The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-10-09
ADELINA.

consolate1y wendeh my way to school,
wishing that Holidays came oftener and
stayed longer, ana regretting that out of
ffty-two there Was only one week of un.
interrupted Il ~(sure.
The old re0< 0<School-house stood at the
functions of three roads, and as !
raised the little hill just before reaching
IL, / saw, coming from the opposite
direction, litVc black-clad figure that
looked like moving blot on the un-
broken whitkness of the snow-covered
landscape. ...s.. ...f
never cbuld tell what actuated me to
Iinger on fer movements as did, or why
she 10 strongly attracted me, but from
the hrzkI think must have loved the
>khild6 6even before / was old enough to
0tly understand the meaning Of the
ord.
y We reached the worn old door-stone
together, and, being boy, not at all
afraid to speak to any one, much less a
timid little girl, very coolly asked her if
this wa, her first day at school.
= Yes; and dread il 80 much.'
><It was the sweetest voice had ever
heard or have ever heard since. The
peculiar rising infection on the last
word was like the short, clear, low notes
of bird, and as purely natural.
"D Do you come every dayP
"Havn't missed day this winter"
"Oh, / am so gladW
Why are you SO gladT
Because you are good boy. Won't
you please to tell me your nameT'
Edward Durand."
1 like the name," she said sweetly,
and, boy as am, i wondered how any
mortal ever came by such an angelic
smile. All this time she had been try
ing to unite the round worsted strings of
her hood, but had only succeeded in
drawing them into harder knot.
won't you please unite it for me,
EddieT
She held up her little chin, and with
out a moments hesitation / bent down
and did ms she requested. 1t was such a
tender, confiding little face-who could
help loving it? i patted encouragingly
the rose-red cheek turned toward me in
gentle truthfulness, and babe her not
to be afraid, for she had as good Alright
TO come to school as any one.nN a.
Halo! where did that little black
bird come fromr cried kind-hearted
Ben Philips as we entered. :" Come along,
little girl, and get warm, for you look
half frozen."'r, ferfris sfrFr
A general tittering and nudging fol.
lowed Ben's energetic seating Of the new
scholar, and one saucy little mink, not
understanding its Significance, asked
pertly: Ial 10 fEtn I9Iul-gI IA
"What are you looking 50 like crow
for? i hate black ,dressl'g9r IA
- /" Hushl reproved an older girl, who
overheard the remark. Hush, Sue;
don't you see she is in mourningp'
The voice that had 50 charmed me In
the entry answered the question in &
a strangely quiet way. NlF q II
"My father is deadp' ,r-., -fs
A hush as of death fell upon the nois,
group gathered around the old cracked
steve. The unwonted silence was broker
by he entrance of the teacher, who rap
ped us to order, after which he briskly
called up the new scholar. G.
Whit is your namef' "a .L
"Adeiina.' 3la-gFf9 9u...
Mr.. Pike looked wise.
"Adelina Lagrange, j suppose; anC
you are the daughter Of the lady wh'
has recently taken the Baldwin. cot
tageT "' ~, i'.ni '- l..
1Yes. sir.u GO ,rl-1T
"well, you may take this seat" point
ing TO bench not far, from where 1 wa
sitting, aud without further questioning
Adelina had passed through the tryin
ordeal of First day" and was dull,
counted one Of us. 't
Her mother, it was rumored, was
lady Of refinement and culture, but ver
proud and reserved in her dcmeanor fo
aperson who was obliged to teach musi
for living. Mrs. Lagrange, at an
rate, was young, handsome, and recentl
widowed at least the length and new
ness of her veil indicated 20 observin
feminine eyes that the bereaven,en
was recent, and that is all the gossip
knew about her. . W
The summer term brought Adelin
again to the old red school-house, but s
changed outwardly that we hardly kne,
her for the somber "blackbird of tn
previous winter. She futtered in on
morning dressed in white, with sash an
shoulder-knots of cherry ribbons-th
loveliest ever saw.
At noon she came to me and said. yer
gravcly:
"After to-day am not coming an
more"
"WhyT' 49,
al am going to the city to live; bu
you were kind to me the first day
came, and tell you for that reason, an
because you didn't mind untying IN
hood for me-"
felt her going 30 keenly that / coul
not study, try rs would, and in cons
quence my grammar lesson was decide
failure. went home from school h,
way that day, taking care that II
other scholars should not suspect an
motives.
When came in sight of her she W,
standing motionless by the road, atte
lively watching yellow-jacket buzzin
for sweets In the downy heart of a whi
Canada thistle.
Years after, when miles and mil
away from that spot, ] could shut m
eyes of hazy October afternoon, with
8 o'clock sun dipping toward the tr'
tops, and see n girl, lovely rs the blus
OF the sunset, gazing pensively at a b,
upon common roadside flower.
"Did it sting your asked, assumir
avery sympathetic air,
"No; bees never sting me, and =,
watched them dance on the thistle-hea
all summer"
al did not know that you loved ther
Most girls are afraid of bees"
Yes; but am not"
N She turned from the rank patch
thistles and slowly resumed her wa
homeward.
When we came to the lane whcre o.
paths separated she put up her iliti
arms to be taken and kissed before lea
ing me, as she said, "to come back
more"
"Be good to yourself, Eddie, and ne