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

IL herself. Az least, III you ever tOOk tllc
the trouble to ask her name, "Bcck Bas-
SET" the answer would come grufily
enough
No one loved her, nor ono cared for her.
She might have had some one to loyc and
care for her too, IL her mother had lived,
but Beck's mother died when Beck was
baby. Poor thing she died broken
hearted and discouraged, and left her one
little one alone, or worse than alone, for
Becks father loved the village inn, and his
whiskey both better than he loved any
thing else in the world, and that was what
carried Beck's mother to her grave, and set
poor Beck a1oat on the ocean OF life, with
nothing but blackness all about her, with
no love, no kindness, no tenderness to help
her bear her hard, hard lot.
How she ever got through babyhood
cannot imagine. When look at little
baby, so tender so helpless, so appealing,
by reason of that very, utter helplessncss,l
wonder more and more how it was that
Beck Basset ever got through her baby
hood and grew into the great, tall, over
grown girl she was when l first saw her.
Could 1t be that she was like other babies !?
Neglected, half-starvcd, cuffcd and kicked
and beaten, poor Beck Bassct Such a
babyhood But she weathercd it. Human
plants spring up sometimes, like weeds.
You attack the weeds which choke your
garden with spade and hoe You cut, and
tear and all this seems to make them grow
the faster. Perhaps Beck was weed.
We will see. There are weeds, which have
their uses and those, not inferior to some
Of the choicest of our garden favOritcs.
II Beck had been comely to look upon
like her ancient namesake, it might have
been different for there is power in out
ward grace, and the eyes of most people
are very dull to perceive the hidden beauty
of a diamond in the rough casing of
nature.
Becks childhood was no fondcr, nc
happier than her babybood. She saw
other children pettcd, fondled, INDUCED
She could remember nothing but kicks and
cuffs in place of kind words and fond ca
ress. So she grew suspicious of everyone.
She knew she was ugly and the knowledge
did not improve her. She grew into a tall
long-limbed, gaunt girl with dark
swarthy skin, coal black eyes, and great
heavy mass of blue black hair which hung
down her back or was twisted or tied into
grOtesque knots or braids, giving her {
mild, elfish air, 80 that it was no wonder
the boys of the village nick-named her thu
Witch of Endor, till finally, it became he
almost universally accepted cognomen.
) Stunned and ill-treated, albeit feared by
the school children, she would not go t.
school regularly. When she did go sh
surpassed all the rest in her studies, show
ing aptitude beyond her years, and eager
ness for knowledge, but she would wear,
at last of the undisguised scorn of her mate
and the ill-cOncealed repugnance of tn
teacher, and 80 she would drop out o
school and spend her time IN rowing tn
fields and wandering through the woods
She knew the haunts of all the wild, tint
things who hide away from cruel man, i
the depths of the wild wood. She coul
lead YOU to the nest of the whippoorwill,c
the wood-lark, or the home of the littl
brown rabbits. They did not fear hel
They seemed to recognize sort of kind
ship with her, and gamboled and friske
about her as If she were really like them,
wild creature of the woods. say sh
could lead you to all these hidden treasures
but do not say she would. She SCENE
to esteem the human race, her enemy e.
pecially children, unless it was some lit
supplemented fodder who might stretc
out tiny hands fearlessly to her in a fit {
confidence. From such one she won
turn and run away with softenjng of h
black eye and suspicious moistu
therein.
The older children Stunned her The
was not one even among the lowlicst won
not have been ashamed to be seen in COZ
pany with Beck Bassct. And yet the q
had never been found guilty of any dow
right wickedness. Those gentle souls wi
ever had the courage to speak word f
even poor Beck, would have told you
the patience which she showed with h
british father, of how she had gone Oh
night through binding snow storm, al
helped the wretch home when, but for he
he must have persisted from cold. TIN
would tell how she had once saved lit
child from drowning in the mill pond, {
among her various, though rather doubt
accomplishments, Beck numbered that
padding In the water like duck. To
sure the child was pauper, and Irish
that, and that, as everybody knows max
deal of difference.
At school Beck was hard case.
would have been expelled only for |
youthful age, for every means, save one h
been brought to bear to bring her into ST
lection.
Neither Mr.. Haskell, the master, 1
Miss Raymond, his assistant had cN
thought of trying the only thing viii
might have bent the stubborn will of tn
refractory pupil The magic spell of XIII
ness would do for the other children,
not for her, and at last she came to be t
Grated as a necessary evil. Everything
an unpleasant nature was laid upon h
She was convenient scape-goat for n
chievous or evil-minded boys or girls,
she never desired anything, never sought
defend herself She came and went at
will; lived among the scholars but in
wise part of them; bore their sneers W
contempt or strange stoicism, most p
able in such child. This in genel
though she had been known to fire W
long continued and exasperating insu
till she seemed like a miniature fury,
her tormenter fled before her in sheer