Louisiana capitolian., 1879-08-23
MY FATHER.
''Her father has been in prison.

''Her father has been in prison."
The words reached me where l sat,
and burnt into my soul. Everywhere
l looked l saw them; everywhere
turned / heard them.
Could l haven been mistaken
Was all this se1f-torture for nothing
No; it was one Of the proudest girls in
school who had branded me with
shame. l heard it from her own lips.
~ tell you Alice vale's father has
been in prison." she said, "and that's
the reason l don't associate with
her."
| had always been shy, sensitive
girl, so exceedingly sensitive, that
some things were as hard to bear as
actual pain, though they might have
gone no further than words or mo-
tons. A smile has often set me ting
ling from head to foot.
| once heard my mother say, in re-
ply to some one who had noticed this
peculiarity:
"Poor child she can not help it y
and then, perhaps, conversation would
follow, in lower tone, which was not
intended for my car.
But compared to the shock which
thrilled me when / heard those dread
full words, had never known what
pain or trouble meant. They were
like swords, and for few moments
seemed to deprive me all power of
motion.
l can remember to this day the spot
where | sat, for l had fingered after
school to speak with the teacher. l
can even now see the wooden desk
that was before me, with it's strange,
undecipherable characters cut on the
cover the closed blinds at my back ];
the soft reflection Of ripping water on
the opposite wall !; the teacher-one
of the sweetest women ever saw--
yes, can see her long, fair curls and
bright lashes, as she sat at her desk,
engrossed in the letter she was wri-
ting. She was quite young and very
wise; the girls all loved her. l re-
member how mechanically my eyes
sought her face for an indication that
she heard that dreadful speech; and
then / said to myself vehemently:
otis a lie! a lie! base, wicked,
monstrous lic!"
"Miss May, please don't see to it,
l cried, almost passionately 'at'
least not till-till-"
"T'ill you give meleave, ,''she added,
for my sobs choked me livery well,
dear, | will not speak till then, and
now let us try to forget this nDpleas-
ant thing. Shall we go home to-
gether2 We can talk as we go
along"
TO this ! gladly assented, and that
short walk and her sweet converse
tion acted like magic. How blue and
cool the river was. Aud what lovely
shadows seemed to slide down the
sides of the high hills, taking their
hues from the gorgeous tints of the
sunset sky. If it had been a grief
that could be forgotten, l should have
returned home light-hearted.
Cruelty slow moved the weary mo-
ments now. The scent of the wild
briar outside the window seemed
odious to me. The golden ripple on
the wall, that l had been watching
with so much delight, had lost it's
willowy charm. Something cold and
death-like seemed to be creeping
through my veins. There was a dull
pain at my heart.
Once l wondered if / were dying,
and struggled out Of a numbness that
had seized my senses, just as Miss
Florian, the teacher looked up.
"Why, my child," she said sweetly,
''have you been waiting all this time I
l had quite forgotten" Then she
added, in quicker tones, "Are you i'll,
Alice, or is it the sunset shadow that
makes you SO white p
That sweet voice and sweeter smile
went straight to my sore heart. l
could not help it, my head fell on my
hands, and burst into tears. In q
moment she was at my side, her cool
hand on my head.
"Some-somebody has been saying
something dreadful about me-" sob
bed out, at last. 81 heard it while l
was sitting here-but please don't
ask me what it is, Miss May; l