The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-20
evening State Salsraal.
Margery's First Day ut School,
BY MRS. NJ. Il. MILLER.

A chubby, sweet-faced child came into
our Millbrook school-house one morning,
as visitor, conducted with trembling
eagerness to my desk by Ernest and Bessie
Clapp, who introduced her as their sister,
and promised that she would not disturb
the school. She did, however, as much as
any other bluebird would have done, and
lust as innocently so that | could only
smile with the children, and long for the
time to come when | could count her
among my little flock.
She wore bright blue dress and cloak,
which perhaps, as well as her song, won
her the name bluebird, that day. A dozen
times she forgot where she was, and broke
out in little melodies, sometimes without
words, so truly musical, that | raised my
finger to check Bessie as she was about to
interrupt her. After few moments she
would look up and forget her song, in her
surprise at seeing so many children around
her.
After the first class, / called her to me
and asked her name.
"Named after dwanmamma," she an
swered quickly, and SO comically that the
children laughed in spite of my uplifted
finger.
"And what is grandlnamma's name ?n
"Margerwy Sniff"
"Ihen you are little Margery Smith"
"Yes, is"
"Did you want to come to school to see
what Bessie does here every day 2"
"Yes, and to drow bid lite Bessie" She
was in foolish haste, poor child.
"What will your mamma do to-day,
without you ?'' | asked.
IIyUo,t r Joea, +r,,r ,.,o,x L. I'LL
her dood.by, for fear | shouldn't know her
tonight
Her straightforward answer amused the
children so much, that | shortened the in
terview, asking if she had little lesson to
say, like Bessie.
"Oh, yes here's the newest one Aunt
Tate did teach to me, 'tause | tut off my
tur." Folding her dimpled hands, she
said:
Deere was little drl
Who had a little turf
That hung down on her forbid.
When she was dood,
She was very dood indeed,
And when she was bad she was horrid."
Her emphasis was funny to hear, her at
titude and expression funny to see. dis
missed her with picture that made her
blue eyes twinkle.
AT recess no one wanted to play away
from Margery, and | was almost Jealous,
wanting to have the little pet to myself
awhile. ! asked her to tell me another
story, which she did in her own crooked
little speech, and which | translated to the
following: -
Two little eyes, loving, bright eyes
Shining as bright and blue the skies
Two little ears to hear all the news;
Two little feet to wear the new shoes
TWO little hands, busy all day;
One little body to get in the way;
One little mouth to give kisses sweet;
Mammals little lady, dainty and neat,
With five little fingers and five little toes,
And what she'll be good for-nobody knows"
slow did those yellow locks get bobbed
off so unevenly on her forehead ?" some
one asked.
"Oh, she did that her own SELF" an
swered Bessie. "Last Saturday Ernest
was going to mill in the big wagon with
father, and Margery cried to go. TO teaze
her, father said it was too cold for girls
Could she go if she was boy? she asked
mother, and mother said she supposed so.
She was awful busy baking, and never
thought another thought about it. for a
while. When she called Margery to come
and get her little cake out Of the oven, only
Margery's voice came, so smothered that
we ran to find her, and there she was, I'M
der mothers bed, with the shears haggling
her pretty hair. TO make me boy so
tan do anywhere with papa she said''
In the afternoon spelling-class a tedious
little fellow was dragging along line of
words of three letters. Margery standing
by my side followed his lesson by the pic
lures accompanying each word. When he
came to URN, urn, she said quickly,
amt Erne, Pm Margery; Erne's my bruz-
zer." Then | could hardly keep order,
and bethought me Of the teacher who
turned outo Mary's lamb. Only feared
the effect of such proceeding would be
different from the ancient story, and both
teacher and scholars would be sure to fol-
low the lamb.
When school was out, sincerely beg
ged the little guest to come again, and
guess she will, she had been so well en-
tertained with the routine of the school,
room.
We asked Bessie, the next day, what
her sister did when she went home.
"Why, she really thought she had been
gone a long time, and grown big too. She
went up the foot stoop and rang the bell.
Erne and were waiting at the gate to see
what she would do. She could just reach
the knob on tip-toe, but she managed to
pull it. Mamma did not happen to come
soon enough to suit her, so she opened the
door and walked into the parlor, where
mamma found her."
''Then what ?" [ asked.
so, mamma Rugged her and squeezed
her, and Ernest and | ran in, and Tower,
too, and we danced about and laughed, and
Tower barked, and mamma laughed till
she most cried when we told her how Mar
gerry told the mistress she was named after
grandmamma.' Mother said we had all
better come back to school to learn to be
orderly--we had such riot. She and
Tower were the noisiest ones in it though,
till Margery looked tired, and mother ran
with her in her arms into the kitchen, for
her bowl of bread and milk. y Christian
Weekly.
STARTING A HENNERY.-A story is
told about Yankee who lately settled
Il 1nr.,,, t. to ,ol,-