American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-25
THE MAGIC QUILL.
BY AMELIA f. DALEY.

1
Hawaii, a farmers son. was blowing AS
it flew, it dropped feather, which Ha-
| wald picked up and stuck in his hat.
| When he went home to dinner, the chill
drcn began to laugh at him for wearing a
goose's feather. Not very well pleased,
he pulled it off his hat and threw it on
! the floor. Little Luren picked it up and
| carried it to the fireside, where her great
| grandmother sat trying to warm herself.
| The old woman took the feather from the
child, and looked at it attentively.
"Where did you get it?" she asked.
81 found it in the field, Grannie," said
Hawald
"Then your fortune is sure" returned
| the great grandmother, still looking at the
feather. This is magic quill. / know
by its color, that it came from the left
wing of gray goose, flying to his death
place. Keep it, and use it, and it will
| bring you prosperity and great name"
"How shall l use ?" asked Hawaii.
"That is for you to learn" replied the
old woman. "Put it away carefully, and
when the right time comes, it will help
you"
Hawaii wondered how a common gray
goose-feather was going to bring him good
fortune; but he did not dare to doubt
what his great-grandmother said, because
sheha been wise-woman in her day,
and it was supposed that she could cast
spells over those who displeased her. He
put the feather above the looking glass, in
his bedroom, where he could see it every
time he went to comb his hair.
"While l am waiting for my fortune, I
may as well go on with my work." he said
to himself; so he went every day to the
field, and worked diligently.
One day when he was blowing, he turned
up two pieces of gold. Delighted at find
ing it, he brought spade, and dug all the
field carefully, but he found no more
money. At night, when he went home, he
gave one piece of gold to his father. The
other he kept for himself
"What are you going to do with it?"
asked his father.
81 am going to learn to WRITE" answered
Hawaii. l am ashamed to know nothing
but just how to read.''
81 know why he wishes to WRITE" said
one of the younger brothers. " He thinks
he can then send letters to the miller's
pretty niece"
Nonsense" said Hawaii; but he blush
ed deeply. At evening he carried the
gold to the schoolmaster, who agreed to
buy paper and ink for Hawaii, and teach
him to write. Hawaii was so anxious to
learn, that he spent all his spare moments
in writing, and he soon wrote better than
the schoolmaster. After this, he borrow
ed the books from the schOolmaster's
little library, and read them-every one, by
the freight at home. Sometimes he read
aloud to his father and great-grandmothe
and they thought him Il wonderful man.
In the autumn, the field which Hawaii
had dug so carefully produced a much
larger harvest than it had ever produced
before The farmer was so well pleased
that he gave his son another piece of gold
Hawaii carried this to the schoolmaster
who agreed to teach him arithmetic.
Again Hawaii learned so fast that he soon
knew more arithmetic than the school
master, and could solve the most difficult
problems in the book. Then he began to
study history, and to learn the meaning
of many words. Sometimes, as he sat
studying by the fire light, he talked to his
father about what he had read, and told
him the thoughts which had passed
through his mind while he was at work.
Many of these things sounded to the old
farmer as beautiful the things that the
minister said on Sunday.
One night, the farmer said: "Son, why
do you not write your thoughts, and read
them to me and your eat-grandmothcr?
1t would amuse us much to listen.''
YES; and it would improve my
handwriting said Hawaii. 81
will do it." SO he began, in
his spare moments, to write down his
thoughts. One night he put the pieces of
paper on WHICH nc lltO Witch lIto
book, and read aloud from them. His
father thought he was reading from the
book, and, when he had finished, said to
him: THAT is the most beautiful thing
YOU have ever read to us. Who is the arl-
thor?f
Hawaii was ashamed to say that he had
written what he had just read. 1t seemed
strange that any of his thoughts should
be beautiful So he answered:
"The author is unknown, father"
His fathers praise encouraged him so
much, however, that from this time he
wrote something every day. Sometimes
he read his productions aloud, but not al
ways. His most beautiful thoughts he
feared to read, lest he should be question
ed about them.
All this time he worked faithfully on
the little farm, and asked nothing from
his father except his living and, now and
then, money tor book. But as he thought
more and more, his appearance changed,
SO that in four years one would scarcely
have known him for the same llawald
who found the gooscfcather.
At the end of four years his father died.
Allcr the burial, n strange man came To
the village, and proved that the little farm
which the poor man had bequeathed to
his children, was not his To bcstow. The
title was not good, and Hawaii and his
brothers and sisters We're pennilcss. This
was q great grief to Hawaii. He had
hoped to marry the miler's pretty niece
in another year. but now he must wait. lie
placed his great grandmother in an asylum
for the aged found homes for his brothers