Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-09-30
is c L l. L 4 n Y
MRS. WALKERS BETSY.

BY MRS. II. l.. BOSTWlCk.
lis now nearly ten years since became
.rmer 4" fixture - in the little village of
s.spring, as teacher in its largest public
.Aa[ The village itself was devoid of the
,rl,est pretension to beauty, natural or ar
.-,-ctural, being the sudden uPgrocth of
,-,rerous speculation, and at that time,
rs,5.nr in its newness of factory chimnles,
,1i curiously flagreed depots. But II its
,,--oundings were romantic and lovely In the
1,rene. Skirting one side was winding
-r.r ordered with beautiful willows, and on
tie ..her high hill, thickly wooded and In
Ia places craggy and precipltous. These
| roi. in spring and summer, were full OF
| av.,, and wild vines and a clear cold
,r.z. that had its birth in cavernous re-
-,> among the lodges, dashed over the rocks,
and after many wonderful bends and plunges,
and it's way to the river. At the foot OF
-e hill wound the railroad track, at some
nints nearly filing the space between the
r,5k and the rocks; at Others almost over
gn,, hv the latter. Some of the most de-
r,btful walks | ever knew were in this vIcin-
r, and here the whole school would often
-.,ort in warm weather for Saturday :
amble.
Ii was upon one of these summer ram bles
at | first made the acquaintance OF Mrs
T,lker's Betsy. Not that her unenviable
1lme and reputation had been concealed rom
nv knowledge heretofore, for almost from my
first introduction to that place, a stream OF
bloquy touching that unucky parsonage
had been poured into my ears. till her name
,.emed a synonym fOr every thing evil 1t was
ne one subject upon which churches, and
>.winr societies, and nei hborhood cllques
we're not divided: upon which gosslps were
harmonious, and quiet people garrulous. But
a, she was not Il member of my class, and
n.,ed "A very irregular attendant OF any class,
Size had never personally fallen under my OBJ
>srya;ion.
ratbered that her parents had but lately
come to live in Cliff-spring, and that they
were both ignorant and vicious, ana that tn'
crl. who after all. was only Mrs. W alker
by "a former marriage, was an arrant com
pound of mischief and mallce,-a sort OF goo
lin sprite, with such proclivities to dIabollSn
as had never been known since the era O.
witchcraft.
In school, her reputation was worst OF all.
Vas a green pumpkin found in the Prime
rl's hat. or an ink-bottle upset in the water
,lcket, did teacher, upon putting on hel
bunet, fn6 nest of young mice suddenly
iropping over her neck anu shoulders, hen
shawl extra bordered with burdocks, hel
gloves filled with some ill-scented weed, o
rer.India-rubbers cunningly nailed to tn
a,or. half a hundred juvenile tongues wer
ready to proclaim Mrs. Walkers Betsy al
the uadoubted delinquent: and this, despite
Tie fact that very few of these misdemeanor'
were ever proved upon her. But whether
lroyen OF not, she accepted their sponsorship
al the same, and laughed at, or defed he
a2lsers, as her mood might be. That tn
,rl was IA character in her way, shrewd ant
'-u>ible, though wholly uncultured, | wa
gel satisfied from all heard that she wa
'.,, stubborn. and malicious, | believed,
ashamed to say, upon very lnsufhclen
,ylience
Where can my parasol have gone?''
aid as school closed one sultry July day
dli looked from the window OF the ante
s'om. shrinking from an unsheltered wall
lp the Il rec heat. | was sure | had not car
I4-l II from home in the morning, and sup
posed It had been left in the school hous
'y-r night The girls ofmy class constitute
Themselves "a committee OF search and lnqu
'y, 'ut to no purpose. The article was no
A the house or ward and then my commit
,rr changed themselves INTO a jury. and VIII
! d Dissenting voice, pronounced Mr.
-lker's Betsy guilty of "cribbing M
POOR little suusnade. She had been see
-At-rus in the ante-room, and alter
"irl running away in great haste. III
'l4rge seemed reasonable enough, but as
'Ill1 not learn that Betsy had ever bee
'ayicted Of theft, though continually su
i'''ei, requested the girls to keep the ma
44let Tor few days at least, 20 who
1n~iilin.ly ly consented.
i"' yy-ning had promised to condu
-, ,1'' TO- a place in the woods, where {
~. 4ay lrlious had found some beauli
t''IAen> oi Phlox, on which we were to ca
','Iic' IN requisition. When the sun W;
" ia the west, we set forth, walking near
~, Whole distance in the shadow of the hi
" climbed the ridge, rested a moment, al
''l started in search of of the splend
i''l Of purple blossoms had accidental
'''a IN taking short cut over the hill
''s aou,c Of friend | was to visit.
stop, Miss Burke came in SUPPRESS
".. from halt my little troop, as, emer
from thicket. we came in sight OF
i'e''r object Ierched upon IA little noun
1.l 'ns dead ticks, and leaves. 1t was
"'oqtiye child, who, Judging from
'.'' and MT her size. might be eleven
'''e years oi age. A little. brow
81 i'c" 1t Wa, with keen eyes iightenr
rom mas ot stringy black hair, ii
wandered dlstractedly from the confnem,
'' an old comb
lhere 8 Mrs. Walkers Betsy, do
care whispered Matty Holmes oS