Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-03-26
LITTLE BEEs SUPPLEMENT-

The April number Of Harpers Magazine contains a
story by the late Helen Hunt Jackson the characters
aud incidents Of which are drawn with strength
aud spirit Its heroine, Little Bel, "ony just turned
OF twenty" is the Oldest Of eight children IN family
OF Scotch farming folk IN Prince Edward Island,
where "children come tumbhug into the world like
rabbits In pen, aud have to scramble for living al
most As soon aud a. hard the rabbits. Itisa mar
row life they lead aud full Of hardships aud deprya-
tons, but 10 has its cpmpeusations." Through tue
THRIFT aud elfdeuia Of her father aud mother John
and Isabella Mcdonald, Little Bel has enjoyed much
greater advantages than most girls Of her class Mr..
Alan tue new minister, aud his wife had taken note
OF the girs bright, winsome face, and her voice. "as
Heeet as larks, aud Mrs. Allan had hidden her to
the mause, where she trained her in singing, and,
greatest boon Of all, taught her to play the piano At
sixteen, Little Bells father sent her to CharottetoWn
Where she had two years Of study ia the High school,
with more study in music. She comes back changed
from gentle, cliuging child To woman, loving aud
gentle still, but uphfted 10 a new pose OF bearug
resoluteness, ire of which her girhood gave 10
suggestion. As the story opens she Ia making ready
to go to be examined for the teacher Of the wissan
Bridge school, aud is telling her mother that she by
10 means take the schOol-the worst in the country
round, with is oyergrown, obstreperous pupils-un-
less the committee promise her supplement" Of
hve pounds extra money to be paid at the end Of the
year.
Bel passed her examination triumph antly,
and got the Wissan Bridge school but she
got only a contingent promise OF the five
pound supplement. 1t went sorely against
her will to waive this point. Very keenly
Mr.. Allan, who was on the examining board
watched her face rs she modestly but firmly
pressed it,
The trustees did not deny that the wissan
Bridge school was difficult aud unruly one !;
that to manage it we'll was worth more money
than the ordinary school salaries The ques.
tion was whether this very young lady could
manage it at all and If she failed, rs the last
incumbent had-failed egregiously, too the
school had broken up in riotous confusion be-
fore the end OF the year-the canny Scotch
men Of the school board did not wish to be
pledged to pay that extra five pounds. The
utmost Bel could extract from them was
promise that if at the end of the year her
teaching had proved satisfactory, the five
pounds should be paid. More they would
not say aud after a short, sharp struggle
with herself Bel accepted the terms. But she
could not restrain fare well shot at the trus-
tees as she turned to go;
I'm as sure o my five pounds as il yed
promised It downright, sirs. / shall keep ye
good school at Wlssan Bridge"
We'll make it guineas then, Miss Bel, "
cried Mr.. Allan, enthusiastically, looking at
his colleagues, who nodded their heads, and
said, laughing, "Yes, guineas it is.
And guineas it will be-" retorted Little
Bel, as with cheeks like peonies she left the
room.
"Egad, but she's fine spirit O. her ain, an
ho bOnule u lhCc us L We seen SINCE L Tenenl-
Der, cried old Mr.. DAlgetty, the senior mem.
Der of the board aud the one hardest to
please. "Id not mind bein' pupil at Wis.
san Bridge school the comm term myself" "
and he gave an old mans privileged chuckle
as he looked at his colleagues. But she's
over young for the work
Shell do it. said Nc. Allan, confidently :;
''ye need have no fear My wfe's had the
training of the girl since she was little She's
got the best o stuff in her She'll do it,"
Mr.. Allan's prediction was fulfilled. Bel
did it. But she did it at the cost of harder
work than even she had anticipated II it
had not been for her music, she would never
have pulled through with the boys of Wissan
Bridge BY her music she tanned them. The
young Marsyas himself never piped to wild
er set of creatures than the uncouth lads and
young men that sat in wide-eyed, wide mouth
ed astonishment listening TO the first song
their pretty young school-mistress sang for
them. To have singing exercises part of the
regular school routine was a new thing al
Wlssan Bridge. 1t took like wild fire and
when Little Bel, shrewd and diplomatic as a
statesman, invited the two oldest and worst
boys in the school to come Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons to her boarding place to
practice singing with her to the accompani-
ment of the piano, so as TO be able to help
uGA lChl tuo Eontt utE sovereignty was 6blhD-
lished. They we're not conquered, they were
converted-a far surer and more lasting pro-
cess. Neither of them would, from that day
out, have been guilty of an act word or look
to annoy her, any more than if they had been
rival lovers suing for her hand. As Bells good
luck would have it-and Bel was born to good
luck, there's no denying it-one OF these boys
had good tenor voice, the other a fine barry
tone had both, in their rough way, been
singers all their lives, and were lovers of mu-
sic.
THAT was more than half the battle, my
mother" confessed Bel, when, at the end OF
the first term, she was at home for few
days, and was recounting her experiences.
Except for the singin', I'd never have got
| Archie Mcleod under, nor Sandy Stairs eth
or. doubt they'd have been too many for
me. But now they're like two more teachers
| to the fore. I'd leave the school-rOOm to
them for a day, an not lad d dare stir in
his seat without their leave. l call them my
| oonstables. An I'm teaching them a small
bit of chemistry out o. school hours, too, an
that's hold on them. They'll see me out
safe an I'm thinkin' I'll owe them Bit
part O. the five guineas when get it, she
added reiectively.
THE minister says ye're sure of it." re.
| piled her mother. HE says ye've the best
school a'ready in all his circuit. don't know
however ye come tot 80 quick, child" And
Isabella Mcdonald smiled wistfully, spite Ol
all her pride in her clever BARN.
"Ye see, then, what he'll say after the eX
animation at New Years." gleefully replied
Bel, 'if he thinks the school h 80 good now.
It'll be twice as good then an such singin
as was never heard before in any sohool-housG
on the island, I'll warrant me. I'm to have
the piano over for the day to the sohool-house
Archie and RAndy'll move it in a big wagon
to save me payin' for the oartn' an I'm tC
pay halt-pound for the use OF it II it's no
hurt-a dear bargain, but she'd not let 1t g
a shilling less. And, TO be sure, there's th'
risk TO be counted. An she knew I'd have |
II 1t had been twice that but | got ii out o.
! her for that nrioe She was To lat ma haVl