The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-06-30

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what could have got into her bed" said
she giving q wink to the rest.
Turning down the clothes, they found
one or two punches of burdock burrs,
stuck just where Louise was to have lain.
They tried to;conoesf their laughter; and
Abby seeming very much astonished, cried
out
"Dear mel who could have done thisl
How did these come here2 Alic., do
you know any thing about ita For she
saw that Alice, who was the only one
that had not laughed, was just on the
point Of speaking. ..H
"No, 1 don't; but I know somebody
that doesP said Alice, coloring with an
ger, unlike her usual gentleness
"Ah, the tell tale blush betrays the
guilty! said Abby, pointing her fore-fin-
ger at her, with meaning look. at
was very wrong of you, Alice! 1 feel it
my duty to report you"
Alice was quite fustered, and i'd not
reply. The Others laughed as though
they would kill themselves.
Louise was put into the small classes
that day, with little girls head below
herself Her teacher told her she thought
she could get those lessons, at least. Sic
hardly seemed to study them, however,
but sat with her head on her hand, look
ing vacantly before her.
Two or three three weeks passed in this
way. Louise became little less bashful
in her classes; but she did not dare to 90
near the girls in their play-hours for
she was two plainly conscious that they
disliked and despised her. Abby called
her coward the second day, nnd she
never went near the group at play, with
out seeing the game stopped, and hear
ing something muttered about Ounce or
sneak
One day, more unhappy than usual,
she had gone down to the spring, all by
herself, to get dipper of water. Finding
no one there, she stayed, throwing little
pebbles in and amusing herself in various
ways, until she heard the laughter of the
girls very near her. She sprang to her
feet, and met them on the little hill which
arched up from the spring, like the side
of bowl. She passed them without
speaking. She had walked slowly few
steps, whirling a pole which she had
picked up for a cane, when she heard a
terrible scream. She turned, instinctively,
and ran down the hill. The girls were
running in all directions like wildfire. Alb
by was the hindmost.
"a snake! oh, snake = they scream
ed. ABBY trod on a snake!"
Abby screamed louder than before, Just
here, as she caught a second sight of
the snake, coiling through the grass
Louise saw it, too. Being country bred
girl, and not in the least afraid of snakes,
she dashed in after it. 1t was a large
water adder, and was probably more afraid
of the girls than they were of it. Louise
soon dispatched it, by the help of her
stick, and, hanging it across the end,
held it up, to call back the frightened
troop. The girls scarcely dared to APP
proach, even when they saw their enemy
killed. But by degrees they came near,
touched it with the stick, and breathed
moro freely. Abby was first among
them.
'If this snake hadn't been killed." said
she, 1--WE would none Of us have ever dared
come to the spring againl I declare,
Louise, and she turned suddenly toward
her, "you are real heroine, and right
generous girl, and I'll make friends with
you"
She reached out her hand but Louise
drew hers behind her back. All, Louise!
there was little Of the poison ofour fallen
nature, pride, rising in your heart at
that moment! But we can scarcely blame
you for doing, on first impulse, what
many another, older and wiser than you
would have done. H .I...
All would have been lost, and the two
would perhaps have been enemies forever,
fAlice had not sprung forward as Louise
half turned away. ..s ... r....
"oh, Louise, stay with us-dor she
exclaimed, catching her in both arms
ave havn't liked you, ] know; and we
have called you names, and laughed at
you; but we are sorry, all sorry; and
won't you forgive us, and be friends, nowl"
"You never have, Alice" said Louise,
as her lip quivered. a.....
"But 4 have" said Abby, coming a.