The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-02-13
A PEACE-OFFERING.
A Valentine Story with q Moral.
FOR Young Readers

Margery Wright was not beauty !
Even the most charitable person in the
world could not admit that she had the
smallest claim TO such title.
The boys in the Delving Seminary said
that Margary had squat figure and
. pug nose They also alluded 10 her
mouth in way that brought angry
tears into her eyes They said it opened
like pair of cyster-tongs- These
Young gentlemen had lived for twelve
or fourteen years. and had not yet &C
quired good manners
As said before. Margery was not re-
markable for her good looks. Her
mouth was too large and her nose was
ridiculously small; but she had pair Of
honest. tender. brown eyes. and heart
great enough 70 forgive the worst tor
mentor in the school
She had very lonesome life in that
crim-looking building She felt out Of
place there among all those grave Pro-
lessons and those mischievOus BOYS
She was eleven years old. and she was
the only girl in the world who had ever
been taught TO read and write and
cipher in Delying Seminary.
When she was six wears old. her
father and mother died. leaving her a
little helpless creature. without friend
in the world Margrry had not the
least idea what was to become Of her
She had cried because Of her forlorn
condition until her heart and ewes had
ached. She cried so bitterly that her
grief had appealed to the sympaihie- Of
old DR.. Delying. the Principal =. the
Seminary and he had taken her home
with him. promising that II she was a
good girl he would educate her and
give her home.
Margery was very grateful ~ The doc
tor. and ~he had done nll in her power
to b. useful TO him. She did a great
deal for the boys. too. though they did
half worr, the life out II her. She
counted their clothes when they came
from the laundry: she patiently mcnded
their sock until they were past all rem
ovation: she busted their rooms. and
did a thousand little kindnc~Ses which
no one noticed nor appreciated And
with al these duties she had her regsl.
lar hours Of study. and she improved
them. too. She intended 70 ~ :
teacher some day and keep school o
her o--n.
She had her play-time. also for tn
good doctor had insisted that all wori
and no play wa a. bad for girl as 70
boy But Margery had never in he
life had any playthings- She ha'
scarcely missed them until her eye
happened one day IL fall upon pair Q
silyer-platcd skates She wante'
them.
II she had been educated in selsc
seminary for Young ladies. instead 9
this school for rough BOYS. her tast
might have been more refined Jnde
those different circumstances she Nigh
have crayed a doll. or baby-horse
but imagery knew nothing Of girl
amuscments. When she du-td IN
bows rooms she discovered their TOYS
and she often puzzled her little hea
trying TO guess what they we're FOL
She examined and admired them. an
sometimes came to grief through he
curio-itv. This had happened whe
she had tried "a trundlc Ma ~ter Hectc
Wood bicycle along the floor. just .
she would have propelled a baby cal
mage. On this occasion the bicycle ha
acted in the queerest manner IL IA
twisted itself almost double. and
tempted to travel On two directions
once. Then IL had acted like balk
horse. and finally Il had fallen over .
its side with frightful crash. disturb
ing the morning rccitations ard aimo
crushing her little foot Was the
ever girl as unlucky as sheP
But the skates, These were after b
own heart She said nothing abo
them. but she wished and wished 4
them until she was AS near being "
happy as such . cheerful little 80
could be. Whenever she went 20 4
village on an errand for the hous