Rathfelder's Hotel

by Annie E. Bosworth

"In church!" repeated Susan. "I was not thinking of church; but no! play of any kind would no longer be innocent in God's house: you know that, Miss Lotty, as well as I do. What does the Holy Bible say on that matter?—'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God, for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.' Now, do you think those few words ought to be words of lightness or wordliness? Do you go there to speak such? 'Be not rash with thy mouth.' What does that mean? If you were come before a great king to make a petition, would you, while standing there and his eye upon you, begin whispering and giggling with your friends? You know you wouldn't. And what is any earthly king to our heavenly King of kings?"

"I can't think what you are so cross with me about, Susy," Charlotte said, half poutingly. "The fact is you don't like coming to this place, and very naturally, and so you are trying to lighten your feeling of annoyance by throwing it upon me. Why don't you make Mechie share it as well?"

"No, I don't object to coming here a bit, miss. I think it a very pleasant place for a while, and, moreover, if I didn't like it, I shouldn't mind so long as it did poor, dear mistress good to be here. But what annoys my feelings, child, is this: there are two weeds growing up in your character, and though as yet they have made no great show, because everybody that cares for your future happiness keeps nipping off their heads and warning you of them, too, that you may try to root them up, they nevertheless go on throwing out their roots into your heart and soul. Now, from every fresh root will, in time, spring up another plant, until your whole mind is at last so overrun with them that they will kill every good and beautiful thing growing there now, and poison the soul for everything else."

"In the name of patience, Susan, what do you mean?" asked Charlotte, with an astonished look in her amused face. "Am I becoming a female Blurdon? Well, I know somebody who will think me a much more interesting personage if I do," gayly glancing at me.

Poor old nurse looked puzzled for an instant, as well she might, but, coming to the conclusion that this was only some of Lotty's usual nonsense, passed it by, continuing with increased seriousness:

"Many a young person, Miss Charlotte, begins life with laughing at what in after years she is forced to weep burning, heartfelt tears over."

"Well, but what are these two weeds, Susy, which, according to your account, are possessed of such life-destroying properties? They must be very small at present, for I declare I have not the remotest conception of their existence, in my heart at least."

"No, child, there's the mischief! More's the pity that you haven't. If you could only see those weeds in your own heart, and were to pull them well up by the roots instead of being proud of their ugly blossoms, as you really are, mistaking them, as you do, for things to be admired, you have no notion how a deal comelier you'd be; ay, that would you."

"What does she mean, Mechie? Can you understand her? I protest I cannot!" And Charlotte laughingly sat down on the bedside, staring at Susan.

"I'll clear it out for you in two words, Miss Lotty," nurse said, standing before her with a stern face, while holding in her hands a dress which she was on the point of folding up. "Selfishness and indolence—they are the weeds—or indolence and selfishness, it doesn't matter which I put first, for either of them is parent to the other, as the case may be."