The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-05-04
WESTERLY, R. l., THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1854

as possible from the troop or merry
urchins, and directed my steps to my
boarding house. Just as | had passed
the school-house door, saw Zelia few
steps ahead of me, walking briskly
along l called pleasantly to her, to
wait minute for me, and she stopped,
half-trembling, until l came up.
Where do you live, Zelia ?" / asked.
determining to make friends with the
child, and gain her love and confidence
if possible.
+" There,'' she said, pointing to large
white house just over the hill, with two
stately elms in front of it, and every
thing looking as though the owner had
enough and considerable to spare.
was surprised. This did not agree with
Zelia's appearance.
Do your parents live there, Zelia ~
I asked, gently, for / feared to again
lacerate the sensitive heart.
:" No, ma'am, my parents are dead.
They've been dead this long time" re-
piled the girl, while the tears trembled
on her long silken lsshes
"And who do you live with, Zslia '''
I asked.
81 live with uncle Walter, and help
aunt Jane for living. Aunt said !
might go to school this summer, if I'd
work hard enough night and morning to
make it up. I'm going to try to-for
/ do love to 60 to school ~ and her
black eyes sparkled through the dimming
tears.
The whole truth flashed upon my
mind-Zelia was one of those to-be-
pitied mortals--a poor relative De-
pendent upon her uncle's family for
support--obliged by them to work
harder than any child ought to, for the
scanty pittance Of food and most miser-
able clothing. How pitied the poor
child. And as l pitied, 1 determined
to befriend her.
"Come again this afternoon, Zelia
dear" said I with a smile, as parted
from her at the back door of the splendid
dwelling, half unwilling to give up the
little hand had hold Of.
I'M try" said she, with bewitching
smile that made me love her all the
mere, as she sprang from the door stone
into the house.
Days passed. had no cause to re-
gret my first kind thought of Zelia. She
studied with unremitting energy-so
much so, that I was really arlarmed for
her health. purchased an Astronomy
and Chemistry, and presented her with
them, though charging her not to re-
veal the fact to the other scholars, fear
ing it might create hard feelings among
them. She gratefully consented and
kept her word. She looked upon me
with devotion little short of idolatry-
for as / afterwards ascertained, no other
teacher had ever treated her kindly,
but misunderstanding her nature, had
thought her morose and disagrecable,
and treated as such. Her school-mates
all dislikcd her, for she never took any
part in their games or recreations-pre-
ferring her book or slate to such sense
less nonsense. She was a child of un-
common intellect, and as such I admired
and loved her.
l soon ascertained that my suspicious
inIregard to her uncle's family were
her condition was even
worse than l had expected. She was
rudely treated and often abused, while
she was compelled to be waiter for her
peevish and nervous aunt and four
daughters, and do half the
kitchen drudgery besides. But the
sweet girl never murmured-she never
even told me, her best friend, of all the
miseries of her situation. But / loved
her all the better for that-it showed
the goodness and nobleness Of her heart,
aud her self-sacrifcing energy to en-
dure.
1t was Wednesday afternoon, about
1--WE weeks after the commencement of
the school, and being composition day, l
was looking over the different produce
tons and correcting the errors which I
found. The compositions we're all
signed with nomme, de plume, and hand
ed to me Wednesday noon, (for the