Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-01-15

anu now sht WAS aMU3ttoU8 70 /
show him that his kindness was not |
thrown away. For this only, and
not 70 crafty any ambition OF her
own, she hoped TO carry OF the
prize.
She was not very hopeful Of IL
Marian Hamilton had enjoyed the adj
vantage of the school twice as long as
she. Marian had talent and brilliancy.
Jane was not sure whether she had or
not. She knew that she was not bril-
liant or quick. She could not get .
difficult lesson In @fifteen minutes, as
Marian had frequently. done. What
ever success she had achieved had cost
her hard and pcrsevering labor. But
as she began TO. feel dispondent in
calculating the chances Of success,
this passage came to her mini. ''The
race il not 20 the swift, nor the battle
to the strong" Besides, IL she did
not win the prize, she would at least
have the benefit of trying. So she re-
solved TO enter the list-toI do as we'll
as she possiblyseould. .and. then quiet
liz leave the result 10 time.
Are you going 10 write for the
prize, Jane?" asked one OF her school,
fellows.
The questioncr was Marian Trevor.
already mentioned as asychophantic
admirer OF Marian Hamilton.
She ran straight to her idol, TO tell
her OF JanesAshton's intention.
LET the beggar write." z said
Marian, in accents OF strong con-
tempt. eth amuse her, and hatter
myself it will not interfere particularly
with me. :. Do you think there's any
chance OF gaining the prize over my
head, Marian?''
s'Gain the prize over. She might as
well undertake 10 climb up to the
moon withsa ten'foot ladder.''
Marian smiled n smile of sclf-satis-
fed approval of this adolation, and
dismissed the subject from her mind.
Meanwhile, Jane Ashton lost no
time in selecting a subject for her
essay. She felt that in order TO stand
any chance .of fsucccss, IL would be
necessary 10 do her best. After con-
siderable reflection, she decided 70
make choice OF ''Self-Reliance," and
its important bearing upon the indi-
yidual character and upon success In
life.
He design was to weave in as many
prominent instances of this trait as
her reading should supply, and en-
force her view by appealing to their
examples TWAS not long before she
became very much interested in her
self chosen task, and when at lenght
she had completed 1t, It was not with
out degree Of pardonable pride,
i that she surveyed her work.
Meanwhile, Marian Hamilton did
not hasten to undertake her task. She
was not disposed to exert herself.
When the question was asked why she
delayed so long, she answered with
confidence, Zone day will be enough
to write mine. don't pretend I'd dig
Hike some folks. x.Thank goodness,
am rapid WORKER
Finally she selected as Der subject,
the not uncommon One-''A parallel
between Washington and Napoleon"
She was influenced In the selection
chiefly by the thought that IL would be
less trouble to write upon this subject
than any other. certainly her. heart
was not In it, nor was she in any way
fitted to comprehend and appreciate
the character of Washington.
However. 10 do her justice, 10 must
he acknowledged that her essay was q
very good one, considering the amount
OF labor sheI had. expended upon 1t.
She had the faculty of easy and smooth
expression, and TO the superficial
reader her essay. would seem very
good.
Only the day before the essays were
To be handed in, rumors reached
Marian that Jane Ashton had written
a very superior essay. Some of the
girls had seen IL, and were confident
that she would gain the prize. Until
this time Marian had not-felt n doubt
OF her own success. Even now she
thought that the merit of her rivals
essay must be very much exaggerated,
still the possibility of James success
was enough to fili-her with. uneasiness
and she determined TO find out through
her fiatterer, Marian Trevor. how
good itrreally was. Accordingly,
Marian borrowed the essay, and
secretly showed It TO Marian. She
read it-with i'll concealed dismay. II
was rnuch better than her own. In
spite of her self-love, she could not
help seeing that, nor did Marian's de-
preciating remarks at all blind her TO
the fact. Without, however, betray-
ing her disquiet, she requested Marian
tn return IL and then formed her plans.
She remembered'sth Madame De
Lancy had warned her that blot
would exclude an essay from competi-
ton. The thought inspired her with
= design of.unutterable meanness.
That evening she stole into the
school room, and creeping to James
desk, took out the essay which Jane
had written with such great care and
neatness. and,daubed one of the inside
pages with ink. This done, she hastily
left the school-room, and without one
thought of her meanness, thinking only
with exultation that the prize was now
hers beyond doubt she retired 20 bed.
The next morning the essays were
handedin. Janedid not inopenhsrs,
and therefore was not aware of the fatal