Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-10-29
A Mountain Ride.

OF course, we girls all pitied Rachel
Tinkham, but we never quite made her
one of us.
She was such shy little thing, aud blushed
if you spoke to her, and acted as If afraid
Of her own voice, and wore print dresses
all the time, and never was invited TO our
parties.
The Tinkhams had been great people
in my grandmother's day. Nothing was
left of their grandeur now, however, for
there had been wine in one generation, and
whiskey in the next, and delirium tremens
in the third Rays father was the third.
Shs had wretched time kee ping house for
him. Her mother was dead. 1--WE" were
the girls of Mrs. BANDS private school.
A dozen of us were out upon the east
verandah one morning. We we're all talk
ing at once. Some one, it seemed, had said
the high school girls were better scholars
than we were.
every well. So they are"
This was Kate Avery, and she was stand
ing up by the lattice where the morning
glory vines grew, and where hundred clus-
tiers of little bells swung out-blue and pur-
pie and pink. II Kate was anything, she
was honest, though she was handsome, too
ave have music and French converse
ton, and Lou has a phaeton, and have two
donkeys, and Queeny has been to Europe !;
but" lowering her voice, " it's an awful Sc
cret though it's the truth. The high school
girls are miles and miles beyond us in Latin
and mathematics"
"Indeed they are," said I. "I'm what
mademoiselle calls an 'idgit in arithme.
| tic. | really suppose that two and two
| make four; but, If one of those girls were
to tell me that they had made five, should
not dare dispute her."
"The fact u.s." said Kate, " little Tinkham
is the only one of us who is sure of her null
| objectionable. But then she doesn't really
belong to us. She would not be here if it
wasn't for sweeping and busting to pay her
tuition. There she is this minute"
A small, tired-looking figure, in coarse
dress came in sight round the corner. 1t
was Rachel with her load Of books in her
arms.
"She has worn that dress every day for
three months" said Lou Stedman 9" verify
believe she goes to bed when it is done up
| "My dear, she can't. She has to wash and
iron it herself. Oh, there is Queeny |" cried
Kate. 1t was such a gentle, graceful girl
who came walking fast to overtake Ray,
caught step as she overlook her, and began
talking pleasantly. doesn't she look nice
in that seal-brown suit ? And isn't it Just
like her to carry Rays books for her 2"
| Queeny's real name was Alice. You would
have known why we called her Queeny il
you had seen her walk beside little Tinkham
that morning, open the gate. and stand still,
erect, with that grand way of hers for the
girl to pass through. l believe we all rather
worshiped Queeny.
Kate met them with her forehead all tied
up in hard knots, and asked Ray, didn't
she want 10 be an angel and help her with
those dreadful fractions 2"
So they two sat down on the doorstep, and
the rest went into the schoolroom. Then
Lon called out to Ray to come and dust her
'esk. She said ait wasn't half busted
Queeny said
cray is busy 1 will do III" and she
silent and looking prouder than ever, busted
Louis desk herself.
1t was this morning, Friday, that Mrs
Bland told us that tomorrow would be
Mountain day."
All the schools in our town drive to the
mountain once year. Our day always
comes in September.
This time Mrs. Bland couldn't 60, so she
sent along her cousin to matronize us. She
was fdgety person, afraid of spiders, and
no good anyway.
"We are to start at nine o'clock" Queeny
said. "Ray, can you be ready SO early ?"
Queeny was new scholar. She didn't
know that Ray never went with us to such
places. Now she flushed and replied
81 don't think can go to the mountain. y
Certainly, you are going" Alice said il
in her queenliest way. IF you can't go to
morrow we will put off going
Saturday is my day to clean the school
ROOM" Ray answered.
"We will clean it. Let's begin this
minute" and off came Queeny's cuffs and
Hates, all the cuffs, in fact. We went to
work, and had such fun sweeping and scrub
bling. Just imagine Kate and Queeny wash
ing the floor. They did it Well, too.
snow, remember" Queeny said, the last
thing, everybody is to wear her oldest
dress. And, Ray, would you be kind enough
to bring hard-boiled eggs for your luncheon
One apiece for us all round 7"
Ray looked bright all over and said yes
The next morning Obed Taintor cam,
round with his uncovered omnibus, and hi
, two great horses and picked us up.
We went for Ray last She was standing
in front of the old house, beside the tumole
down gate, with her basket of eggs in he
hand. She looked perfectly happy, and he
dress was so clean and smooth Kate whis
pered to me:
"That dress has been washed and irone,
since last night. Just think Of It'll
But il it hadn't been for Queeny, Ra,
would never have gone and if Ray had no
gone the rest of US would never have com
: home, and this story-for there is story
would never have been told.
1t is eight miles TO the mountain, an,
~, -, ~ 10 49, L.. L..
two miles are very hard and steep, becaus
Connecticut river in that distance.
But Obed was steady, good driver, an,
, his horses were steady, good horses We a
ways drew lots for the seat beside Obed, an,
it was one of our treats to get him talkin
about his team" as he called 1t.
"What are their names 2" asked Queeny
"Well,"--a pause. Obed was a slo,
) talker, but he had great deal TO say. 9Th
off one there is Caesar an the nigh one he
Alexander
"Are they afraid of the cars 2"
, "Ain't afeard o. nothin' in natur."
Obed paused for us to think this ovel
and then went on
"Know too much, them creeturs Dc
They've carried load to the mountain fou
times week all summer. They'd take y
bout 8 well eff warn't along. They kno,
-well-beats all what them animals know
Understand t I'm talkin' bout 'em thi
mint s well s you do. They're used to b'
ing talked TO. My wife she thinks sigh
of 'em. Beats all She'll 60 out to tn
- barn and she'll carry 'em apples, and She
" be all over em an once, when she was sic
+ an KEEP in the house, you en- b'lieve 1t @
not, but it's TACT, that them creeturs lo'
flesh. See braids up their front hair fc
'em, and ties it with a red ribbin one da,
an then the next day she unbraids it, an il
crimped all in the fashion, you'll understand
!, As they was a comm TO party to-da,
they've got their hairs crimped."
But alas for Caesar and alack for Ale,
ander, it was terrible piece of work thi
= you came near doing that day, though "
" girls never shall feel that you were much |