The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-09-25
PATTY'S EDUCATION.
HOW Mr.. Budd Became Converted
to Modern Ideas.


we're MIXED. The bacon and eggs had
heen set to warm in the oven. The
rasnberries and the pot-eheese fanked
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
tn 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 a 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-brothers and sis
ters had put that out of the question be-
fore the old man died. And the wife
had faded early and they were not con-
genial. She had not much education
but she loved to read. She took a
paper, earning the money by selling
pot-cheese.
Even William Budd had not courage
enough to take that woman's per-
quisite away from her. That pot-eheese
money did a great deal, as well-saved
pennies will. And she had written one
or two little poems: 'To Ny Little
GIRL ''The Old Farm House" and
Good Bye to Home" in those first
years of married life. They were
copied into a little red blank-book in
which she had also copied the ''cun-
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 would bring. They
we're waiting to know whether there
would be school in the place that
winter, for meeting was to be held
that afternoon to decide the matter.
The father was opposed to it; that
they knew, but he had only one vote.
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 the
next town, and her father would not
drive her there, or let her go 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 the 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 ques
ton or two out of school hours, or get
her 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
merino for rainy days; and rub
bers I'll get you, and a nice thick cloak
and can knit you real pretty garnet
hood, and you'll have good time learn
ing, and get on, know. If Twas you,
Patty, I'd 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 dc
rough work; somebody that had to live
that way, if God had blessed us with
talents to go beyond that and you take
real comfort in teaching. guess if its
a nice school, I think I'd set it before
me, if | was you, Patty"
yes, ma; think it would be very
nice, T" said Patty; and not to have tt
ask some man for every thing, and make
them angry. On! I'd rather go without
shoes than beg them of pa.
''Your pa gets anxious, for fear of pov
erty, you see," said Martha, mildly
Now my pa used to ask me otter
whether didn't want new dress, ant
he'd say: Martha, here's five dollars,
when wasn't expecting it"
why, ma!' cried Patty, in delighted
establishment, ''only to think! 1t was
like that with you at home, before yor
marriedp
That" said the mother, in half
guilty whisper, that, guess, is wha
has made your pas being just little
near harder for me to bear"
It was sort of confession that she
made her child and they said no more
Until the wagon came numbering ovel
the hill and Mr.. Budd's long, sharp nos'
and little, straight slit of a mouth were
aiscernible in the space between tn,
tarned-up coat-collar and dragged-dowI
hat-brim that sheltered him from th'
wind
de descended from his perch withou
glance at his s'wimmen folk, called
ne hired man to see to the horse, ant
1amped in. He threw his coat and ha
9 MS wife, kicked his boots off, ant
lOased to Patty to bring his slippers
aaa' dragging his chair to the table
nsgan to eat; and still not word dit
g utter in regard to the school A
lsst Patty could bear it no longer, ant
ae question on her lips burst from
mem without her will:
Fa, are we going to have th,
aehool2n
MS answer was short and direct.