Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-06

| me, and send me to get drink for EN- when
I'd rather get 'em pisen The old man drinks
and mother, she's learning, and expect tc
take to it bimeby. The school girls treat me
worse than a nigger, too If didn't want SC
bad to get to read the books father left, I'd
never go to school another day. 1 wouldn' t.
So" And her brow darkened again with evil
i emotions. M -'- -
Did your own father leave you books?"
es, real good ones: Only they're old and
so she let me keep 'em. She sold everything
else Then suddenly changing her tone, she
asked, silly:
You hain't lost anything, have you?r
Yes, ,"1 answered; 81 see you have my sun.
She held it up, laughing with boistsrou,
triumph: "You left it hanging in that tree
yonder, she said, pointing to a low-branching
beech at little distance. 'It was Kind o
careless, too. 'Sposin 1t had rained.''
Astonishment kept me silent. How could
have forgotten what now 50 clearly recalled
hanging the shade upon tree, the previou,
afternoon, while I descended a ravine for
flowers felt humiliated in the presence Of
the poor little neglected and suspected child.
| Well, Betsy, was certainly dreadfulIy
careless, and am greatly obliged to you for
taking care Of my lost property. Now must
go with my class, who are waiting for me over
| yonder. So only word more this time, but
| school, and try hard to learn. Don't notice
what the girls say, but act rightly, and make
them ashamed to plague you. Next term if
you study hard, you will get i4tO my depart
ment, and We will see then if those books can t
be mastered very soon. At home be patient
taste that wretched drink, Good-by."
"Good-by. Her eyelids were winking
again, but not this time with mischief She
tossed on her ragged bonnet, and, before had
reJoined my anbushed class, was out of sight
Foriorn and friendless little waif, how my
heart ached for her,
| found the ambushed faces considerable
elongated, and much moro serious than had
left them, for they had heard every word that
passed, and were measurable ashamed of their
unjust suspicious But do not think they
felt any more kindly towards Mrs. Walker s
Betsy than before. ~
For several days after this, the girl did not
come to school at all, nor did once see her.
though thought of her daily with much ankle
ty. During this time, the principal of the
school planned an excursion, by railroad to a
station ten miles distant, to be succeeded by n
picnic on the lake shore. Great was the de-
light OF the little ones, grown weary of the un-
varied routine through the exhsusting heat of
July. Many were the councils called by the
boys, msny were the enthusiastic discussions
held among the girls, and seldom, indeed, did
they break up without leaving one or more
subjects OF controversy unsettled.
In these differences, the teachers wisely in
-terfered as little possible, and they were
generally amicably adjusted. The party who
wished blue to be the uniform dress yielded TO
the majority, who preferred white; the portion
who voted for warm refreshments were soon
reasoned into holding up their hands for cold.
and the few who desired a 'sspeeeh" from some
noted orator, reeOnsidered the matter and de-
cided that it would undoubtedly be "tedious,''
n..&, 1.v1N
of opinion prevailed: and il was the solitary
one against which / felt bound strongly to pro-
test. This was their. decision that Mrs
Walkers Betsy was quite unnecessary to the
complement Of the party, and was consequently
to receive no invitation.
Miss Burke. That looking object" cried
Amy Pease, l earnestly demonstrated
why, the girl hasn't a thing fit to wear. if
there were no other reasons | reminded her
that Betsy had a very decent basque given
her by the minister's wife, and that an old
lawn skirt of mine could be tucked for her with
| very little trouble.
"Such sn awkward uncOuth creature, She
would mortify US to death" groaned Hettie
Dale.
She could carry no biscuits or cake, for she
has no one to make them for her, . said another
'She would eat enormously, and make her
self sick" objected little Nellie Day, noted
glutton.. -5.f
In vain I combatted these arguments. offer
| ing to take lemons and crackers for her share
and even urging the humanity of allowing the
| poor girl to make herself sick upon good things
| for once in her life. Some other teachers
| joined me, but when the question was put TO a
| vote among the scholars. it received a.hurried
| negative, As unanimous as it was noisy
"And now l think Of it," added Matte
Price, the principals daughter; "the Walkers
are out OF the precinct, and Betsy has no real
| right among US at all" And thus the matter
| ended. .-.. f.. -
| All the night previous to the excursion I suf-
| fered severely from headache, which grew NO
better upon rising, and as usual increased i'm
violence as the sun mounted higher upon its
cloudless course. At half past nine, as the long
| train, with its freight of eager faces NOV ed
| from the depot, 1 was lying in adarkened room.
my forehead bound in ice bandages, and my
feverish pillow saturated with camphor and
| hartshorn.
| The disappointment, in itself, was not severe
/ / needed rest, and the utter stiffness was very
graceful to my overtasked nerves. Besides,
i the slight put upon poor Betsy had DESTROYED
much of my pleasure in anticipation. / Law
| patiently until two o'clock, when, as expect-
/ ed, the pain abated. At FIVE I WAS entirely
free from headache, and felt much in need of n
walk In the fresh air, which a slight shower at
monday had cooled and purified
| Choosing the shaded route, and asc ending by
/ sOhHO oiopo, L Waihcu cut upon the DILL, and,
book in hand, sat down under a tree. aiternats
ly reading and gaming upon the sweet rural
picture that lay before me. Soon a pleasant
| languor stepped my senses. Dense wood and
crsSgy hill. green valley and gushing brook.
faded from sight and hearing and was asleepi
Probably half an hour elapsed before opened
my eyes, and saw sitting beside me the same
| elfsh little figure had once before encountered
in the wood. The stringy hair, the sun burned
neck, the tattered dress, the wild, weird look.
ing eyes, could belong to no one but MR.
Walkers Betsey. In one hand she held nv
psrasol, opened in q position to shade my face
from the slanting sunbeam; with small bush
in the other, she was protecting me from mos
| qGitoes and other insect annoyanees r.
Well done, little Genius OF the Wood; am I
to be always indebted TO you for finding
what loose, l said, Jumping up and shaking
| my dress clear from leaves
she laughed immoderately. First You lost
your shade in the woods, and you've been and
lost yourself guess you'll have to keep me
Always" she giggled, trotting along beside me-
was mighty scared whoa see you lying
there. and the sun creeping round through the
trees, Ike great red lion going to spring at
\ FOu and eat nm