, 1880-06-07

>A~~~~
Linda's, and I trotted along beside her,
holding tightly to her simple muslin
dress. and chatting all the way. We
came before long to the pretty cottage
where our school mistress boarded. The
woman of the house-a talkative New
Englander-sat with her knitting upon
the porch. She greeted Miss Linda
with smile, and began to empty her
budget of small-talk and news forth
with.
did your ears burn to-day ?" she
said. "They ought to. for you've been
talked about enough. There was a
stranger here-a foreign-looking man
with long black beard ; and he asked
me about the place and the people in
it, and appeared to be much interested
about the school, and asked tbs name
OF the teacher and what sort OF per-
son she was. l told him as near as l
could and, says I, 1 shouldn't wonder
If she left off being school-mistress and
went to live at the parsonage before
long, for our minister is paying very
particular attention to her, says l, and
l shouldn't wonder if she liked him,
too. She's good enough for minis
ter's lady, anyhow, says l."
"Oh, Mrs. Jones how could you say
such things to stranger, or to any
one ?" exclaimed Miss Linda, looking
really distressed. What must the
gentleman have thought?
"Oh you know l must talk when 1
once get started" said Mrs. Jones, "and
1 don't suppose he thought anything
about it. He started pretty soon after
that, and 1 thought he was going to
visit the school, for he went straight to-
wards it."
The remembrance of the man who
had frightened little Lilly rushed across
my mind, and turned my steps home
ward, after bidding goodbye to Miss
Linda. who kissed me with very, very
grave face. Who could that man with
the black beard be?" 1 thought, as I
tripped along. Why did he frighten
Lilly, and why did he ask her questions
about our school and Miss Linda "
The old fairy tales I had conned upon
winter evenings arose before my mind,
and thought of the ogres and giants,
who all had black boards and a propen-
sity to devour little girls and carry
young ladies away by their long tresses.
"What hair Miss Linda had for that
purpose How 8 giant would rejoice
in those great golden waves !" l
thought and just then raising my
eyes, they encountered, to my horror,
the very person of whom l had been
tall man with the long
black beard, himself. l uttered o
scream of terror, and the tall man put
his hand on my shoulder.
Don't be frightened little one," he
said. I'm very fond of little girls. -
docs he mean he likes to eat them ?"
I thoaght and [ looked up into his
face, expecting to meet sardonic ogre
grin, but instead l encountered such a
sweet smile, that gained confidence in
a moment, and stood quietly beside
him.
"Sit down here" said the stranger,
" I want to talk to you. Look, here is
something nice," ana he drew a hand
full of confectionery from his pocket.
3" Eat it while talk to you"
1 held my little pinafore to receive
the gift and sat down, and the man with
the black beard sat down beside me.
How old are you?" he said.
So just six years." | answered.
"And where do you go to school "
he asked.
"On the hill, at Miss Linda's," I an
swered.
"Have you nice teacher? Do you
love her !? inquired the stranger.
Nnrxv - {
much, indeed"
And, to my great ama1ement, ths
gentleman with the dark beard covered
his face with his hands, and ejacu-
ulated:
"God bless her who could help it.
Do you think she is happy?" he went
on. Does she smile and laugh, or does
she ever feel sad ?-tell me, little one ?"
think Miss Linda is very haypy,"
1 answered. 81 never saw her cry"
The tall gentleman arose and paced
to and fro, and heard him mutter:
" Happy! Is she happy? My self
ishness shall never break in upon her
quiet will never arouse the sleeping
past to grieve the happy present"
The heart under my little pinafore
beat wildly with alarm, and my confec-
tionery was forgotten. In few mo-
ments he turned towards me.
Goodbye, little one!" he said
" Run home, now, and never tell your
teacher that have been talking about
her and you would never do that, 1
know"
I gave ready promise and ran JOY
fully away; and as the weeks passed
by, and saw no moro of the gentle
man with tho black beard, I soon almost
forgot that such being existed. And
still "our minister visited the school,
and looked at the teacher, and still the
gossiping tongues of the village fore