Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-10-24
THE PRIZE STORY.


and beautiful surroundings. While
there made the acquaintance of a tai
ented young artist and his wife. He was
fair, tall and slender, while she was a
dark.eyed little woman of the dumping
order They seemed eminently fitted
for each other there being evidently
perfect sympathy between them. She
studied art for his sake, and had &C
quired fine critical taste
One day, when she was showing me
her husbands pictures, l was much at
tracted by the portrait of young and
beautiful girl; but the face bore GER
tain undefnable expression that baffled
me. 1t was not hope, neither was it
utter despair, but rather a blending of
the two combined with a certain mourn
ful resignation. I felt the tears start to
my eyes as | gazed.
You are attracted by the expression
of that portrait" said Mrs. Shelton. ct
is picture Of a relative of ours. My
husband pain ed it from photograph
taken in her girNhood. 1t does not much
resemble this does it?" And she handed
me the photograph Of handsome, ma
tronly woman whose face bore peaceful,
happy expression, much unlike the other.
The features are the same | an
swered, "but the fairy godmother has
touched her with her magic wand"
Since YOU are so interested | will tell
YOU her story" said my friend GAS
to the fairy godmother and her wand,
you shall Judge for yourself"
"When was little girl, Z" she began,
my parents lived in the country, in the
suburbs of small village. was about
twelve years old when Catharine Haw-
| ley came to teach our school, She was
| an orphan, and had the care of her
brother, a delicate child about my own
age, but lame. He had to be wheeled
about in chair They board ed at our
house, for she was very particular that
Merlin should have plenty of fresh air,
good food and milk fresh from the COW.
He was wheeled to school every day BY
us children, and then home again at
! night.
"We became very much attached to
him after Il whle He had such shy,
gentle ways, and though sfckly and oI
ten suffering great pain, he was better
scholar than any of us, and used to help
| the Older ones with their lessons, and
tell stories and draw funny pictures for
the little ones for hours together. In re-
turn we would do anything in our power
for him.
'M:ss Hawley had the finest percep
tive faculties that | ever saw in a
teacher. She could tell if pupil was
guilty of any misdemeanor by instinct
almost. Her eyes penetrated all dis
guiScs of look or tone or action. The
bows used to wonder sometimes at being
detected in their wrong doings. There
was a suspicion among them at one time
that Merlin told on them.
My brother John, though not a quar-
relsome boy, caught one of them on the
way h eme from school one night, and
gave him severe thrashing for calling
Merlin white faced tell tale The boy
was larger than John, too, but indigna-
ton had made my brother brave.
Merlin felt very badly when he heard
of the quarrel, and he never rested unit
he got the two boys together and had
them make up He told them. too.
that he disliked tell tales as much as
| they did, and he didn't blame them fol-
getting angry when they thought him
one. After that any of them would have
! fought for him.
lone day celebrated lecturer came
TO the village. He and father had been
schoolmates together, and he took tea al
| our house. He was much interested in
| Merlin. and told Catharine of a famous
| physician whom he thought could cure
him. Catharine was very much excited
over it That evening, | remember. she
was sitting on low stool by Merlin:
chair, and he was smoothing her hair
She took both his hands in hers and said
"'What would YOU rather have, Mer
lin. OF all things in the world7'
And ne answered in q whisper, with
glance at his helpless feet
| You know, Catharine.'
She cried little while quite softly be
fore she said. almost as j: she were talk.
ing to herself;
"'God viii surely open the way He
will surely help us.
"A day or two after that saw he
with a paper in he hand She seemed
very much interested in something sh,
read in it. slept il the room next hers
and l noticed she sat up till quite lat,