The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-04-13

asked her brother Charley.
81 was thinking Of Miss Martha Dun
bar, and what life she leads, with all
that tumult OF nephews and nieces
about her ears the whole time"
Pretty stiff, 20 be sure. | can SEQ
the pity OF 1t, but where is the folly2
That strikes me as an extraordinary
word Ia connection with Miss Martha.
thought She was painfully sensible"
$50 She IS There Is just the trouble.
She gives her life To being sensible,
and then isn't sensible enough not to
make il painful 10 everybody who
comes near her"
Charley nodded an energetic assent.
"She certainly is person you would
rather admire at distance"
Eyes; every body feels so. And isn't
IL piaful? Miss Martha is really maxi
ing great sacrifice, the kind that
would bring tears 10 your eyes in
tract. She has given up her work that
she loved, and was making such sue
cess OF, and has settled down entirely
TO tho care of those children. They
are nice children, but very much alive,
and up 20 date; not nt all the old
fashioned theoretical kind that Miss
Martha has been imagining 20 herself
for the last twenty years. They give
her plenty TO do. Keeping their clothes
mended, and all those faces washed
and hands clean isn't any sinecure,
can tell you"
more like manicure, isn't ftp" In
quired Charley. with n chuckle.
Helen looked doubtful whether 20
recognize this hit, but concluded she
would, and then went on:
''She does her duty by them very
thoroughly and very raspingly, poor
little midgets | am afraid they are
In a constant state of rebellion and
disgust. You see, their own mother
was so different; they are not accus-
toned TO prunes, prisms, from morn
ing TO night"
1T must be pretty doleful for them,
that's fact" agreed Charley. II
should hate 20 live In the house with
an incarnate strait Jacket myself"
Miss Martha is too fond OF right
eous Indignation" said Helen. "Airs
Dunbars righteousness took another
form whenever IL possibly could; and
seem tragic for good, superior woman
to be taking up her cross daily and de-
nying herself just 10 make her own life
and everybody's else uncomfortablc?''
Are you going 20 write her an an
onymous letter about tip"
~ wish / could wish could do
something Isn't there anything you
can suggest2'
''Only the letter"
IL was much later In the day that
Charley's idle words came back into
Helen's mind with some sort OF scri-
BUSINESS. She was passing n counter
loaded with Easter cards, OF which one
instantly caught her eye; 10 showed
the open sepulcher and the sunlit
morning and the budding spring, with
the words: 81 am the Resurrection
and the Life"
"How pretty" thought Helen, stop
ping TO look. ~ don't know when /
have sent an Easter card; but should
like 20 send that. 10 Is so sweet and
hopeful and sunshiny; 10 might speak
peace 60 anybody even Miss Martha.
why. vest IL Will do instead OF Char
ley's letter"
So she bought IL; but when she got
home she hesitated long about actual
" sending II.
Miss Martha will not see Il with my
eyes. IL will just mean pasteboard 20
her and the compliments Of the season.
You couldr'. expect 70 TO preach her
the same sermon that IL does me. And
can't very well add footnote TO say:
BE happy aud you viii be good, and
will give those poor childFen a more
Christian idea Of Easter"
She changed her mind half dozen