The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-11-03
Locked Up.

A little cousin of mine came to me
about year ago, with pouting lips and
a knot between her eyebrows almost as
big rs walnut. go, dear, Cousin Car
rier' she sighed, "there's only one
week more of vacation. Then I've got
to 90 to school again. What's the use
of old books, anyway What did
say to her. do you Think Nothing at
ali about her lessons. "Are you fond
of peaches and plums, Besssie?" L
asked, suddenly. You should have seen
how quickly the knot came out of the
eyebrows, and the pout out of the lips,
as she replied by an energetic little nod
of her curly head
"Well, grandma had great basket
of beautiful fruit sent her last night, and
you may go into her room and take as
much of it as you like"
Bessie bounded away, but soon re-
turned rather soberly. 'Grandma's
door is locked" she said, land L can't
get in"
lis that SOP" l replied. "Well, we
will not try to unlock it; it's too much
trouble TO get the key; but | know what
you will like to do. There's a drawer
in the library, just below the shelves in
the big bookcase, where you will find
all sorts of picture-books and papers;
you have never seen the wonderful con-
tents of that drawer"
Bessie ran to me to give me what
she called ga bear-hug." " You're
so good to me, Cousin Carrie" she
said, with rapturous kiss before she
ran off; "you always have something
new to show me every day, and that's
one reason why 1 hate to have my visit
here at grandpa's stop, and school be-
gin again.
To tell you the truth, l felt a little
| guilty as | received and returned Bes-
| sie's kiss, for | knew very well what
! she soon came running back to tell me
that the drawer in the bookcase was
locked. Cant | get the key" she
asked eagerly.
"No, dear" quietly replied; that
would put us to q good deal of trouble.
But let me see; YOU like to make clothes
for your bic doll. How would you like
to have some beautiful pieces of silk
and satin, like cousins new dress, and
make a new mantle for Angeline? You
will find the pieces and every SO many
bright ribbons, which you may have
for the trouble of going after them, in
the closet in Cousin Carries room"
Poor little Bessie! l had tested her
patience almost too far, and when she
came running back without any booty
from this third exploring expedition
she was ready to cry. II don't think
it's fair" she sobbed; 81 just believe
you know everything's locked upp'
Then / put down my work and took
the dear little girl in my lap. 'Never
mind" said, 1--WE will unlock them
all; Cousin Carrie only wanted to teach
YOU lesson. You see, in this great,
wide, wonderful, beautiful world of
ours, my darling, everything is locked
up, and you have to get the keys before
you can enjoy all the fine thinks God
has stored away in it for your use and
pleasure, and that is the very object,
Bessie, of your going to school-just to
get the kegs to it all. Do you seeP
When you learn to read, you know.
YOU ret the key to all the
libraries of books written in the En-
glish language; when you learn your
'Parlez vous' with your French teacher,
: and write your French theme, and
translate from your French Reader,
I you are getting he key to all
the people and all the books OF
another nation. When you pore over
your geography and your atlas, you are
: laying hold of the key which can UNI
lock to you all the strange countries and
7 chimes; your writing lessons open your
way to visit all your absent friends; and
so with all your studies; each is key
E which you ought to be very glad to get
hold of, because it will let you into such
!, beautiful and interesting PAGES by and
9 by-places from which the unfortunate
. children who can not go to school mus
> be entirely shut out.
. Bessie looked pretty sober, and die
{ not say much; but | will tell you wha
3, she did, and we all know that doing il
\ better than saying
!; She went back TO her school-book
u without grumbling, and studied as sh
10 had never studied before, and the othe
day when | said "Vacation's over
70 Bessie; here's letter from your mother
d which says we must send you HON
IA next week, so that you can begin you
s studies promptly" she looked as brigf
m as sunshine, and said; "Well, l believ
1e l like school-time just as well as vacs
lie tion. It's nice to have fun, but it is
IL kind of fun, think, to be learnin
he something all the time" L think 81
>, tOO Don't VOup