The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-02-26

went. 1t was a different place to
what I had thought it before I went
inside. The girls sat one side and
tho boys on The other; so I was not
near Nelly. She too was in the first
class; l was put with the little
toddling things that could hardly run
alone. The master sat in the middle,
and kept pretty strict watch over US.
But l could see Nelly, and hear her
read her chapter; and even when it
was one with long list of hard
names, such as the master was very
fond of giving her, to show how we'll
she could hit them off without
spelling, l thought had never heard
q prcttier music. Now and then she
read other things. I did not know
what they were, true or false; but I
listened because she read; and, by
and by, began to wonder, I
even spoke to her to ask her Gas
we were coming out Of school) who
was the Father Of whom she had been
reading, for when she said the words
"Our Father" her voice dropped
into soft, holy kind of low sound,
which struck me more than any loud
reading, it seemed so loving and
tender. When I asked her this, she
looked at me with her great blue
wondering eyes, at first shocked; and
then, as it were, melted down into
pity and sorrow, she said in the same
way, below her breath. in which she
read the words "Our Father"
Don't you know? It's God"
"God?"
.Yes; the God that Grandmother
Ici!S me GuUu,.-.
Tell me what she says, will your,
50 we sat down on the hedge.bank.
she a little above me, while | looked
up in her face, and she told me all
the holy texts her grandmother had
taught her, as explaining all that
could be explained of the Almighty.
! listened in silcnc., for, indeed, !
s' vs. 81 ssssses'lsh bel med VI tls hmant.,
,aer'knowledgc Was principally roto!'
knowledge; she was too young for
much more; but We, in Lancashire,
speak rough kind of Bible language,
and the text seemed very clear to me.
| rose up, dazcd and oYcrpowered. l
was going away in silence, when I
bethought me Of my manners, and
turned back, and said, "Thank you,"
for the first time l ever remember
saying it in my life. That was o
great day for me, in more ways than
one.
I was always one who could keep
very steady to an object when once
| had set it before me. My object
was to know Nelly. l was consci.
Gus of nothing more. But it made
me regardless of all things. The
master might sco!d, the little ones
might laugh; | bore it without giving
1t second thought. | kept to nv
year, and came out reader and writ.
cr; more, however, to stand we'll in
Nelly's good opinion, than because of
my oath. About this time, nv father
committed some cruel deed, and had
to tiy the country. l was glad he
went; for | had never loved or cared
for him. and wanted to shake myself
clear of his set. Bnt it was no easv
Honest folk stood aloof; on.
" bad men held out their arms to me
with a welcome. Even Nelly seem
ed to have mixture of fear now with
her kind ways toward me. I was tho
son Of Middleton, who, if he were
caught, would be hung at Lancas.
ter Castle. | thought she looked at
me sometimes with SOFT of sorrow.
fnl horror. Others were not for.
beallng enough to keep their expires.
sion of feeling confined to looks. The
son of the ovcrlooker ut the mill ncy.
cr ceased twitting me with my faith.
cr's crime; he now brought up his
poachins against him, though | know
very we'll how many good supper
he himself had made on game which
had been given him to make him and
his father wink Mt la!o hours in the
morning. And how were such as my
father to come honestly by game?
This lad, Dick Jackson, was the
banc Of my life. llc was a year or
two older than | was, and had much
power cvor tho men who worked Mt
the mill. as he could report to his faith.
cr what he choose. | could not always
hold ny peace whon ho "thrcapod'
inc with my fathers sins, but gavc it
back sometimes in n storm of passion.
1t did me no good; only throw mo
farther from the company Of better
mon, who looked aghast and shocked
ut tho oaths ! poured out.."blaaolc.
nous words learnt in my childhood,
which ! could not forgot now that