The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-03-24
BERTHA'S UNLUCKY OPAL.

Among the Christmas gifts received
by an uptown young lady was beauti
full opal ring of exquisite design. The
opal setting was as large as Boston
bean and in its depth shimmcred the
combined, subdued and refined sun
and moon beams, like the reflection Of
q rainbow upon the crystal surface OF
| a secluded mountain pool. The ring
was the gift of the young lady's lover,
and the gift carried with it the evil
lence of a true heart and q depleted
| pocketbook.
When the ring shone forth in all its
FURNISHED glory the recipient shed
lars of Joy as she fitted it upon ths'
,humb of her left hand, it being too
l,rge for any of her fingers. She raised
t to her lips and kissed it fervently;
hen, running into her mothers room,
reclaimed: "Hello, nom. wake up
| here, and get some life into you. It's
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 il
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. Nol No! That would nos
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 piece of my mind the first
time he comes here, see if 7 don't.
Now, Bertha, 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
he Goals and sat down upon chai,
and wept bitterly for the space of hal!
an hour, when it occurred to her tina,
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
hal not hestatel to throw away an
evidence of her lovers affection iE
obedience to her mothers command.
Her frame shook with emotion and
! cold, her teeth chattered 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.
nent, 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,
we'll, Bertha, you can keep it, and we'll
rust 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
liuning- room, 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
Hant, went for tho mouse, which raE
light in front of Mrs. Murtha, and she,
ripping over the pet, fell forward, and
hrew the plate containing the turkey
,owards the table, where it landed
among the dishes, breaking several and
sending the coffee urn and cream
pitcher on the floor. Poor old Mrs.
Lnkens was so frightened that she
Jumped up so quick and so high that
ler head struck the bird cage that was
hanging near the window and knocked
1t down, the bird escaping just as old
Ait, the turtle-shell cat, came rushing
IN the room. In IN instant the bird
Wa+ corpse, for the cat had caught it,
7 ha mess was cleared up and tho
Inner proceeded with. Things had
uot gone far. however, when Jacob
Murtha, Bertha's father, broke the
horn handle and carving knife in two
as he was trying to unjoint one of the
turkeys wings. The end of the knife
llew in one direction while the dismem-
oered wing flew in another and landed
against framed picture OF Columbus
discovering america with such force az
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
hat he never took time to notice that u
large vase of wax fruit, which Aunt
Belle Lukens had brought as Christ
mas present for her sister, was on the
piano. Tom threw the lid up with q
vim. and crash went the frail glass cov-
ering, while the fruit, that looked as
natural as if it had grown, was smashed
INTO atoms of different colored bees
wax.
After sweeping up the broken glass
md wax Bertha began to play some OF
her classic music, and while attempt.
ing to turn the sheet as she was rat.
Ting off one of the most difficult bars
Of Bobby. Will Your Dog Bitey'
Tom's foot slipped as he trod upon a
piece of wax banana peel and he went
Sprawlino unon the KEYS of the instru-