WORDS THAT STING

New Zealand Tablet, 7 October 1909, Page 1597

WORDS THAT STING

Melia Barter went home that afternoon with a heavy heart She was going to unburden it to her loving mother, but when she saw the handkerchief tied tightly over her forehead she knew she had overworked, and was suffering from nervous headache, to which she was subject. Mrs. Barter sat in front of the sewing machine, trying to finish off some work that was promised for the next day. • ' I'm so sorry, dear mamma,' said Amelia, as she laid her books down on the table, 'that you have headache again. I will run lip those seams, and you go and he down, and perhaps you will feel better.' Amelia's head was soon bent over the machine, and as her eyes followed the stitches her thoughts were as busy as the needle. 'What can be. the matter with all the curls?' she asked herself. 'They treated me in such a cool manner to-day, and I don't know of a single thing I have done to offend them. Even Ruth Summer did not come and ask me to show her how to work out her problems in algebra, and it is the first time she has failed \to ask me to help her for a month past.' . The next day at school the girls treated Amelia in the same unpleasant manner. At recess they walked oft in groups, and left her alone. But after school Ruth Summer, who had been marked zero in algebra, joined Amelia at the corner after the other girls were out of sight, and asked her to show her about the lesson. ' The young girl was very glad to help her schoolmate, but naturally spoke of the way in which her former friends treated her, and asked Ruth to tell her how she had offended them. , . 'It isn't you, Amelia. You have not done anything, but — you won't be angry with me for telling you, will you t The girls have just found out that your father is in the State prison.' . „ , . , . .. 'My father is in the State prison!' exclaimed Amelia. 'He has been dead ten years. He died before we came ICI - e < WellTmaybe they meant that he was in State prison and died there. Of course, you are not to blame for what your father did, and I told them so to-day. . 'But my father never was in State prison 1' exclaimed the young girl, bursting into tears. 'It's a horrid he. Who said such a thing about my father? ' Alice Killingworth said she heard her mother telling somebody about it, and the girls said they always knew there was some mystery about your mother s coming here to -live. But don't mind about it; I'm sorry I told you. Alice is jealous because you have been Number One so long, and perhaps she made up the story. . When Amelia went home she was in such a state of nervous excitement that her mother was frightened. But when amid convulsive sobs, she told the story Ruth had told her the dear, good mother smoothed the daughter's

forehead, and, calming her by her own calm manner, said, ' I cannot believe that Mrs. Killingworth ever told .such - . a story as that. She has been one of my best friends ever since I lived -here. It does not seem as if Alice could be so, cruel as to make up such an untruth j there* must he some mistake somewhere.' • > ( (_ _ ' . > ' But -my father never was in State prison, was he ?' ''No, my dear child. ' Your father died in a retreat. He had a long illness, and that left his mind disordered. Our friends thought he might be restored, and we sent him there, but he died shortly afterwards. It was a sad story, my dear, and I never felt like talking about it, even with you. I thought it best to come here, as there were better opportunities for me to earn my. living and educate you.' x ' But I'll never go to that school another day !' exclaimed the heart-broken child. ' That, my dear, would make me very tmhappy. You know my plans for you, and your standing in school will surely enable you to get a scholarship at college. That has been the object of my work all these years. You know how you have planned to take- care of me, and jput the old sowing machine in the corner after you graduate.' " Amelia threw her arms around her mother's neck, and said : ' I know there is not another mother in the whole world one-half as good as you are, and I will try to bear it all, and go to school again to-morrow for your sake.' Mrs. Barter was finishing off a garment for Mrs. Killingworth, and the next day, when it was done, she took it home. Mrs. Killingworth was very kind to her, and the thought of the sufferings of her beloved child tempted her to unburden her heart to her friend. Mrs. Killingworth was perfectly astonished. She could not even remember of speaking of Mrs. Barter's husband. But after a time she did recall speaking to Mrs. Bowles, who was very much interested in Mrs. Barter, of the sad death of her husband. But she could not remember that Alice was anywhere in hearing. After Alice came home from school her mother asked her to come into the parlor a few minutes. ' Alice,' said her mother gravely, ' did you ever hear me say that Mr. Barter, Amelia's father, was in State prison?' Alice's face became scarlet in an instant. 1 Yes, mamma ; I heard you say something about his being in a retreat.' ' Where were you when you heard me say that?' ' I was studying my algebra lesson behind the portieres.' 'Do you know what a retreat is?' ' I thought it was some kind of a prison or reformatory,, or something. But I'm sorry I said anything about it. I know it was mean in me, and I wish I'd never told, the girls ; but Amelia has been Number One all this time, and she will keep there — and — and ' ' Alice, you have hurt my heart more than you will ever know. I never thought I had a child capable of doing such an unjust, cruel thing, and from such a motive. • Mrs. Barter is a true and noble woman. She has had one. of the saddest trials to bear, and has had a hard time trying to get along, and keep her daughter in school. She has the respect of everybody in town, and Amelia is one of the loveliest girls I ever knew.' ' Mamma, Ido feel dreadfully about it. I will take it all back to-morrow by telling the girls I was mistaken.' ' Take it back, Alice ? Have you any idea how far such a story travels? It is all over town by this time. Even if Amelia's father had been in State prison it would have been cruel in you to have told it. She would be all the more entitled to your help and kindness because such a sorrow had come into her life, especially if she is trying to do the best she can to be true and honored herself. There is no disease so sad to think of as a disordered mind. Thank God every day for our reason, ..and pity those who have it not. Remember this lesson, my child, and never say a word, truthfully or untruthfully, that can injure an innocent person: It almost breaks my heart to think that you, of all girls, having such an honored father, and all the comforts of life, should be so unmindful of it and the sorrows of others. You know what you ought to do about this matter. You can go to your room now. I hope the Lord will give you strength and light to do, what is right.' A half-hour later Alice was in Mrs. Barter's little sitting-room, and with tears of true repentance and words that came right from her heart, was asking Amelia's forgiveness for her cruel words. The next day she made #11 .the reparation she could with her schoolmates; but there are always some people who like to get hold of a bit of scandal and retail it about, and thus it was a long time before the story Alice had circulated ran itself to death.