The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-02

first sight which met her eyes as she turned |
the corner of the school house, in an angle
of the yard was an image dressed in an old
faded, ragged gown, with mass of tan
glcd horse hair, falling down the back
from under her sunbonnet A placard
upon the figure, in large printed characters
bore the words, ''Beck Basset, alias Witch
of Endor," When she entered the yard
tall disagrecable boy took off his cap and
in coarse voice proposed three groans for
the Witch of Endor; whercupon such a
bowling and grooming went up from the
group of assembled boys as made tho hot
blood rush into the swarthy checks of the
girl, and the wild pent up fire of her
abused and downtrodden nature blaze in
her eyes. She almost deserved her title
now as she stood for one instant looking
upon the group of bowling, jecring boys.
For one instant only the next she was in
their midst, dealing blows to the right and
to the left with all the force of her bare
brown arms which had gained uncommon
| strength by the life she had led and, now
now moreover, were nerved to incredible
power by the fury that swayed her soul.
The boys broke in confusion. Some
fled, while some of the largest stood their
grounds, and offered sturdy resistance, but
in vain. They were glad at length TO beat
a retreat before the tempest they had
evoked.
The last one had rounded the corner
battered and bloody from the contest, and
victorious Beck stood leaning, faint, and
dizzy, against the school house, striving to
staunch the blood which flowed profuscly
from her nostrils, with her tattcrcd gown,
when stranger came upon the scene
Twas no other than the new minister, who
had just come to Millcrsville, in place of
old father Avery, whom death at last had
called away from his half century pasto-
rate in the village.
He had been attracted at first by the I'M
earthly howls and groans of the boys and
thought he would step up and see if any
thing was the trouble He took in the
whole at glance. Beck did not see him
nor had she heard him approach. He had
never seen her before though he had heard
of old Nick Basset and his terrible girl, and
was at no loss to know who stood before
him. But his voice was low and plying
as he said.
"My poor girl. you are badly hurt. aic
you not -
Beck started and would have fled, but
her fierce struggle with over-powering
numbers, together with the great nervous
tension had been too much for her, and sht
would have fallen but for the strong arms
of the new minister. lie bore her to the
pump, and himself washed away the blood
and soil from her face and hands, She
was powerless to resist even if she would
doubt If she would have done so at al
, events, for there was tenderness in til,
o touch of the strangers hands; there wa
kindness in the tones of his voice and
gentle pity, which filled the child, with
strange new feeling, all unaccustomed a
= she was to treatment like this and sh
, covered her face with her hands while tn
r hot tears trickled through her fingers ant
, mingled with the blood which continued t,
flow from her nose, till she looked TIN
I picture of the most utter, and forlorl
, misery, the young man had ever seen.
l He let her cry for few moments, the
r he took her hands gently from her face.
e "Come, my child, this will not do" Ii
said "It will soon be school time w
will go in and wait till the teache
4 comes.'
a She laughed scornfully as she threw bac
), her hair and began rapidly washing tn
d blood from her face and hands. "Yo
J. won't catch me in there, tell you, sir.
@ know better nor that. Old Haskell d ski
h me alive. He's licked me more'n onct fl
# things want no ways to blame for, an
a guess he won't let me off now, when L,
,r give them boys something to rememb,
e Beck Basset by, good many days" al
she chuckled, and then with darker lool
''Thc devils wish I'd killed 'em dc
:, l do. See there" pointing to the figur
"That's my bonnet; the only one I've 60
:, an they stole it and fixed that up, but "
" come up with EN-. Oh, how | hate 'en
u old Haskell, old maid Raymond, and all
~ She would have run away with this, b
- - she was restrained again, this time by
>. firm, strong hand upon her arm, while
= commanding voice babe her stop. 81
- obeycd, though sullcnly now, and stot
" still while the young man stepped aero
- the yard and took the old bonnet from d
:; figure and brought it and put it on h
Or head. He left the figure, for he wished 4
III teacher to see it, and then he took 4
If child's hand and passed out of the yar
no The scholars had been viewing the progrt
at of affairs from afar, but he met Mr.. III,
es kill at the front of the school house.
simply said that he would call and eXpla
no as soon as possible, and then passed on.
or Beck felt ashamed as she walked alo
ad through the village by the side of the mi
H. ister; ashamed of her wild appearance,
her ragged and blood-sta'ned dress, and i
bare, dirty feet She knew too, thou
she kept her eyes steadily on the grour
that they were the observed of all observe
=" Mr.. Earle did not leaye her till they reach
"a the door of the hut, she called her hon
". He talked kindly and pleasantly of thir
~ in general and by degrees, drew from
''e girl the sad, sad story of her life, and
VI heart swelled with pity for the lonely 10
IT, less waif and he resolved to do for
Is what was in his power to do.
He went to the school but found
,or little sympathy, the teachers, eviden
NJ taking sides against Beck, though
;th knowledgng that her provocation had bt
4. great