Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-05-18

with you; that Endy mion would have
covered his face had be but seen yours,
and 40 on?"
II don't know. but I think I should
like it from some persons, he replied,
looking ever so innocent.
Tits savored of familiarity after so
brief an acquaintance aud caused the
princess to glance up in slight surprise,
but only for an instant, for his inno-
cent look disarmed her.
"I have mind to see," she returned,
laughing and throwing her head back
as she looked up at him out of the cor
ner of her lustrous eyes. But / will
pay you a better compliment. / posi-
lively thank you for the rebuke. l do
many things like that. for which / am
always sorry. oh, you don't know how
difficult it is to be good princess"
And she shook her head with a gather
ing of little trouble wrinkles in her
forehead, as much as to say. There is
no getting away from it, though" Then
she breathed a soft little sigh Of tribu-
lation as they walked on.
II know it must be task to be good
when everybody flatters even ones
shortcomings" said Brandon and then
continued in way that, am free to
confess, was something priggish: ut is
almost impossible for us to see our
own faults even when others are kind
enough to point them out, for they are
| right ugly things and unpleasant to
look upon. But lacking those outside
monitors. one must all the more cult
vate the habit of constant Unlocking
and self examination. If we are only
brave enough to confront our faults
and look them in the face, ugly as they
are, we shall be sure to overcome the
worst of them. A striving toward good
will achieve at least a part of it."
"Ohv returned the princess. "But
what is good and what is wrong? So
often we cannot tell them apart until
! we look back at what we have done,
| and then it is all too late. 1 truly wish
to be good more than desire anything
else in the world. l am so ignorant and
helpless and have such strong inclina-
! tons to do wrong that sometimes I
seem to be almost all wrong. The
priests say so much, but tell us so little.
|
and host OF other saints and holy ia
theirs and what nots, but fail to tell us
what we need every moment of our
lives; that is, how to know the right
when we see it, and how to do it; and
how to know the wrong and how to
avoid it. They ask us to believe so
much and insist that faith is the sum
of virtue and the lack of it the sum of
sin, that to faith all things are added,
but we might believe every syllable Of
their whole disturbing creed and then
spoil it all through blind ignorance Of
what is right and what is wrong"
"As to knowing right and wrong"
replied Brandon, 81 think l can give
you rule which, although it may not
cover the whole ground, is excellent
for everyday use. 1t is this, Whatever
makes others unhappy is wrong, what
! ever makes the world happier is good.
AS to how we are always to do this
cannot tell you. One has to learn that
by trying. We can but try, and if we
fail altogether there is still virtue in
every futile effort toward the right
Mary bent her head as she walked
along in thought.
"What you have said is the only ap-
proach to rule for knowing and doing
the right 1 have ever heard. Now
what do you think of me as a flatterer?
But it will do no good. The bad is in
me too strong. 1t always does itself be-
fore l can apply any rule or even real
ize what is coming" And again she
shook her head, with a bewitching lit
tie look of trouble.
Pardon me, your highness, but there
is no bad in you. 1t has been put on
you by others and is all on the outside.
There is none of it in your heart at all.
That evil which you think comes out
of you simply falls from you. Your
heart is all right or l have greatly mis-
judged you" He was treating her al
most as if she were a child.
81 fear, Master Brandon, you are the
most adroit fiatterer of all,'' said Mary,
shaking her head and looking up at
him with a side glance. people have
deluged me with all kinds of fiattery-
have different sorts listed and labeled
but no one has ever gone to the ex-
travagant length of calling me good.
Perhaps they think l do not care for
that, but 1 like it best l don't like the
others at all. If l am beautiful or not,
it is as God made me, and have moth
ing to do with it and desire no credit,
but if l could only be good it might be
my own doing perhaps, and ought to
have praise. l wonder if there is really
and truly any good in me and if you
have read me Alright" Then. looking
up at him with a touch of consterna-
ton, "Or are you laughing at me?"
Brandon wisely let the last sugges-
ton pass unnoticed
Il am sure that 1 am right. You
have glorious capacities for good, but
alas. corresponding possibilities fol
evil. 1t will eventually all depend upon
the man you marry. He can make out
of you perfect woman or the reverse