The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-09-04

cotton dress her hair was parted plain-
d done up in a French twist behind
was a j deal of gray in that black
= &Naalnd around her prim mouth any quantity
~ Wrinkles but her voice was low and sweg
she WIS stiff, but not across, and " 3rsgir.s
loved her in 4 .gree, though shef aa
long stretches Of hemmlng and $685. To-
drst s~chdolmistress can't from some
NEG foring town. She was neither Eplsco-.
pail gnor Presbyterian hnt she wore the nie'st
liiti Methodist bonnet, made of sliver{ ,Dt
sats Without u bow or u bit of lace-a tosav
kef, slnet cut short. Then she haJ a dainty
81 awl, tinted ike a doves wing, aud al
farried her handkerchief folded when she
10 pray~er-meeiing. t M.tI #
school house stood on the banks OF Il
SIM ream which turned a mill just above ;
it so overshadowed by young henilocks
thu you could only hear the singing OF the
VT $ as they stole by the windows. Some
forss feet Of meadow lay between the windows
a,fa3the bank, and a noble pear-tree, full of
golden fruit, flung its shadow over the school
house, as we got our lessons. Those great bell
pears were cruG safizing as they grew and
ripened amid the r.vn1 leaves but when they
came rushing down from the boughs, all in the
grass directly under us, so plump and mellow,
it was realty 100 much for human nature.
Z But Miss Pun...sg1 was strict she read
the golden rule every day, and kieeiing at her
high-baclsed chair, prayed diligently night and
morning while we stood E'ef.J around, In
deed her co.trol was 50 pefleef That we hardly
veutured TO look at the pears when they fell
the idea Of touching them never entered oui
hearts.
But one thing troubled us very much just
as the fruit grew ripest, Miss Punderson began
to take her dinner basket and cross into The
meadow at the back Of the school house, where
she would disappear down the hemiock bank
and stay sometimes during the enlrc hour o.
noon. "a" Pug"
One day | was startled at my lesson by a
splendid pear tina, came rushing from the top
most branches Of the tree, and rolled down to
wards the niilstream. Dan Iiaines, who was
sitting on the second class beuch close by me
whispered from behind the spelling-hook "iha,
The mistress would be after that pear about
nnon time
Mary Bell, a little girl in my class, looked
sndde lily up and nodded her head. We had
loniid it all out; that vas why The mistress
crossed the bank every NOON. She was fond
Of pears and wanted them all to herself
greedy old thing! We began to feel very
angry and lll-used not one or us would have
thought il What right had she to pears ?
ihey did bot belong to her more than to MS,
In fact, Mary Bells father, who owned the
mill and lived III the great house with pointed
gables. just in sight, was the only person who
had a calm on that tree or It's fruit.
hen the recess came, we We're upon the
watch. just as usual, the mistress took her
dinner basket, aud getting over the ielce. went
towards the heinlock bank. Once she stopped
as if to tie her shoe.
see, see !! whispered Dan, who was on his
knees peel'ing through the rail fence. "She's
making nelleye TO tic her shoe, but she's only
picking up a pear! Let's jump over aud see
the mean old thing eat it p Dan climed the
leiice as he spoke, and we followed, a little
frightened, but ~resol,ite TO find ont the truth.
Dan went before, treading very softly and
looking everywhere in the grass. Once he
stopped made a dart at Il turf Of Clover, and
up again. l caught a glimpse of something
yellow IN the hand he was pushing with con
siderable hurry and trouble into his pocket,
thal sweIied out enormously afterwards. But
Dan locked straighi-t forward into the hemIocks
and began to whistle, which frightened us hall
out oil our wits, and we threatened to run
back again unless be stopped.
nan grew cross at this, and went back in
aaa9eon, trying to cover his pocket with one
iahu. MARY Bel and l would have gone
pack 100, think, but at that moment we
heard a voice from the henlock bank.
Come, come" whispered Mary Bell
: lets see it she has got it.1' ~
we crept forward very softly, and looked
over 1jt, thn t,,,- IL "
shore broke only with a few moss covered
stones all III deep snadow-for the hemlock
o%'eri"ng the spot like a tent. Upon Que Of
these stones sat our schoolmisiress singing.
iler voice w4ssott and clear, aud Joined in
sweet. "'
The old maid sung her little hymn. and.
casting a 'itnid glance up aud down, to be sure
sue was ~ solitude, kne!t down by the mossy
stone, which had been her seat, and began to
pray.
The mistress was alone with her God she
tad ot'iy very simple language in which to tell
"'tli hef wants, but It's earnestness brought the
tears INTO our eyes.
foor SOUL she had been grieying all the
s'ile INA no one OF the scholars ever kneIt by
"ef sue ut prayer. She besought God with
hN"A S"tutotuSsS 10 tUucl our hearts, and
BRING US humbly to His feet, kneeflng. as She
ad, Tor a blessing, or in thankfulness. She
tod Him, as If be had been her only father
how good and bright and precious were, lack,
lhs nothing but his holy grace. She so hum.
oIed herself and pleaded for us. dat Nlorv
l'ci! and | crept away from the bunk, CRYING
softly, and ashamed to look each other in The
face. Al WV
Dan Haines was sitting in a crook of fine
fence, eating something very greedy but we
avoided him, and went into the ss~.boolL,nso
quite heari.brokea at our owa nanrhtinsss
Alter a little the mistress came in. LOOKING 20,
rene ana thoughtful, as if She had been com.
torLed by some good friend.
Mary Bell aud | were still and serions oil
lte afternoon Once or twice / saw her bean.
tliui blue eyes looking at me wist(ullv over
her spel!eF, bat we knew that was wropp ia
whisper, and for the word would mot have 10
oLe5ei the mistress then.
at last the classes were all heard Th,
mistress looked, We thought, sadly troond 81,
The little benches, arose, laid her ham on ,la.
hish backed chair, aud sunk slowly 10 her
KneeS, The children stood M. as ,,snaI !
io' ked at Mary Bell she Was tfembl;na a II
ne the color came aud went on her face. M,
heart heat quick. | felt d GLOW on NV, aha ~!