Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-02
WILD BECKY.

|
school, which capped the very topmos
pinnacle Of their village. A light
upon hill, which shed its literary radi
ance over the whole place.
Cynthia Adams was the only day
scholar; but she was the squire's daughter
and it was a matter of course that bel
schooling should be something beyonc
that of tine rest of the village girls.
One day, as the scholars were hanging
over the school-yard fence, or sitting il
! groups on the steps waiting for the schoo
bell 10 ring, they heard man with 6
lusty pair of lungs shouting, ''Gee, haw
git up thar!'' in voice so loud that il
threatened to shake the hills.
"That is one of OLD Miiler's whispers,
do believe" laughed Cynthia. s'He's q
farmer about here, with roaring voice
Such a queer fellow as he is to be sure
l wish you girls could see him.
Il wish might answered loving
Mile King. "Does he live far from
here9"
ellis house is way down by the edge
of the town, beyond the pine woods; they
call the place Biscuit City"
"WhY? Because they have so many
biscuits there2" asked dozen voices al
once.
Cynthia shook her head.
~ guess it is because they don't have
them,' she said; ''perhaps they wish thew
did, ana so called it that. All I really
| know about it is that there does not seem
to be any one there to cook much, any
way; for Farmer Miller lives alone with
| his granddaughter, girl about our
age"
Couldn't she make buscuits9" per-
sisted Mile, unwilling to give up the
idea that they abounded at Biscuit City
"Becky I'D like to see anything
decent that Wild Becky could make. No
one in the village will have anything to
do with her, for she's such wild, harum-
scarum thing, and so green, too, that
you'd mistake her for grass, just as like
ly as not"
Cynthia stopped abruptly, tor the
"Geehaws" sounded nearer every moment.
and now pair Of oxen came numbering
over the hill, followed by rickety hay
cart, at the end of which was poised a
bsreheaded young person in cloud Of
dust. Her ample bonnet swung from the
top of one of the poles which formed the
sides OF the cart, evidently for the pur-
pose of proving to the passers, by that she
possessed such an article, though she did
not choose to wear it. She looked up at
it rather wistfully, however, as hel COM
panion, Farmer Miller, with laundering
EXPLANATIONS, drove the cart up to the
school-house gate.
'Pile out, Becky!'' he roared, sand
We'll soon fix It with 'em here. Don't be
skeered, gal. Be you the school marm?'
The question was addressed to Miss
Peters, the principal, who at this juno
ture came politely forward.
II haven't much larnin' myself, ma'am, y
he continued, 'sbut Pm bound that nv
gal here shall have as good a chance as
the rest Of 'em. She's a good gal, Becky
is, only trifle wild-like, and needs se!-
ting bit. Pm better hand at settling
bills than lively young creatures like
this one, so if you'll tend to one, I'll tend
to t'other;' and handing the poor girl
over, rumbling her bonnet after her, he
was halfway down the hill before Wild
Becky bad made up her mind whether
she would be settled or not
1t was very disagreeable standing there
with all the girls staring at her, she
thought: and glancing shyly out from un.
der her long lashes, her eyes rested glad
" on the familiar features of the sources
daughter.
'.How do, Cynthia?" she said, nodding
in such civil way that it surprised her
self.
Cynthia looked blankly into her face a
moment without making the slightest
sign of recognition, then wheeling around
on her heels, she turned her back square.
ly upon her.
A litter went around the yard; every
one seemed amused but poor Becky, who
shut her mouth tightly, and her heart toe
for that matter, and fairly hated her kind
AS she joined the crowd squeezing into
the school house, she wondered why she
had ever consented to be brought tc
school: The old wild life perfectly con
tented her. To roll about for hours un
der the wide-spreading oaks with the
| friendly SQUIRRELS, or to chase the brook
as it dashed gayly down the hills, wa.
much pleasanter than tie society of 9th
er girls, she had always thought.
But the fact was, her grandfather hac
taken it into his dear old head to make
lady of her, and rather than disappoin
the kind soul who had done so much fo
her, Wild Becky had made a desperat,
effort t. plume herself down that morn
ing into civilized girl, and mingle witt
her fellow-beings.
It was harder even than she had i'm
agined; the close school-room almof,
stifled her, while the dull, monotonou
hum Of voices had such SIMPLIFYING eff
feet that, before she had been seated
long, her head dfoped on her desk anl
she fell asleep. She was awakened b,
something tickling her nose; putting he
hand up quickly great bouncing butter
fly futtered through her fingers and sho
up into the air. Now this was a play
mate that Wild Becky never could resist
without half realizing where she was, sh,
burst into loud laugh; and was making
q dive for it when, recollecting herself
she slid down again into her seat, will
the painful consciousness that all eye
were upon her. The pair that terrified
her most were those upon the platform
not Miss Peters eyes, but those of anothe
teacher who had come into the room dur
ing Becky's nap.
"Where did you come from2" asked tn
woman, sharply, for she was indignant a
the interruption of her class.
"Biscuit City, ma'am," was the promp
reply.
"A land productive of biscuits an
rude GIRLS" returned the teacher, face
tiously, at which the other scholars, par
ticularly the older ones, laughed mos
obiigingly.
"Unless you can command yourself