Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1893-11-18

SS'% w =" ut~H 6tt hSAuf Auu no
visit around so much, nobody will
be able TO tell who / am talking
about. OILY you may be sure Of
thIs-it was one OF you. and OF course
that right one viii know all about il.
II the story fits others, am I to
blamey
l was spending the day. Ny
young friend-whom l will call Ann
because there isnt q. single girl Of
my acquaintance who answers 10
that name--had the toothache. had
been suffering all the morning. Ste
appeared at the lunch table with her
hair all in disorder and shawl
wrapped about her shoulders, al
though the dining room was SO warm
that the rest OF us were uncomfor-
table. Also there was q frown on
her pretty face. Everybody was
kind to her, and thoughtful of her
comfort; but still Ann frowned, and
acted as though we were all more
or less to blame for her suiferings.
Her brother Joab--don't imagine
| am going to be caught by giving
you his true name-sat next to her
and passed her glass ofwster.
Il don't want any water" said
Ann; and she glowered at him as
though he had shown her an insult.
"What do you suppose want Of
cold water, when the very sight Of
anything cold makes me feel worsei"
"Poor thing y said Joab. aHsve
you tried bit of cotton wet with
peppermint heard somebody say
that was splendid for toothsche."
A bit of cotton |" repeated Ann,
with sniff. "Where would I put
It'll l have told you dozen times
that the tooth isn't decayed."
Joab said no more. The next
offender was her sister. We will
call her Jemima.
II do wish you wouldn't poke
you elbows into me,' said Ann,
giving the offending elbow such
nudge that Jemima was very near
dropping the cup she was raising to
her lips.
Jemima laughed good-naturedly,
and said she guessed it vast elbows
80 much as nerves that troubledAnn.
Well, / need not describe the
whole meal, 1t is, perhaps, sufficient
to say that Ann sustained the char
acter which have limited at, she
left the dining.room in q huff, be-
cause the girl held the door open at
her back.
s'Poor childi" said her mother.
She is not used to pain and 1t makes
her irritable"
At the six o'clock dinner | was
surprised TO se Ann, for | had been
told that she was suffering all the
afternoon; and, indeed there were
dark rings under her eyes which
told of pain. But her hair was ar
ranged neatly, and the shawl did
not appear. Miss Pennington, the
new assistent music-teacher at the
college, was taking dinner there,
and sat between Ann and Joab.
When a glass Of water was given
Miss Pennington, she looked at her
neighbor on the left and said:
"will you have some dear 7"
sNo, I thank you" answered Ann
10 . most ladylike way; and there
was not blot Of the very sight Of
water" increasing her pain.
Not long afterwsrd Miss Penning-
ton looked at Ann who by the way
Is one one Of her music pupils, and
said:
81 am afraid / am crowding you,
dear. You haven't room for your
| fruit plate"
Wereupon she proceeded TO re-
move some of her dishes to the other
side OF her plate.
"Oh, no, indeed ~ said Ann, in
the most angelic tones. 81 have
plenty of room PenDington's we're
nearer than Jemima's had been.
| Now, what puzzles me is, why did
the toothach so affect AIMS nerves
ct noon that she could not sTeak
pleasantly TO her own brother and
sister and yet, having suffered
in the same way all the afternoon.
| allow her to be sweet and Iadylike
to Miss Pennington, lady whom
she had known but a few weeks, and
| whom she did Joab and Jemima.
leave the matter With you.
/ Only l can not help wondering
wheih T you are acquainted with Ann
and whether sou know any Other
young people who have as queel
| nerves as he.-Pansy.
Don't give up in despair acknow
ledge that you hopeless slave Z