Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-11-17

/ hdSlipef tlty ail Durst out MuSnlnS,
and cried only the more"
Il had no idea OF what sending to
! Coventry meant, unless it WAS like
sending TO Siberia, which | had lately
been reading of, or to the quicksilver
mines, where condemned convicts were
taken, and where nobody ever lived
more than two years. Perhaps there
were quicksilver mines at Coventry. A
cold shudder of fear ran through me,
but | was utterly powerless. i could
| but die
"Soon discovered what my punish
ment was and though not death, it
was lard enough. Fancy, children,
being treated day after day aud all day
long, just as if you were chair or a
table-never taken the least notice of,
never answered if you spoke, never
| spoken 10 on any account, never played
with, petted or scolded; completely
and absolutely ignored, This was being
sent to Coventry and it was as cruel
a punishment as could have been in
tiicted upon any little girl, especially n
sensitive little girl who liked her play
fellows, rough as they were, and was
very fond of one of them, who was
never rough, but always so kind and
good.
This was little boy who lived next
door. His parents, like mine, were out
ia lndia-nor had he any brothers or
sisters. He was inst my age, and
younger than any OF my cousins. So
we were tn best Of friends, Tommy
and i. Lis surname | have forgotten.
but ] know we always called him Tom
nay, and that / loved him dearly. The
bitterest pang of all this bitter time
was that even Tommy went over to the
enemy.
Sat first he had been very sorry for
me-had tried, all through that holiday
Saturday when my punishment began,
to persuade me to confess, and escape
| confess to what | had never done, to
an action so mean that | would have
been ashamed even to have thought of
doing it then. Tommy, also, sent me to
Coventry. On the Sunday, all us
children--we didn't mind grammar
much in those walked to church
together across the fields, aud Tom my
always wals ed with me, chattering TIE
whole way. Now We walked in total
silence, for Wills eyes were upon him,
and even Tommy was afraid. What
ever said, he never answered a single
word
"Then / felt as if the whole world
were against me as if il was no use
trying to be good, or telling the truth,
since even the truth was regarded as a
lie. In short. in my childish way,
suffered much as poor Jeanne dare
must have suffered when she was shut
up in her prison at Rouen, called a
| witch, II deceiver--forsaken of all, ard
yet promised pardon if she would only
confess and own she was a wicked wo-
man, which she knew she was not.
81 was quite innocent, but after
three days OF being supposed guilty, |
ceased to care whether was guilty or
not. | seemed not to care for anything.
Since they supposed | was capaE of
pulling up harmless jessamine root
out of spite, what did it matter whether
they thought | had told lie or not ?
Indeed, if tell one, it would be much
easier than telling the truth; and every
day my sticking it out and persistiug
in the truth became more difficult.
"This state of things continued till
| Wednesday, which was our half Holt
day, when my cousins usually went for
"A long walk or played cricket, and
was sent in to spend the afternoon with
Tommy. They were the delight Of my
life, those quiet Wednesdays, when
| Tommy and | went incoming about,
4 o,ln fol, I 20
poles-we had hand basin full of
them, which we kept in tho arbor till
they developed into myriads of frogs
and went hopping about everywhere.
But even tadpoles could not charm me
now, and | dreaded, rather than longed
for, my half holiday.
school had been difficult enough,
for Tommy and had the same daily
governess; but, if, when we played To-
gether, he was never to speak to me,
what should do? Besides, his grand
mother would be sure to find it out; and
she we prim and rather strict old
lady, to whom child who had been
sent to Coventry for telling lie would
be perfect adherence. What could
| | do? Would it not be better to hide
away somewhere, so as to escape going
into Tommy's house at all9 Indeed,
almost think some vague thought Of
running away and hiding myself for
ever, crossed my mind, when | heard
VIII calling me.
"IIe and two Of the others were
standing at the front door--a terrible
council of three, like that which used
to sentence to death the victims in the
| Prigioni which we saw last month at
| Venice felt not nnlike a condemned
prisoner--one who had been shut up
so long that death came almost as a
relief, which it must often have been
to these poor souls. The three big
boys stood over me like judges over
criminal, and Tommy stood beside,
looking very sad"
"'Little girl said Willie, in quite a
| judicial tone, Eve think you have been
punished enough to make yon thoro'ly
ashamed of yourself. We wish you to
60 and play with Tommy, as usual;
but Tommy could not possibly have
| Won unless Won were ont of Coventry