AN UNTALENTED GIRL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 18, 2 May 1907, Page 37

AN UNTALENTED GIRL

' It seems too 'bad that such a girl as Beth should ibe simply buried alive in a little town like this ! Why, with such talents as she has, it does seem as if she ought to be making herself felt in the world !' Beth's friend, Alice, spoke, with girlish enthusiasm and unbounded loyal admiration.. ' Just think of her music to begin with— dear me ! Wouldn't I feel too happy for words if I could play and sing as she does ? You'd thing tfliat was talent enough for one girl's share, 'bait that isn't half what she has ! Her essays at school were so fine we always said she had a future •before her in Ihat way— sometime she'd be making herself famous as a writer. And, as if that wasn't enough, what must she do but nave a real, marked talent for sketching and painting, too ! Why, Aunt Minnie, when our class went to the zoo, and we tried drawing some of the animals from life, her's was so • far ahead of the rest of us— well, you wouldn't look at ours in the same day with 'hers. She's really the brightest girl I know.' ' She's a remarkably gifted girl, I have no doubt,' smiled Aunt Minnie ; ' but I l*now another girl who isn't excelled by anybody in one-way, at least, and that is a generous feeling for her . friends. I believe you are as proud of her talents as if they were every one your own. ' 1 I'm so clumsy and commonplace beside her !' Alice snuggled up a little closer to her aunt., ' I haven't a talent in the world— positively I haven't.' But Aunt Minnie smiled as she put her arm around the girlish form. ' I'm. not so sure of that,' she said.'Alice, Alice!' It was her brother, Gordon, calling in stentorian tones through the -hall1 Oh, Gordon dear, don't wake mamma !' Alice went towards him hurriedly. ' I just persuaded her to lie down, for a little while— she was up so much in the night with Benny! But I don't believe you've wakened her,' she added,* reassuringly. ' Say, Alice !' Gordon's voice was dropped now to a stage whisper, which gradually waxed louder and more emphatic- as he proceeded. * Alice rose to shut the door, but so quietly that he hardly noticed the motion. 'Do you know I can't get anybody to play the tunes for us for Friday night— those glees, you know, we thought we'd have at our entertainment ? It 'does seem as if folks ought to help us out when we've worked so hard to get it up, but we've asked everybody we know who's good at music, and they all have an excuse ready. So I told the boys I guessed I could count on you, at a pinch.' And Alice carefully suppressed a smile. Gordon spoke so ingenuously and with so little notion of the unconscious slight offered her musical powers. 1 Why, of course you can, Gordon,' she said. ' I'll do the best I can, anyway. Let's see— how much time is there before you boys give your entertainment ? Just a week ?' 1 Yes i you see we Jhought we could surely get someibody else, or we'd have" given you more time. I expect you'll have to do some practising, won't you ?— seeing you can't read much at sight, if that's what you call it.' Aunt Minnie's arm 1 rested with Involuntary tenderness on her c untalented ' niece's shoulders, as she looked into ,the sweet, self-forgetful face. 1 Oh, and say, Alice ! ' Gordon went on, eagerly. •We find it's going to cost like everything to get our

printing done. I don't see how we're going to have a cent left for posters. It'll swallow up all the profits like anything to get the tickets printed and that "ad." in the paper. We thought Beth? Anderson would probably help us out.. I tell you, she knows how; to make beauty posters ! But she wasn't any more ready to bother with that than she was with the music. I suppose she thinks it isn't worth while to put herself out for such an affair as we're getting up," but she might do it, seeing her own brother's, so interested. He felt real cut up about it. He'd been bragging about what a lot of talent she had, and she refused as coolly as you please. " Really hadn't time !" Well, all the artistic girls we know " didn't have time " to bother -with it. I told the fellows perhaps you'd try to get something for us. Do you suppose you could, A-llie, even if^ it isn't anything very fine and faney 1 ?' ' Why, I*4l* do. my best, Gordon. ,lf you'll give me some idea of what you want. - You know drawing's not my strong •'"•point. Jn fact, I'm afraid I h&ven't • any " strong points." It's funny, but that's just what I was saying to auntie before you came in.' Gordon "looked at her with a sudden accession of personal, brotherly interest. • Well, I'll 'tell you what I think,' he said. ' I'd raiher take nr£ .chances with you than any girl I know. A, fellow always knows where to find you, and that's— that's— * He did not finish his sentence. He was rummaging among his pockets for some paper he wanted to show Alice— some boyish outline of what his notion was for the ' poster.' But Aunt Minnie" took up his unfinished sentence. ' That's as beautiful a talent in " itself -as a girl can have, and as rare a one,' she said. ' And it makes the possessor of it a most delightful person to live with.' ' Why, auntie !' said Alice. But a pink flush of pleasure rose in her face as it bent over Gordon's outline.—Exchange.