The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-06-15
for tbe Don,e GirtIf.
Fror, the True Flag.
The Heath Flower.
BY WILLIAM B. OLIVER.

The .softest hush of a spring morning was
Frightening into a fair summer day Down in
hellows, little patches of snow vet fingered
only waiting to be melted and drawn upward
by the sun, and sent down again in the softer
form of dew; and by the edge of The brooks
small tufta of emerald grass, and the pink
blossoms of the trailing arbutus were strug
Cling into life and beauty.
H Open doors and windows showed how the
fresh, sweet air was longed for and appreciat.
led. after the close and sitting atmosphere OF
fires; and, here and there, boxes of daisies and
pots Of house plants were set out upon the
doorsteps or window sills, TO catch breath of
that perfume which the earth was already
yielding upward.
The town was alive, too, with hustle and
confusion. A large military company was
passing through it, on the way to another
town, eight miles distant. They stopped
short time for rest and refreshment, and in the
interval, the band played its most enchanting
airs.
Opposite the asmory at which the soldiers
were eutertained. was large scboolhouse,
adapted for several schools, some Of them be.
ing in the second story. Beneath the win.
dows of this. was strong balustrade, from
which The pupils were permitted to view the
show. The gallant bearing of the officers, the
waving pinmes, and the glitter of the fresh,
fair weather regirnentals, as well as the stirring
notes of the martial music, chained and de
lighted the little scholars and called from
them loud and extrayagant expressions of ad-
miration.
The slight repast over. the soldiers prepared
to march; but ere they moved of. they gave
hearty, almost deafening cheer to their little
admirers opposite, who returned it with all the
demonstration they could muster, in the wav.
ing Of tiny handkerchiefs and aprons. In
making this exertion, one little creature lost
her balance. and, notwithstanding that the
yonng teacher at their head, eprang quickly
towards her, trying to grasp the clothes or the
hair of The little child, she had already disap.
peared over the balcony.
A simultaneous shrek arose from the whole
group shivering, sickening fear took posses
sion of them ALL and the young teacher. not
daring to look down. was on her knees shud.
dering with an indescribable sense of terror.
mingled with selfblame at permitting the lit
tie girls to occupy a situation now proved so
perilous.
She rose. however. and remanded the fright.
ened creatures back to the school room, and
then, arming herself with all the courage she
possessed, she charged them to keep quietly
n the room, while she went down to the scene
iof disaster.
Pale as marble. the young girl descended
the stairs-a painful effort, for she was very
lame, and at each step the agony in her face
showed plainly how difficult it must have been
to restrain cry. She did not utter it. They
who knew Helen Audley, knew how long and
painful had been the process by which she had
been enabled to put this restraint upon her.
SELF of never uttering groan, or speaking of
her calamity.
= God help mel she murmured, as she went
down another life must be spent perhaps
like mins, 10 mingled pain aud mortifcationp
Well she remembered, at that moment, all
her own experience upon that terrible day in
her childhood, when her fair and graceful little
form had been irretrievably injured by simi.
lar accident; and. as she mped fearfully down,
her whole heart went out to little Louise Bur-
ton, fearing that the same sad drama was again
to be enacted.
But there bright. smiling and beant;fnI
scarce shade paler than ever, the child lay
in the arms of one of the soldiers, who sat on
the steps of the school house, cIasping her
tightly with one hand, while the other he.
laughingy held out hislong sword to keep the.
excited people from closing around her.
Miss Audley, the teacher, at this welcome
but unexpected sight, tainted close to the OBJ