Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-08-10
tsy- For City News see third page.
ForMarket Reports and Marine News see Third
page.
From the Ohio Farmer.
MRS. wALKER's BETSY
ny MRS. "A. l.. BosrwIcK.

ny MRS. II. l.. BosTwIcK.

tConoludedl
For several days after this, the girl did not
come to school at all, nor lid ! once see her,
though thought of her daily with much anx
ety During this time, the principal school
planned an excursion, by railroad, to a station
ten miles distant, to he succeeded hya picnic
on the lake shore. Great was the delight of
the little ones; grown weary of the UNMARRIED
routine through the exhausting heat of Jly.-
Many were the councils called by he bows
many were the enthusiastic discussions held
among the girls, and seldom, indeed, did they
break up without leaving rne or more subjects
Of controversy unsettled.
In these differences, the teachers wisely in.
terfered as little as possible, and they were gen
orally amicably adjusted The party who
wished blue to be the uniform dress yielded to
the majority, who preferred whites the portion
who voted for warm refreshments were soon
reasoned into holding mp their hands for cold;
and the few who desired.a speech from some
noted orator. reconsidered the matter, and de-
cided that it would undoubtedly be tedious"
But. upon one poiut the most perfect harmony
Of opinion preya led; and 10 was the solitary one
against which + felt bound strongly to protest
This was their decision that Mrs. Walkers Bet
sy was quite unnecessary to the complement of
the party and was consequently to receive no
invitation.
"Miss Burke. That looking object" cried
Amy Pease, as / earnestly demonstrated -
"Why, the girl hasn't thing fit to wear il there
were no other reasons!" reminded her that
Betsy had very decent basque given her by
the minister's wife, ana that an old lawn skirt
of mine could be tucked for her with very little
trouble
"Such an awkward, uncoutl creature! She
would notify us to DEATH" groaned Hattie
Dale
"She could carry no biscuits or cake, for she
has no one to make them for her. said anoth
er
'She would cat enormously, and make her
self sick" objected little Nellie Day, noted
glutton.
In vain l combated these arguments, offer
ing to take lemons and crackers for her share,
and even urging the humanity OF allowing the
poor gir to make herself sick upon good things
for once in her life. Some other teachers Join
ed me, but when the question was nut to a vote
among the scholars, it received hurried mega
tive, as unanimous as it was noisy.
"And now think of it" added Matte Price,
the principals daughter; "the Walkers are out
of the precinct aud so Betsy has no real right
among us at all, " and thus the matter ended.
An the night previous to the excursion l suf-
fercd severely from headache which grew no
better upon Using, aud as usual it increased in
violence as the sun mounted higher upon its
cloudlCss course At half past nine, as the
lon train, with its freight of eag,r faces
y moved from the depot, l was lying in darkcn-
ed room, my forehead bound in ice bandages
and my feverlsh pillow saturated with camphoI
and hartshom
The hedisappontment, tself, was not severe
| needed rest, and the utter stiffness was very
grateful to my overtasked nerves. Besides, the
slight put upon poor Betsy had destroyed much
. of my pleasure 10 anticipation. / lay patiently
: until two O'Clock when, as expected, the pain
abated. five | was entirely free from head
o ache, and felt much in need Of walk IN the
. resh air, which slight shower at MONDAY had
i cooled and purified.
Choosing the shaded route, and ascending
by gentle SLOPE walked out upon the hill,
and book in hand, sat down under tree, alter
' uately reading and gazing upon the sweet rural
picture that lay before me. Soon q pleasant
. anguor stepped my senses Dense wood and
g craggy HILL green valley and gushing brook,
s faded from sight and hearing, and was asleep!
Z Probably half an hour elapsed before | open
ed my eyes, and saw sitting beside me the same
{, ofsh ! lie figure had one before encountered
I in the wood. The stringy hair, the sun burned
y neck the tattered dress, the Wild weird looking
! eyes, could beloAg to no one but Mrs.. Walker'a
Il Betsy In one haud she held my parasol, open
d ed in position to shade my face from the slant
ing sunbeam; with small bush in the other
she was protecting me from mosquitoes and
other insect annoyances.
"Well done, little Genius of the Wood; am ]
to be always indebted to you for finding what
.e lose" said, jumping up and shaking my
dress clear from leaves.
She laughed mmoderately, "First you los
your shade in the woods, and now you've beer
o and lost yourself l guess you'll have to keeJ
- l1aha YiVulad trottiuu nl hpaIdi
e me- 81 was mighty scared when | see you
lying there, and the sun creeping round through
the trees, like great red lion going to spring
at you and eat you up. thought you haC
= gone to the ride r..
explained the cause Of my detention, an,
saw that she was rather pleased than other
E wise; for, as / soon drew from her, she haC
been bitterly disappointed in the affair, and iel
her rejection very keenly. She had come Il
this spot, now for the purpose Of peepng from
behind some rock or tree at the merry cOmpa
Y ny on their way home, which would be at sii
o'clock.
81 coaxed old Walker and his wife to let m
have some green corn and cowcumbeu, and
, put on my best spencer, and went to the depo
this morning, but none of EN- asked me to e
2, in Hal Price kicked my basket over, too
~ s'pose / wasn't dressed fine enough. They a
= wore their Sunday things | wish 'twould raj
pitch and spile 'em-I do so"
r ! offered her many topics Of consolation bJ
w. she refused to listen, and went on enumeralin
sundry disastrous results, which "she jus
wished would happen; she did sol' and giyin
~ vent 10 various amusing, il unohristan denuI
Citations Suddenly she stopped, and at III
same instant we raised our heads and listened
Hu 1t was a deep, grinding crashing sound, as
nd rocks sliding over and past each other Thel
INV was a cracking as Of roots and branches twiste
Q and wren1hed from their places-then ia
. heavy and terrible, that reveTberated throug
the forest making the earth quake beneath OF
feet, and all the leafy branches trembe aboy
. us
We knew it instantly; there had been heay
fall of rock not for from us, and instantaneous
we started in the direction of the sound N
place was soon reached An enormous mass
rock and earth in which many small ire,
were growing had fallen directly upon the raj
road track, and that, too, at the oint whel
n The stream wound nearest and its bank made
y steep descent upon the other side.
N After a moment Of gazing, In horror struc
silence, the thought started 10 our lips-Wh
I'm is 10 be dOnel Ii appeared we were sole wi
nesses OF the accident; and though the era,
might have been heard and the jar felt at u
4 village, who would think Of a land slidel Al
o. upon the railroad Ten minutes at least mu
~ elapse before we could give the alarm, and
=, half that time the train was due.
~ In that speechless, breathess moment, befo
al my duller ear perceived it, Betsy caught Il
.E ths sound OF the approaching train, mliiled as
low vas by the hill that lay between Ii was a
,,.,,.f,,s, M faarfnl qneeli rlahfn0 ou-all ia