Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-11-10
WOMAN WITH
A CONSCIENCE.
1t Was Too Nice For Practical
Purposes.


Its troublesome thing to have. is
a conscience abnormally developed"
ruminated Olivia. Next to being com
monsensiblc or trying to be dignified
there's nothing so likely to render one
ridiculous and unpopular. l almost
wish it was possible to have ones con-
science shaved like a beard, or ampu-
tated like n corn, or pulled out like II
defective tooth. Personally. I'm rath-
er tired Of being perpetual sla"c to
the thing called conscience"
whats the matter now?' l quericd.
You see. knew Olivia very well-have
known her since she was an infant in
arms. in fact-and | could read the
signs of her mental unrest. | knew she
had been ''opening her mouth and put
ting her foot into it, once more. as the
Irishman said. Olivia is rather unfor-
tunate that way always. If there's
any tongue trouble going anywhere,
she's pretty sure to pick it up some
how or other.
"Oh, it's nothing new-at least not
more than Il half a dozen new brain
pangs or conscience pains" she replied.
Il have merely been rcflecting-rather
sadly-upon the dolcfulness of possess
ing Il conscience in good working order
when such an article is distinctly and
decidedly out of fashion and when one
doesn't know how to control it in the
least"
A dear little girl is Olivia, all the
more lovable. perhaps, because OF the
inconscQUCncc which is naturally hers
She 'rambles on sweetly." as her sis
ter says of her when cOnverSing with
her intimateS-juSt thinking aloud. |
knew | should get to the bottom of her
latest trouble presently If only didn't
interrupt and send her off on another
track at tangent so l merely smiled
sympathctically and waited in silence.
"When l was a child" she sighed
presently. II don't believe l was bit
popular although l think most people
liked me. And l know l didn't have
half the fun some of the other girls
did, and all because my conscience was
as NY bloliiNl Sui'
Il never left my Sunday school les
son unlearned or my music lesson un-
practiced because l wanted to go violet
hunting or coasting Saturday after
noon," she continued. with sigh. Il
was too conscientious for that. And l
always owned up to the mischief I'd
done and refused to share in the tri-
fling consequences of the mischief I
hadn't done for the very same reason.
When | became tritle older, l passed
low in many an examination because L
wouldn't make use of borrowed Ian
Suage or look at my books the very last
thing A little later l earned unpopu-
larity among my fellows because 1
never would say l was glad to see ary
one when I could not say so honestly"
And now
"And the worst of it all is that I
don't believe l ever was or ever Will
be one bit the better for all these con-
science troubles" was the commence
ment of the next "ramble," for the
sake of which she left the previous one
unfinished. "As little child worrying
over my Sunday school lesson | cer-
tainly sinned just as much on the side
of spiritual pride and childish 'puffed-
upednCsS' as l would have done on
the grounds of neglect of duty had 7
enjoyed my Saturday afternoons as the
other children did. 1t is an open qucs-
tion if I wouldn't have been really
better girl had l sometimes kept still
about my own small wrongdoings as
we'll as tacitly owned up to a few
which hadn't committed. The slightly
pharisaical attitude of mind came
strongly into play again over the 'ex-
I'm pads I wouldn't borrow and the
crib knowledge I would have none OF.
and. although l never did say I was
glad TO see any one falsely, I've strain
ed the truth and cracked my con-
sciences funny bone many time try
ing to think OF some other convention
ally pleasant thing to say. And now
"Well. what is it?" pressed her, de-
termincd to fathom the trouble at last.
"What has happened 'nowT"
But she merely shook her head
mournfully and rambled on.
ITS a point of conscience with me.
It always has been, to look at all things
from both sides. and. in consequence.
many n time I've looked at n given
question from both sides of the fence
until I've impaled myself upon 1t and