Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-01-06
THE GIRL NOBODY LOVED.

and again with queer Tightening
about her heart that was like a
real pain. And she had tossed her
head and set her'lips in defiant little
smile. Nobody should know that she
cared. Never!
1t was on her eighteenth birthday
that Aunt Elizabeth made a sugges-
ton which caused the girl to open her
eyes, and then to laugh little. 1t
was such an odd idea-so like Aunt
Elizabeth!
"Then, Pm to hold up everybody I
meet till I've said something bril-
liant?" she observed. Not exactly"
and Aunt Elizabeth smiled, unruf1ed,
"but I've noticed that you pass your
acquaintance with mere nod or a
curt good morning. I wish you
would try the experiment of saying
something pleasant to each one unless
there is some good reason against it. !"
''It will grow rather t1resome," said
the girl, and she shrugged her shout
ders.
"Try it for week, suggested Aun
Elizabeth; and rather to her own sur
prise, the girl found herself giving the
promise.
She came very near forgetting her
pledge when she met Mrs. Anderson
on the street the next morning; in
fact, she had passed with her usual
uncompromising nod, when the recol-
lection of her promise flashed into her
mind. She prided herself on being
girl of her word, and she turned
quickly.
Chow is Jimmy to -day?" she said,
speaking out the first thing that came
into her mind.
There was a good deal of detail in
Mrs. Anderson's answer. Jimmy had
been sick with the measles, and then
had caught cold and been worse. Mrs.
Anderson poured out her story as if it
was relief to find listener, and as
she talked on, that particular listener
found herself more interested than
she would have believed possible in
Jimmy and his mother. She said that
she had some old scrapbooks which
Jimmy might enjoy looking over, and
Mrs. Anderson flushed and thanked
her with more gratitude than the
slight favor seemed to warrant.
At the very next corner was Cissy
Bailey and the girl wondered if her
promise covered the washerwoman's
daughter and people of that sort.
But she did not let herself wonder
very long.
'It was very kind of you to bring
home the clothes so early last week,
Cissy. was in a hurry for that shirt
waist"
Cissy Bailey did not know what to
answer. She smiled in an embar-
raised way, and looked up and then
down. But the girl whom nobody
liked had seen something in the up
lifted eyes which warmed her heart
and made that one sided conversation
something to remember.
She stopped Mrs. White to ask her
if she would like to read the book she
had just finished, and she patted little
Barbara Smiths soft cheeks as she
inquired if the new baby sister had
grown at all. When she could think
of nothing else she said, "Hasn't this
been a beautiful day." and her
earnestness rather surprised some
people, who had not had opportuni-
ties for realizing that that there was
anything unusual about the day. The
days went by, and she did not find
opportunity to say anything very
brilliant.
By the time the week was over the
girl whom nobody liked had learne d
a valuable lesson. She had found out
that hearts respond to cordiality and
kindness, just as the strings of one
musical instrument vibrate in unison
with the chord struck in another 1t
is new discovery, since long ago it
was written in wise book: ga man
that hath friends must show himself
friendly" yet this is one of the truths
that each person must rediscover on
his own account. And the girl who
was learning to love everyone and
was tasting the JOY of being loved,
thanked God that she had not waited
any longer before finding out the
wonderful secret for herself.-Younq
Peoples Weekly.
"DOn'ts'' for Young HOasekeepers.
Don't put butter in your refrigera-
tor with the wrappings on.