Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-02
Ter until she brought up at her kitchen

grandfather bending over the big brick
oven.
"Sakes alive, school amt out vet, be it2'
ne asked, lifting himself up TO get good
view of the clock.
Becky flung herself down on the steps
and poured forth her injuries, winding
up with declaration of indepenien
"l'll never 60 again; never. You will
not ask it of me, will you grandfather
'Not if you're set ag'in it" said the old
man with sigh; and he passed into the
buttery and brought out a heaping dish
of pancakes.
Il thought as how you'd come home
hungry, and so made lot of EN-"
Becky had weakness for pancakes,
and was quite touched with the attention.
She moved chair near them and tried
to eat; but somehow they seemed to stick
in her throat. The idea that her grand
father was sorely disappointed made them
very hard to swallow.
"What makes you care so much about
my being a ladys" she said at length.
laying down her knife and fork and look
ing fxedly at him.
The old farmer wiped his glasses care
fully.
81 dun know" he answered; "p'r'aps
it's cause your mother would have liked
it; she used to take to larnin', and to
gentle ways, and grand folks, as naturally
as horses take to hay. wanted you to
be like her; but laws me! tain in natur,
that you could be that kind any more than
hen could be a gosling. It don't natter
"Yes it does, grandfather" and Becky,
Jumping up, wound her arms around his
neck and shed tear or two on the back
of his old waistcoat.
ut isn't that I'm so against the learn
ing" she continued; sits the folks l
can't stand"
swell, some Of 'em's rather tryin',''
answered the farmer; "but there is one
powerful queer thing in human natur'.
If you feel ag'in man, do favor for
him, an you're sure to like him better.
There's Squire Adams, I used tohate him
like fury; but since I've been in the habit
of lending on him my yoke of oxen, I've
got the better on it."
"Well, grandpa, III 60 to school just
one day longer to lend lem to his daughter
Such fixed-up city girls havn't the slight
est idea how to have a good time. I
might bring them down here and show
them how it is done.''
So, to the surprise Of everybody, the
following day Wild Becky appeared at
school. The scholars all laughed as she
came tearing in, and making queer lit
tie bob which did duty for courtesy,
begged to be forgiven yesterdays mis-
doings.
Perhaps Miss Peters knew by instinct
what penance this was to tho child, or
it may be ths.t, in spite of her prim lit
tie way, she had real sympathy for
Becky, and disapproved of the offensive
manner Of her assistant. At all events
the matter twas lightly treated, and the
''wild girl" was soon established in her
own seat
At recess the girls paired off two by
two, but no one spoke to her.
"Dear, DEAR" thought the child; "no-
body isn't nobody here unless they are
a couple, and ANTI"
When the afternoon session broke up
that day, hay-cart with two big work
horses stood drawn up before the fashion
able establishment. The floor Of the
cart was strewn thickly with fragrant
hay, while old Farmer Miller in his shirt
sleeves, held the reins. Cynthia Adams
was one OF the last to leave the school
room. Who can describe her astonish.
ment when, upon gaming the yard, she
bsheld Wild Becky standing on horse.
block, and actually inviting these CITY
girls to :shitch on' Most of the scholars
looked as Mortified as Cynthia had ex.
pected; but Mile King and four or five
other jolly souls tumbled in for the fur
of it. :a
Farmer Miller shouted to Miss Peters
hat he'd bring 'em home safe and sound
afore bedtime, and cracking his whip
they were soon rafting down the hill
the girls getting such shakeup as they
had never had before; but they held on
to the poles like monkeys, filling the way
with their merry shouts and laughter,
and by the time they reached the long
winding road through the pine woods,
they were thoroughly enchanted with
their novel mode of riding.
Such queer homely house as it was
before which they stopped Becky didn't
try to hide any part of it, but made them
welcome to the whole, and to the great
barn, too, with its numberless hiding
places, initiating them at once into the
most approved way of sliding down hay-
mows, and riding on the great swing
doors. She took them across the mead.
ows' TO the stream, with the little grove
beside it, and there they fshed for trout
not that they caught enough to boast of,
tor only the most venturesome of fishes
would bite in that uproar of voices.
When they got tired of that sport they
chased the colts in the orchard, and
hunted out the squirrels, with whom
Becky carried on such droll make be-
heve conversation, that the girls, as they
said, ''almost died Of laughing"
The sun was getting low, and the grass
was all purple with shadows, when she
brought out table and said that thew
would have their supper under the shade
of great butternut- tree.
"This is the time they'll laugh. ;,
thoLght Becky; "but let 'em; 1 couldn't
get up genteel tea. to save my life, and
l shan't try"
And sure enough, the girls did laugh.
To see such great platters or smoking hot
sweet corn, such huge pitchers of creamy
milk, such stacks of freshly picked Der
ries, was enough to make any hungry
girl laugh, and in a way very pleasant to
hear.
Then followed a shake down on the
smooth floor of the barn, accomplished
by the aid of Farmer Miller, who whistled
the tune of "Cver the hills and far away. ),
from the corn bin.
1t wasn't until the young moon shone
cut clear and silvery that the girls found
themselves in the hay cart riding briskly
toward the school.
II believe I never had such good