Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-11

| pnySl0gnOmy. Whatever betrayal OF her IN
herself her face might have presented, in
I the distant time when she was young, was
now completely overlaid by surface Of fab
| by fat, which, assisted by green spectacleS,
| kept the virtues (or yiceS) Of this WOman's
! nature profound secret until she opened
| her lips. When she used her voice she let
out the truth. Nobody could hear her speak
! and doubt for moment that she was an in
! veterateIy ill-natured woman.
snake your curtsey, child" said Miss
! Wigger. Nature had SO toned her voice as to
| make it worthy Of the terrors Of her face.
! But for her petticoats, it would have been
! certainly taken for the voice Of man.
| The child obeyed, trembling.
| You are to go away with me, the school
| mistress proceeded, 'and to be taught to
| make yourself useful under my roof"
| sgd seemed to be incapable OF understand
| ing the fate that was in store for her, She
| sheltered herself behind her mercilesS moth
| er. Ppm going away with you, mamma"
| she said-'with you and Rick"
Her mother took her by the shoulders and
| pushed her across the room to her aunt.
The child looked at the formidable female
| creature with the mans voice and the green
| spectacles. -
"You belong to me-" said Miss Wigger, by
| way Of encouragement, land have come to
axe you away" At those dreadful words
terror shook little sgd from head to foot.
She fell OH her knees with a cry Of misery
that might have melted the heart Of savage.
"Oh, mamma, mamma, don't leave me be-
hind! What have I done to deserve it? Oh,
pray, pray, pray have some pity on meI'
Her mother was as selfish and as cruel a
woman as ever lived. But even her hard
heart felt family the influence of the most
intimate and the most sacred of all human
relationships. Her ford cheeks turned pale.
She heSitated.
Miss Wigger marked Through her own
green medium) that moment of maternal in
decision, and saw that it was time to assert
her experience as an instructresS Of youth.
'Leaye it to me-" she said to her sister.
s'You never did know and you never will
know how to manage children"
She advanced. The child threw herself
shrieking on the floor Miss Wigger's long
arms caught her upheld her-shOok her.
''Be quiet, you impW 1t was needless to tell
her to be quiet Syd's little curly head sank
on the schoOImistresS's shoulder. She was
carried into exile without word or a cry
she had tainted.
l0-The School.
Times march moves slowly, where weary
lives languiSh in dull places.
Dating from one unlIept and unaclInOwl-
edged birthday to another, Sydney Wester-
field had attained the sixth year Of her mar
tyrdom at school. In that long interval no
news of her mother, her brother, or her STEP
father had reached England; she had re-
ceiYed no letter, she had not even heard a re-
port. Without friends and without pros
poets, Roderick Westerfeld's daughter was,
in the Saddest sense Of the word, alone in the
world.
, The hands Of the ugly old clock in the school
room were approaching the time when the
studies Of the morning would come to an end.
Yearly waiting for their release, the schol-
arS saw an event happen which was novel
ty IN their domestic experience. The maid
of-all-WOrk audaciousIy put her head in at
the door and interrupted Miss Wigger con-
Quoting the eduCat;oc OF the first class.
IF you please, miss, there's gentleman
-
Having uttered these Introductory words,
she was reduced to silence by the tremendous
voice Of her mistress.
Haven't forbidden you to come here in
school hours? Go away directlyr'
Hardened by a life of drudgery, under con-
ditions of perpetual scolding, the servant
stood her ground, and recovered the use of
her tongue.
There's a gentleman in the drawing
room," she persisted. Miss Wigger tried to
interrupt her again. "And'here's his card ~
she shouted, in voice that was the loudest
of the two.
Being q mortal creature, the schooEmis-
tTess was accessible to the prOmptings of
curiosity. She snatched the card out Of the
girls hand.
1tr. Herbert Li71LeH Mount MorUeo,
PerthSbtTe. Il don't know this person."
Miss Wigger declared. ''You wretch, have
you let thief into the house?"
"a gentleman, if ever I see one yet" the
servant asserted.
Hold your tongue! Did he ask for me?
Do you hearw
you told me to hold my tongue. No; he
didn't ask for you"
Then who did he want to see?'
Its on his card"
Miss Wigger referred to the card again,
and discovered (faintly traced in penciD
these words: ITO see Miss S. W."
The school-mistress instantly looked at
Miss Westerfeld. Miss Westerfield rose
from her place at the head of her class.
The pupils, astoniShed at this daring act
my,appointed to supply them with undesired
information derived from hated books. They
saw one of Mother Natures favorite daugh-
tiers, designed to be the darling of her family,
and the conqueror of hearts among men Of
all tastes and ages. But Sydney Wester-
field had lived for six weary years in the
place Of earthly torment, kept by Miss Wig
ger under the name of a school. Every bud
ding beauty, except the unassailabIe beauty
of her eyes and her hair, had been nipped
under the frosty superintendent of her ma
ternal aunt. Her cheeks were hollow, her
delicate lips were pale, her shabby dress lay
fiat over her bosom. ObServant people, meet
ing her when she was out walking with the
girls, were struck by her darkly gentle eyes,
and by the patient sadness Of her expression.
what a pityV' they said to each other.
''She would be pretty girl if she didn't look
so wretched and so thin"
At loss to understand the audacity of her
teacher in rising before the class was dis
missed, Miss Wigger began by asserting her
authority. She did in two words-"Sit
DOWN.
II wish to explain, ma'am"
i