The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-06-12
, ,,.My Intimate
Enemy.

things for the sake of her pretty face
There was much to forgive; she haC
done me evil and not good, from the
time, when we were children, that she
had come into my life.
Hyla was the only child of my
mothers only brother, an officer IN the
Navy, lost at sea when IIyla was little
more than baby. His widow mar.
red again after Il barely decent inter-
val, and the stcp-father took n violent
aversion to the little girl. So IIyla
came to live with us, the only relations
who were willing to have he1.
Never were two cousins more un-
like ,.an she and |. In person Hyla
closely rcscmblcd my beautiful mother;
was like my fathers family. brought
up with boys from my ba5yhood, |
was romp and \ tom-hoy at ten years
of age; lIya, at eight was, so my moth
er said, Il perfect little lady.
elf only Anne were more like Hyla,"
she signed over and over, after my
various cscapaaes, never dreaming how
often my mischief was suggested by
her model, who was the vericst little
coward that ever breathcd When
Hya would have fish she was apt to
seek some one else to wet their feet in
pursuit OF it,
My father always stood my friend.
I" Let the child alonc,' he used to say.
/" Let her be hcrsclf," and once, when
he found me sobbiny alone in a cor
ner, after an unusually severe lecture
upon my own shortcomings aud IIyla's
perfections, he kissed me and comfort
ed me with
"l like my little daughter as she is.
BE brave and true, dear, and the pol
ish will come later; You will need it
you know; even a diamond ls the bet
ter for cutting and setting"
After that | tried hard to be gcntlcr
and more ladylike, and think sue
ceeded fairly well, but ! did not want
to be like Hya.
think she must have taken after
her mother in character, although my
mother, who tctcs,cd her sistcr-in-law
as much as she loved her niece, would
never admit it. liyla never took a
straight way to anything If she could
make for herself crooked path.
Sneak and tcll-talc," my brothers
called her, and they scolded me for
being her catspnw; although even they
never guessed how often my frocks
were torn climbing for fruit for iIyla,
nor how many times was punished
for misdeeds which Hyla would not nc
knowledge, and was too proud to
charge her with.
Anne never tells tales" said the
boys, and truly never did, whatever
my silence might cost me.
At school it WAS the same story.
carried Hyla through q many rough
places, shielding her again and again.
! refused to write her exercises or tC
do her examples, but knew that she
copied mine, rs soon AZ my back was
turned, and more than once / was
Obliged to rewritc a theme because the
one had prepared was missing. Upol
such occasions ilyla invariably hat
credit marks for hers.
There was one person upon WHOM
Hyla's winning ways had no effect
Aunt Thornton, my fathers widowe
sister, whose wealth and strength {
character made her a power in til
family, had no love for llyla. foun
her n veritable fairy godmother, an
as a child ! made many delight
visits TO her beautiful city home, b
Hyla accompanied me only once. IN,
Aunt Thornton detected her in a pet
theft, which she attempted to hide
falsehood, and promptly took Il
home.
al can not undertake the rcspon
bility Of a child who does not speak t
TRUTH" she said to my mother, and
spite OF mammals entrcaties, and
imagine, scarcely concealed lndign
tion at her harshncss, she positive
refused to allow Hyla to visit ht
again.
Anne has all the Douglas hont
and honesty" Aunt Thornton used t
say. The dear soul never drcame
how much the object-lcsson of her ow
integrity strengthened NINE.
1t was not until Hyla and ! wel
both women grown, that togcthc
once more, we visited Aunt Thornton
Even then, fancy my aunt woul
have preferred that l should 90 alon,
but my mother asked for and obtaine
an invitation for her darling.
"Surcly you are not going to T.
member childish fault throughout a
time," she pleaded.
Aunt Thornton had no children, b,
she was devoted to her step.son
whom she had been a mother since h
was five years old.
Ned Thornton was my hero; | ca
not remember when | did not love hi,
better than any of my brothers, fon
as was of them, and the little girl an
the big boy were chums always.
was visiting his mother when h
went 10 Europe, to study IN German,
ana travel afterwards. The partin
nearly broke my heart, and / went bi,
terly when l badc him good-bye,
rll write to you ALI the time. an
wen be married when I coma hocL
he whispered, as he kissed me in far,
well. Later understood that hc yo
joking, but the promise comfor,cd "" ~
at the time. Since then we had knr
up more or less regular correspont t
ence, which had been among the 70, 10,
OF my life, but never a word Of ioyy
had there been in his letters. "