The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-04

I looked at the ground, peeped at ner, an6
T laughed. Her expression did not change.
L mean do you know much, she eontin
ued. in explanation. Have you learnet
much before?'
+ explained to her. as well as possible, tha
my requirements were very slender indeed
( and merely consisted of the stray crumbs o
+ knowledge which l had been enabled to pieE
/ up at day schools in the various towns when
T my father had resided during my childhood
{ In point OF fact. l was a thoroughly uncuiti
/ waited little boy, and had never been cram
( med with the solid pabulum so much in vogu
! at our public schools. l could read and write
! of course, and knew arithmetic as far as tn
( rule of three, and had got through the hrs
/ four declensions in the Latin grammar; bu
/ all was a chaos, and l had no accomplish
/ ments
! did not explain all this to my interroga-
I tor; for | was too proud.
'If you are not clever, and know so little, =
/ observed the girl, thoughtfully, take care OF
4 the other boys Why don't you make friends
/ with them? Why do you like TO sit alone
and be sullen? If there were girls here,
( should make friends, know. But boys are
( different; they have cruel ways, and they
: hate each other"
/ tion than of conversation; and she still kept
/ her eyes on the distant ships, as if from somt
secret source far away the current of hel
I thoughts was flowing.
! THE boys hate me she pursued, because
/ they think me proud. | am not proud, but
I am quicker and cleverer than they are, and
come from better place. beat them in the
I class and at all things, except figures; and
/ have helped the biggest of them sometimes,
1 when they were too stupid to understand"
| All this was a revelation to me. Until that
moment l had never supposed that my com
| panion's place was among the common schol
ars. During my first two days in school she
had been absent-a circumstance which she
soon explained TO me without any question
| ing.
Il have been away on a visit, and only re-
turned this morning. do not come to school
every day. because have headaches, and my
father will only have me learn when please
Now let US go down and look at the garden.
There are fruit-bushes there, and some OF
the fruit is ripe"
Still respectful and submissive, followed
and we were soon wandering side by side in
the quiet garden in the neighborhood of the
school-house. Ever and anon, as we walk,
ed, 1 heard the shouts and cries of my play
AAitASCSs Uut tlAtS MCiC NdAtCd 70 utt a. lioLu
| some forsaken life.
A spell had been passed upon me, and
was in dream. As l write, the dream sur
rounds me still. Years ebb backward, clouds
part, the old horizons come nearer and near
er, and | am again wandering in the quiet
shade of trees with the shining young face al
my side. can no longer recall looks and
words. All becomes tremOr. | see the one
face only, but the voice becomes inarticulate.
What / remember last is a sudden sound
dissolving a spell. A bell rung loudly from
the house, and my companion uttered an ex-
clamation-
That is the bell for tea she exclaimed.
''You had better go.'
And she ran before me up the path. She
was nearly out of sight among the garden
bushes when, urged by curiosity, l took
courage, and called after her.
What is your name?' l cried.
She nodded back with a smile.
Madeline" she replied. Madeline
Graham" With that she was gone. For a
moment stood bewildered, and then, with
quite a new light in my eyes, made the best
of my way into the house. and joined the
boys at the tea-table.
Although Mrs. Munster presided at the
board, my new friend did not appear, and as
munched my bread and butter, l thought
of her face with kind of dreamy pleasure
delicious to recall even now