, 1878-06-01
The Unwelcome Guest.

StephenS WAS teacN1nS tue OIstTlct
school in West Norfield. Mass. The
old log school house stood upon a
bank above, but quite near, the we'll
travelled road leading from Green
field to Brattleboro. A little foot
path led up to it, winding among the
shining, graceful brakes, low, tang
led blueberry bushes and fragrant
sweet fern.
One still. balmy afternoon, just
after the school was dismissed, and
the scholars came marching in an
ORDERLY manner out of the school
room. q portly, good looking man.
riding on a large white horse, was
seen emerging from the edge of the
pine forest, just above the school
house, and galloping leisurely down
the road towards them.
The children stopped their sing
ing and fastened little, thinking
to form themselves into line, as was
the very polite and pretty custom IN
those days, and make their man
ners" to the traveller as he passed.
The gentleman gazed at the row
of bright. eager faces with evident
interest. Just as he reached point
nearly in front of the log school
house where the children were
standing, he suddenly reigned up
his horse and in loud voice Of COM
mand. shouted:
sHalt! Stand where you are every
one OF you! Don't move a step!
The children were in great terror
now, supposing the stranger to be
an Indian in disguise, or Hessian
soldier, or q government official of
some sort, who was intending either
to scalp. kill, or take them into Gus
tody forthwith.
They we're paralyzed more by
wonderment than by the command
given them by the stranger.
The "school-mistress." as the
teacher was called at that time. hear
ing this ringing piece of authority,
ran to the door, while the children
stood frightened by the roadside.
'Stay where you are, madam!
You step out that doorway at your
perilr'
Quickly dismounting from his
horse, and throwing the bridle-rein
to the affrighted boy nearest him,
the stranger, with his short, heavy
riding whip, in his hand, ran rapid
ly up the stony path to the school
house.
The scholars were now in greater
trepidation than before They were
sure he was going to do some injury
to their beloved school-mistress, and
could only look at her. the stranger
and each other. with pal.id faces and
round eyes.
Miss Stepheks stood her ground
bravely. She looked at the approach
ing stranger with steady eye and
without the least outward appear
ance of fear.
AS he neared the lower foorway,
however, instead of raining down
vigorous blows with his riding whip
upon the defenceless head and
shoulders of the school-mistress, as
the children fully expected he
would, he suddenly stopped, and
taking hold of the smoothly worn
white boulder used as door-stone,
he rolled it away from the door.
Back of it was large rattlesnake.
The man. with two or three we'll
directed, sharp and rapid blows with
the stock of the whip, killed the
reptile. His twelve rattles were
soon detached and given to the
schoolmistress as memento OF her
narrow escape.
81 we'll knew the peculiar warn
ing sound that this snake always
gives" said the gentleman, smiling
pleasantly around the little group
now gathered about him.
"Its singular whirr reached my
ears in spite of the sound of your
many voices singing. I could not
determine at first where the danger
ous fellow was lurking, but thought
each of you would be safer to stand
where you were.
stepping upon the stone Of
course Jared it, thus disturbing the
snug quarters Of his snakeship, and
he told, in the only way he had to
communicate with others, that it
would be best to leave him to him
self"
'I have heard that sound nearly
every day since school began, said
Miss Stephens. ''but had no idea
what it was"
1--WE have all heard it," chorused
the scholars. "and we ecalled it little
Jack a.hitchin' in his hatchet, and
comm up his bean-stalk from China.
We've all put our ears down there
4 ever so many times, and listened I'd
hearIAf fast he was coming; and
h. sbi.9ched in with his hatchet and
1rne comes SO much to-day that We
expected to find him settin' here to-
morrow morning, sure, when We
came to school"
"Yo1r escape il almost miracu-
lous. He mast hayD been quito con.
tented With his snsg quarters, or ha
woulA havA 9hewn himself bsfors
new" said the gentleman, % he
turned to remount his horse. GOOD