The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-05-31
Wasted Half Hours.

! "''N "" "'' H'olIiiiS ''iClC.
"Oh, mama |"
"But, my daughter, you will
lose much you have gained if you
do no prncticing while you are
gonc.'
"But, mama, do hate practic-
ing, am ! have such lovely times at
aunt ,Josic's that there won't be
one minute to spare for the piano. !"
TIalf an hour is a very short
time, my daughter. l have made
it rs easy for you rs | can, SO you
must not complain"
Annie said no more, but in her
heart the discomfort vanished unit il
Il wicked impulse took shape in
her brain.
"Aunt Josie knows nothing
about music,' she thought, "and
she WON'T know whether am
practicing those tircsomc old excr-
ciscs or not. I'll just have good
time drumming, all those hateful
hulf-hours. That's what | will
do -
1t was easier than not, to keep
the resolution, for with her mind
on the gayctics and pleasures be-
fore her Annic's thoughts would
| have wandered from tho most in
tcrcsting lesson, and she took Il
queer sort Of pleasure in the idea
that although she sat at the piano
half an hour each morning she was
nevertheless doing quite as she
liked while there. Occasionally
her cousins would smitc her, or she
would tire Of her own careless
drumming over Of old exercises
and would work for short time
on the proper ones in tho proper
way; but usually her time at the
piano was almost wholly frittcrcd
away.
At last her visit ended, and
with sigh she gathered up all the
sheets of music belonging to her
and packed them in her trunk.
Almost the first subject mcntion-
/ ,I>
the music.
"iour aunt Josie writes INC you
haven't missed Il single mornings s
practice, my daughtcr," said her
mother, "nnd | am very glad to
hear Of it, for your music teacher
called today to say his rccitals be-
gin next week. He was in doubt
whether to place you in the third
or fourth recital, but since you
have practiced SO faithfully these
past three weeks, no doubt he will
find you competent for the higher
grade work."
| Ann ' listened in dismay. Oh,
why hi she been so foolish. AS
soon as an opportunity came she
hurried to the piano and began to
work most earnestly OH the neg
lcctcd exercises, but the lessons
were too long to be learned in less
time than had been given her, and
| when she came to play them before
her instructor she was obliged to
Confess her folly.
"Thrcc weeks Of wasted half.
hours?" exclaimed the German
"Oh, Miss Annie! This is toe
bad, too bad! lie who frittcrs
away time which belongs to some
valuable cmploymcnt-what shall
we call him?"
| Poor Annie was deeply morti.
fled.
'Pll practice the very best I can
| all the time until the recital" she
promised humbly. But the in.
structor shook his head.
"That would have been nccessa.
Try in addition to the skill l hoped
you would gain in those three
weeks" he said. "For their loss
lyou can never atone; but see to it
that you lose not the lesson this
folly should teach you. BE faith
full, child, be faithful; and again
remember, be faithful" and the
musician waved her away in dis.
missal.
| 1t was not an easy thing for An
mic to go home and tell her mother
why her name would not appear
among those who were to play in
the fourth recital. 1t cost her mucb