New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-04
CHE GIRL WHO COULD NOT WRITE
4 COMPOSITION.
o. yLIzABETH STUART @HfafNs


PART ONE.
sTry again, 9emima," saiS sss.s ssincipaSS
patiently.
The principal spoke so Very patiently that
s'emima did not feel atoal encouraged to
try again. If she had spoken pleasantly, OF
hopefully, or cheerfully, or sadly, or even
angrilv, it would have been more inspirit-
ing. But SO very patiently
Jemima sighed.
1--WE tried again so many timescS she said.
And this was true SO many times that the
principal had whispered to the first assist
ant and the first assistant had whispered to
the second assistant, and the Latin depart
ment suspected and the girls themselves
had begun to understand, that Jem Jasper
could not write a composition.
Poor little Jem Only sixteen years old,
and thousand miles away from her father,
as homesick as lost canary, stranded for
year in this awful Massachusetts boarding
school, where the Juniors studied Greek and
the seniors talked of applying at Amherst,
and couldn't write composition.
Jem was not exactly a Ounce, either She
9tood very well in algebra, and really en-
joyed her natural philosophy. At book
keeping she did no worse, perhaps a little
better, than most girls. In the gymnasium
she had saken pflze. She had a sunny
little treckled face, too, with red hair that
she wasn't ashamed of. and red cheeks that
had tried, and people liked her, in a way.
Her teachers awere slow to scold her, and
the girls were not apt to laugh at her. But
not to be able to write a composition in a
9chool where the seniors talked OF @Splying
ct Amherst.
The lecturer ON style bore with her for
one term. Then he handed her and her
Compositions over to the principal The
principal had been patient with her for
another term. Now she had grown SO vern
4atient that she sat perpiexed.
81 doa't know what to do WITH SoSo size
sSowly said
Il wish you wouldn't do pytnise 9th
Sle," said Jem doggedly
The principal trowned a little thinking
This was impertinent IN Jem; then she
smiled !. little and concluded it was only
stupid.
"Fatner'll think l am fool@ saF Jem;
sand don't think am, doSrocg@'
The principal smiled and hestateSs
II don't feel like fool" continued Jem,
aandidly.
"Not even when you are told to write
compositions" smiled the principal.
NO" said Jem, boldly. Il don't feel
like fool when I'm asked to write com
position. | feel as if l were in prison, and
going 10 be hung"
The principal shook her patient head. and
only smiled the more.
One day learned lady called on the
principal. She was the editor of the We'd
11esday Ecening Early Visitor, and a very
learned lady indeed.
"What shall l do with that grl!' asked
the principal.
Turn her over to me, said the learned
lady.
"You can't get composition ont of her
that's fit to be read
We'll see"
"But it's impossible, gook Snese ever
and Judge for yourself
The principal threw down on the desk
package of poor little Jems compositions,
and the editor of the WednesdGg Erening
Early Iisitor pitilessly read them, every
oRe.
This happened so long ago that / have
only been able 20 procure a few.
They ran like this:
THE GREEKS.
The Greeks were very warike people. |
Socrates was a Greek, and so was Homer. |
The Peloponnesian war was long and |
bloody. and is one to be remembered when |
time shall be 10 more. "A large blot
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Queen Elizabeth died in 1903. Macaulay |
saws: In 1903 the great Queen died That |
"a a great deal better way to say it. know.
She wore ID ruff, and killed somebody.
think il was Leicester. | can not think OF
anything else to say about her.
(Many tears.)
MIRrHFULNESs.
Mirt hfulness is one Of the most remark
.ble traits of the human heart.
IAN abrupt stop
Nevertheless. said the learned lady, less
I'm try her"
The learned lady tried her in awful ear