Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-12

ed him upon what he knew about saltI
Willie didn't know much, but what ho
did know he generously told.
"Salt," he Informed her, was very
good 10 make ice-cream with. That
COWS liked salt, he also told her, "al-
though he didn't"
Celia laughed so at this that she
could not seesaw any longer, and she
went back to the house TO take her mu-
sic lesson and afterward she drove out
with her mother; and the day went,
and she entered her room at night to
find the big sheet Of blank paper staring
up at her in mute surprise as she looked
down upon it, before consigning IL to
the table drawer.
She tried again on Monday, slightly,
and on Tuesday Wednesday she had
no time, that being one of her music
days, and Thursday was her very last
day Of grace. She made a very strong
effort then, but at her very best she
could think Of nothing superior to what
Mr. Webster's dictionary said; and, in
fact, nothing at all beyond one simple
fact, that salt was very exceedingly
useful substance"
In despair she laid the matter before
her mother.
"My dear" said Mrs Brown "if you
have honestly tried and cannot write
composition, you may yourself write
letter 10 Miss Nelson asking to be ex-
cused, instead Of my doing it. Tell
her exactly how hard you have tried,
and ask her to give you an easier sub
ject."
Mrs. Browns eyes twinkled as she
gave this advice, and her little daugh-
ter went up to her room much comfort
ed. Here is the letter she wrote:
DEAR Miss NELsOS: Mamma told me that
! might write this letter, and say that / cannot
hap5 you will be so kind as 10 give me an
easier subject don't know unvthing about
salt-at least. not much, except that Il is dug
out Of the earth, and Is then % mineral: and
sometimes we get Il by letting sch-Wuter Cyap-
orate. J am very fond Of salt, and for that
reason know ought 20 be ashamed Of not
knowing more about Il. Last week, Mary. our
cook, made the bread and forgot 20 salt il, and
none Of us could e4t il. j. certainly is rgry
useful article Did you know that, to get thg
the silver away from the rock Il is buried in,
they roast the pieces with sdUg / read this I'm
q lovely book called Ncllys Silver Mine" OF
course they do something else but they do
this, too, and remember, because felt such
an interest In the very word. didn't know,
till / saw II in the dictionary, that an old
sailor Is called a salt" / suppose because he
follows the salt water. Are there not a great
many diuerent sorts OF sHltf j was thinking
about them his morning, because happened
20 see the bottle that has the salt Of lemons in
IL; you take out iron rust from linen with
that. And there 4 saltpeter, and salt Of harts-
horn, and the salts you take for medicine
And mamma says we could scarcely have any
food that would be fit 10 eat without salt.
must tell you what a funny thing Willie said
when was talking ABOUT my composition u
mamma. He said, "Ten Miss Nelson that
salt is the only thing that will catch pigeon,
only never can get gear enough N throw it
on the tail" Well. my letter Is done. / am
very sorry to dislppOint you, dear Miss Nei-
son, and will try real hard next time. tried
this time, and / could have done 1t, only L
knew Of nothing TO say.
am your aneCtiOnate scholar
CELIA BROWN.
To Celia's great astonishment, Miss
Nelson insisted upon considering this
letter composition as, of course,
it was; and she read It herself before
the whole school The secret of Celia's
ability to write a letterwhere she could
not write composition lay in the
fact that she unconsciously followed
little Willie's advice and wrote what
she thought and tsb without regard to
" how it might sound. - ChurchmdB.