The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-19

grimly called it, was a thing of the past
It was indeed grateful change. Dull
| girls like Kate Kearns and Abby Blair
who never before had done anything
but invent excuses to get rid of the task
now came promptly with a composition
each time; while Lizzie Smith. Corne.
liza Jones, Jennie Howard, and a host
of others, not at all stupid, but only
lazy, quite astonished their teachers BY
their ready compliance with the wishe:
of the worthy Doctor.
Nor was this all. There was a very
marked improvement in the style and
matter of the essays as well. Such COM
monplace and trite subjects as Passing
Away" and The March of Time" be-
came not only endurable to hear. but
almost interesting. There was dash
ing airiness and piquancy about them
that commanded attention, and their
lucky authors received many words of
praise that bore decided contrast to the
reprimands of former times. But, alas
these halcyon days did not always last.
The excellence of the ESSAYS increased
week by week, but so did the suspicious
of DIR. Stone. Clearly, all was not
right. The productions of Miss Blair
and many others, scrutinized and pom
dered over in the Doctors study, were
suspected of being quite too brilliant to
have originated with those young ladies
and the conviction was forced on him
that at least half dozen essays each
week bore the ear-marks of Miss
Thorpe's flexible genius.
The reader doubtless has already
guessed that Nell was indeed the COM
poser of the much-admired essays. Her
willingness to help her schOol-fellOws
in their lessons had prompted her room
mate, Cornelia Jones, to solicit her aid
in getting up her composition, and Nell
soon found that, having once begun, e
was no easy matter to get rid of the job
and that she was expected to furnish
one for that indolent young lady regu-
larry every two weeks. She was soon
besieged by applications from the rest,
to give only an idea or two, or to tell
them how to begin or what to say,
"just this once" so that at last, wearied
by their teasing. Nell, who, like many
other persons, could do a thing more
easily than tell any one else how to do
it, would laughingly seize her pen and
dash off those racy themes that were
the marvel of the school.
Not that Miss Thorpe was alike
sparkling in all. With rare discrimina-
ton she tempered that element accord
ing to the mental and literary status of
the applicants, never putting anything
as pungent or striking into the essays
of Abby Blair or Katie Kearns as those
written for her more clever comrades.
81 really haven't time to help you
this evening. girls" she said one night,
iuSt after the bell had tapped for study
hours, as Jennie Howard and Clara
Holmes slipped into her room, port
folios in hand, for she seemed intui-
lively to know their errand. 81 have
my botany lesson to learn, and l must
do little sewing too. The lace is all
torn oft my"
Nov, NeU," interrupted Clara,
coaxingly, as she turned the key in the
door, "you mustn't say you won't help
US. There's dear good girl"
"We'll sew your lace on and do any
thing else you want us to, if you IL only
write our compositions. That will be
simply an exchange of work." eX-
claimed Jennie, seating herself on the
foot of the bed, after the fashion of all
schoolgirls. Besides" she went on
''it's no trouble whatever
for you to write, but it's such a dread
full bore for us.
You girls are the biggest nuisances
know of, except Miss Pincer," laughed
good-natured Nell; "but my dear fell
low sinners, l feel that my delicate con-
will no longer bear the Oner-
Gus duties imposed on it. My failing
appetite warns me that"
Failing appetite! That's good.
Why, you ate two immense slabs of
beef for dinner and | know Miss Pincer
thought you got more than your share
Of the biscuit" answered Jennie, shak-
ing with suppressed laughter at the
idea of round-faced Nell pronouncing
herself delicate.
This badinage ended, as it always
had done, by Nelrs promising to write
the essays and the two girl were stealth
ily dismissed, at a moment when Miss
Pincer was known to be parading the
other halls, with the Injunction from
Nell that this was positively the very
last time they must ask the favor and
was as positively assured they would
the next time. These ''neXt
times came around so frequently, and
the list of applicants grew so large and
Lat Nails nntrshIo
temper at last gave way, and she re-
solved there must be stop put to it.
"They almost worry the life out of
me-" she soliloquized, as she sat alone
in her room one afternoon. "SOcrates,
Or some other wise old fellow, said that
was the first law of
nature; and as | have always enter
tanned a profound respect for Mr.. Soc
rates, it would certainly be the correct
thing to apply his pleasant little sug-
yeStion to my own case. COrnie Jones
and those other girls are well enough
able to write their own compositions, if
-hey only thought 50. | sha'n't do it
Tor them any more. that's certain; for
lon't believe it's right to deceive the
.eacher, for one thing Except Miss
Pincer, of course; everything is fair in |
owe and war, and I'm sure we girls are
always warning with herr; and another
hing is, the more write for the girls
he more I'm obliged to write.
vouldnt mind helping any one of them
but I'm tired of keeping
/ up week after week"
But how to stop it? That was poser.
There was no use in telling them she |
wouldn't write for them any more; they |
lad been told that a dozen times al |
'eady. and It did no good. They had |
10 conscientious scruples in passing off /
Ter ideas for their own, and therefore |