music, and while attempt-
ing to turn the sheet as she was ra.-
thing off one of the most difficult bars
of Bobby, Will Your Dog Bite?''
Toms foot slipped as he trod upon L
piece of wax banana peel and he Wen;