The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-01-06
NJ A. A. HoLBRooK.


very whitest of teeth, which showed to
perfection when he smiled. And that
smile! 1t was one Of those which sheds
CLEAN of sunshine over the whole coun-
tenance, bringing out al its latent beau
ties, making one wish, whom he saw it.
that something would happen to provoke
another one just like it. ~ s-AEtA u
thought when l first beheld Howard
Graham that he was the handsomest man
] had ever seen. No wonder that |, plain
Bertha Lee, shrank into insigni6cance be-
fore such a model of perfection.
My mirror told me anything but fiat
tering tale. From my childhood / had
been an ardent admirer of beauty. and
yet knew that was hopelessly plain
only my eyes, which had been told were
very fine. saved me from being positively
ugly-at least / thought so.
/ remember often, when . child, after
repeating my simple prayer at my moth
er's knee, adding whispered petition that
God would make me beautiful. thought
then that people would all love me better
if / were only pretty, and my nature
craved love-I could not live without it.
So, feeling my own want of this harmo-
nv OF features. which had been SO unspar
ingly bestowed upon Howard Graham, I
entered his presence for the FIRST time with
feeling almost of shame. thought
that he must see the vast difference be-
tween US, that be would perhaps look up
on me with pity, or even disgust, SO NOR
bdly sensitive had / become by dwelling
upon what | supposed my own ugliness.
For the FIRST month or two, think
nearly hated our new teacher. He hu-
inflated me. Every time l saw him
smile, as / met his eyes, felt as though
he was only making fun Of me. Had he
been less handsome, l might have loved
him; as it was, | disliked him, heartily,
and took no pains to conceal my feelings.
Not word did he get from me, which
could possibly be construed into anything
like friendship-he was my teacher
was his pupil-as such RENDERED him all
due obedience and respect, but nothing
more. l scrupulously performed all my
allotted tasks, never failing in single re-
citation, for was an apt scholar, and it
came very easy to me. I was proud-too
proud for my own happiness, and while
the other girls all voted the new master
"a perfect love. and made rapid advances
towards his good graces in very short
time, remained aloof--ansWeriog all his
courteous salutations with polite bow,
or a cool "goodmorning," and turned to
my books with renewed zeal.
He was uniformly kind and affable as
| look back now, | can see that lie was
very forbearing. Most men in his stu
alton would have paid me in my own
coin, and treated me With perfect indifer-
ence. Not so with Howard Graham.
think he discovered my aversion to him
and tried by every means in his power to
overcome it.
One morning, about two months after
school commenced, there was a severe
snow storm, and as the school house was
at soms distance, my mother thought l
had better remain at home; but | was
striving for the highest prize offered by
the School Committee and ! could not
endure the idea of staying away, even for
one day SO, DOMINIC my cloak and my
hood, aud encasing my feet in long rub
Der boots, | started for the school house,
not without some misgivings, for had
good half mile to walk, and the snow was
blowing directly in my face with almost
binding fury. got along pretty we'll,
however, ploughing through the deep
drifts, until | reached the cross street on
which Mr.. Graham boarded. Looking up.
esped him coming toward me, and |
knew that within few minutes he would
probably Join me.
Here was dilemma-frst was
ashamed to have him see me, in the
plight then was, covered with snow,
with my hair blown over my face, pant
ing to recover the breath which each gust
of wind made more difficult. Then again
could not bear the thought of walking
up to the school house with him, directly
in the face and eyes of all those laughing
girls, who knew how scrupulously | had
avoided him.
What was to be done? I had but a
minute in which to decide, but in that
time my resolution was taken-I would
go around by the old road. This was a
quarter o. a mile out of my way, turning
directly to the right, and winding round
through bleak pasture, where | knew
the snow always drifted badly. 1t was
seldom travelled now, as there were few
houses upon it, and shorter, straighter
road had been built which led directly
to the village, aud BY the school house.
But | resolately quilted the highway
and turned into this by path, intent oplv
on walking on alone. Deeper and deeper
grew the drifts, and as l was the frat
traveller that morning, had to break :
path. 1t was very difficult to proceed
with the storm blowing so furousiy in nv
face, and when l had got about halfway
round, the snow became so deep and vas
so utterly exhausted, that | stopped in
despair, not knowing what to do. or where
to go, Tor | was in the middle of a bant
of snow, reaching nearly to my waist. II
sank down aud covered my face with nv
hands, while bitter tears Of modification
and regret rolled down my cheeks.
1t was extremely cold, and for mn.
ment the thought came over me that
might freeze to death here, for could
Il.