The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-01-09
A FORTUNATE MISFORTUNE.

And trouble others. too.
A FORTUNATE MISFORTUNE.
Miss Lovejoy had been at her
brothers. house but little more than
week, yet already she had to con-
fess to vague feeling of disappoint-
ment.
She had not seen her brother and
his wife for more than seven years,
during all of which she had longed
for them with the homesick intensity
of the exile. The anticipation of this
homecoming had cheered her through
many a dreary term of teaching; yet
now that reality had taken the place
Of anticipation, she found something
lacking.
The old home was still the same,
and her brother and his wife were as
kind as ever but during this time of
separation their only child had grown
from childhood almost to woman
hood. and with the growth had come
a change in father and mother which
made. poor Aunt Ruth feel like an
alien and stranger.
The merry, open-hearted brother
had become quiet and care-woru.
The bright, pretty, cultivated sister
in-1aw, as dear to Ruth as if united
to her by ties Of blood instead of mar
riage, had faded into an almost shah
billy dressed drudge whose only pur-
pose in life seemed to be to keep
Hazel's bed of roses free from thorns.
Both had been as glad as possible
to see their self-reliant, independent
Western sister but it seemed to Ruth
as if their principal interest was in
noting the effect upon her Of HazePs
grace and Hazel's beauty and Hazels
accomplishments. That had been the
constant theme of conversation when
Mr.. Lovejoy was not too preoccupied
to talk at all or his wife had an in
frequent moment of leisure.
Now Aunt Ruth was quite ready
to admit that the grace and beauty
and accomplishments were there, but
the greater grace of helpfulness and
filial gratitude seemed to her both
lacking and unlocked for. Nor was
the girl wholly or even principally to
blame. No return had ever been de.
manded of her for all that had been
given, and the idea of giving unasked
was yet unborn.
Ruth's own few gentle attempts at
remonstrance had been met with such
an air of mild surprise, such earnest
disclaimers on the part of the parents,
that she had seen the futility of
words and resolved to say no more.
She did not wish to be regarded as
meddlesome and disagreeable.
Just now she was feeling particu-
larly out of sympathy with the con-
ditions. As she went steadily on
with the dishes she was washing, she
could hear her niece chatting in ami
mated fashion with caller in the
parlor. She knew that it was Mr..
Bennett, the young man who had
called in the afternoon to see if Hazel
would sing at parlor concert to be
given at the Young Mems Christian
Association rooms the next week.
Mrs. Lovejoy had answered the
bell and informed him that Hazel was
out : but Hazel herself, when she
came home from her drive with girl
friend, had spoken of meeting him,
and told as great joke about his re-
mark that che would call again in
the evening, as the servant had as
sured him she would be in then"
"If the child had only seen what
it meant /" sighed Aunt Ruth to her.
self.
But even Hazel's mother had
laughed the matter off although rather
consciously and with a flush and
when Hazel had smiled and said:
"Never mind, mamma dear. When
I get to be prima donna you shall
have all the servants you want, +" the
smile and the foolish promise had
salved the wound efectually.
AS the young people talked and
laughed together in the parlor, Ruth
could hear HazePs mother moving
softly about upstairs, putting to rights
in her prompt, methodical way the
things which Hazel had left scattered
about when she made her toilet and
hurried down to meet. her caller.
Then by and by door opened, and
suddenly there was the sound of
fall and suppressed cry of pain ;
and Miss Lovejoy, rushing out, found
her sister-in-law lying near the foot
of the back stairs, white to the lips
and with her patient face drawn in
agony.
''I've fallen, Ruth, and I'm afraid
I'm badly hurt. I think my ankle
is broken"
Ruth looked and saw the poor foot
hanging limp and twisted in its we'll
worn slipper.
'It is broken, Helen," she said.
II will call Hazel, and send her for
the doctor at once"
0uL even III ner extremity MIS-.
Lovejoy stretched out a OBTAINING
finger:
"Please, Ruth, don't frighten her."
she said. Couldn't you go your
self? I'll stay quietly here till you
come back"
"My dear, I think Hazel will want
to go, and, anyway, I'm sure it is
best to tell her."
Then, as Ruth started toward the
parlor door, something which she
always says was an inspiration flashed
into her mind. The bo!dness of it
terrified her for moment and made
her pause, but only for a moment.
Then, with a calm face but little
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