Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-04-13

daily from three to five miles to reach their
school, Picturesque enough ON fair sum-
mer day were the little ponies ''picketed"
with their long ropes, that they might have
access to a plenty Of the rich green grass
which grew in the little parks or openings
among the groves of cottonwood which
skirted the grounds Of our loved seminary.
"very happy and very busy were the days
spent in that simple school-room, the pride
of whose mistress it was to furnish her
pupils all the advantages which she herself
had gained in an expensive Eastern Acade-
N.Y. But while requiring that her scholars
should do earnest, faithful work in their
studies, Miss Shipton was firm believer in
that homely old saying All work and no
play makes Jack dull boy and out of
this belief grew the brightest, happiest day
of the week for her little school. The piano
which had graced the drawing-room Of the
Shipton's far off city home, was now in
hourly use by these frontier pupils and on
one afternoon in the week the whole school
assembled in the pleasant little parlor, and
while busy fingers piled crochet hooks and
zephyr needles, in many colored silks and
woods, merry tongues chatted gaily, whole
some laughter rang out on the air, or music
was drawn from the sweet-tOned instrument
more or less skillfully, as the fingers had
been for longer or shorter time in training.
1t was Miss Shipton's theory that young
ladies thus trained would be the better pre-
pared to fill well their places in the social
circles they might in future be called to en-
ter She required, as condition of their
being granted this favorite afternoon excel
lence in conduct and recitation, but spared
no pains in making it thoroughly enjoyable
and useful to them. To the first end she
spent many vacation hours in procuring
pretty designs to be wrought out in the
various fascinating materials and gay colOrs
adapted to such work, when next term
should Open TO the second she insisted
that each music pupil who had learned to
play we'll even one little tune should con-
tribute her share of the afternoons enter
tanment 1t became quite the ambition OF
the more advanced to be prepared with
something fresh and pretty and to render it
in their very best manner on fancy work
afternoon
Miss Shipton sought to have her girls in
telliyent and spirited in their conversation,
encouraged the greatest freedom of express
sion upon all proper topics, if made in a kind
manner, put no check upon merrinent which
did not reach to rudeness, and was ever near
to repress any little words that might be
leading into an unkind or gossipping spirit.
Parents and friends often called to enjoy the
lively scene little while, and Miss Shipton
frequently smiled atfectionately upon the
happy circle and called us her Busy Bees
"On one of these afternoons we asked her
for motto, to be drawn and executed by
ourselves, and, wherever our various homes
might be, to be found upon our walls, and
called The Badge of the Busy Bees After a
moments thought, she said:
"'Well, young ladies, like your idea and
will give you the words OF an old colored
we children would, in her hearing, be telling
of comrades faults, she would pat the tale
bearer softly on the shoulder and say, S'ceep
your oun hearth, honey or, if perchance we
) were bewailing our inability to accomplish
some great heroic deed, she would remind us
by the same forcible words that there tCas
work within our power worth doing, and that
we should find honor, and do. real good, by
doing we'll and cheerfully that which lay
) within our own reach and do think, young
ladies, if the spirit Of old Aunt Judy's homely
saying pervaded moro lives, there would be
more bright Neutrality-suspicious. OF happy
homes-than are now found on this green
, earth
"Indeed, she went on to say, L think 1t
the most appropriate motto for your purpose
: which ! could give you; perhaps to 1t as
much as to any one influence you owe your
school whatever Of advantage or pleasure you
may here have enjoyed
) "Of course, we were all eager to know what
that meant and in explanation, she said:
"sWhen my father decided to leave his
home in the East and brings us to these
Western wilds,' | felt that [ was leaving
very much of social advantage, and many op-
portunities for self-improvement; also fol
helpfulness in the great benevolent enter
prises which are constantly brought before
young, ambitious minds, and warm, generous
hearts in our great cities.
"'While one day musing regretfully over
all this loss and envylng my companions
, whom considered more fortunate in being
permitted to remain in the old home, Aunt
t Judy's familiar advice Sweep your own
hearth, honey flashed into my mind, and
resolved to find work or make a work
which should be hearth of my own to
3 sweep, and then, by all the painstaking oI
which was capable, to keep it as clean and
CHEEKY as Aunt Judy's own hearth, which
r used always to shine with exemplary bright
ness, as if striving to enforce her oft repeated
! COUNSEL q4tiaid ssf Tat s84.ssm9d a4ifa
Il ut was one of Miss Shiptons rules that
d one piece of needle-work should be completed