The Republican., 1890-07-25
PATTY'S EDUCATION.
How Mr. Budd Became Converted
to Modern IDEAS

IL was bed-Gllu6. 1uO sun udu BOu0
down behind the mountai7-s, The cows
were MIXED. The bacon and eggs had
been set to warm in the oven. The
raspberries and the pot-cheese hanked
each other on the white table-cloth, and
Martha Budd watched on the porch for
her husbands coming. Beside her stood
her little girl Patty, with her arm
about her mothers waist. 1t was hard
to believe that the woman had once
been as pretty as her daughter, for her
fourteen years of married life had made
her so thin and sallow and hollow-eyed
But people who knew her in her girl
hood declared that Patty was Martha
over again. The soft, sweet, delicate
prettiness of an American girl fades
early, if fate is cruel to her, and hard
work and coarse food and lack of tender
ness unite to break her down.
William Budd was not poor man
but he was hard, close-fisted one.
When he courted Martha he had fancied
she would inherit her fathers money,
but the old man had married again, and
six or seven little step-brothors and Sis
tors had put that out Of the question be-
IOIc IllO Olu uldH ulcl. ALu VIC W ll6
had faded early and they were not con-
genial. She had not much education
but she loved to read. She took
paper, earning the money by selling
pot-chccSc.
Even William Budd had not courage
enough to take that woman's per-
quisite away from her. That pot-cheese
money did great deal, as well-saved
pennies will. And she had written one
or two little poems: "To My Little
Girl" The Old Farmhouse" and
"Good-Bye to Home" in those first
years of married life. They wero
copied into a little red blank-book in
which she had also copied the Gun
ming speeches of little Patty before
she was five years old. The girl was
her idol now. To give her good edu-
cation was her great hope, and now
they were waiting for news which the
head of the family wonld bring They
were waiting to know whether there
would be school in the place that
winter, for a meeting was to be held
that afternoon to decide the matter.
The father was opposed to it; that
Jucy hIlcH, Dub ne Udu Ouly OUt NOIc.
Others wanted the school. Mrs. Nc
Laren, the Scotch lady they liked so
much, was ready to take it, and Patty
could go. She could not walk to tho
next town, and her father would not
drive her there, or let her 60 down on
the train, as she might have done, as
other girls did. Fifteen cents day, he
declared, would be too great an extrav-
agance; but if the school were just over
there on tho hill, in the disused church,
then, indeed, what objection could there
be?
II think they'll carry it." said the
mother; ''and then I'll offer to board
Mrs. McLaren. We've got plenty of
spare room; and you can ask her a ques-
tion or two cut of school hours, or get
hcr to tell you if you're studying right.
I'll make it up to her; and I'll take the
pot-cheese money and get you a nice
garnet cashmere, and you can wear that
with white aprons, and brown
mcrino for rainy days; and rub
bers III get you, and a nice thick cloak;
and can knit you real pretty garnet
hood, and you'll have good time learn
IllS, anu SeG Oll, huOW IL was you,
Patty, Id set before me to be teacher.
1t must be real nice to have money of
your own, my dear; and sometimes |
sort of thing may be we'd do our duty
just as well paying some poor soul to do
rough work; somebody that hdd to live
that way, if God had blessed us with
talents to go beyond that, and you take
real comfort in teaching. guess if it's
a nice school, think I'd set it before
me, if was you, Patty"
Yes, ma; think it would be very
nice" said Patty; land not to have to
ask some man for every thing and make
them angry. Oh! I'd rather go without
shoes than beg them of pa"
Your pa gets anxious, for fear of pow
erty, you see," said Martha, mildly.
Nov my pa used to ask me often
whether didn't want new dress, and
he'd say: ,Iartha, here's five dollars.
when | wasn't expecting it."
why, MAJ" cried Patty, in delighted
astonishment, "only to think! 1t was
nke that with you at home. before you
marricd!'
That" said the mother. in half
guilty whisper, that, guess, Is what
has made your pas being just little
near harder for mo to bear"
1t was a sort OF confession that she
made her child. and they said no more
until tho wagon came numbering over
the hill and Mr.. Budd's long, sharp nose
and little, straight slit of mouth were
discernible in the space between the
turnod-up coat-collar and dragged-down
hat-brim that sheltered him from the
wind.
He descended from his perch without
glance hiS "wimmen folk" called
the hir, to sec to the horse, and
tramped ia. He threw his coat and hat
to his wife. kicked his boots of, and
roared to Patty to bring his slippers,
and, dragging his chair to the table,
began to eat; and still not word did
he utter in regard to the school At
last PATTY could bear it no longer, and