Feliciana sentinel., 1892-06-18

HeeA Sno l0ckeds what oil OF us lacked. |
and pitied Rosy and-yes, l hated |
Olive. ! had some advantages in my |
young days, when l w.s growing up !
and had slipped to . lower level than !
such as she. and don't know whether
hated her because n was SO, or be- |
cause she caused me to realiae IL, but |
anyway, good Christian though was,
hate d her.
We were very religious, us Benders; |
We went to church ON Sundays, Gos.
siped on week days, and thought we'd
fut6lled the law and the ucspet
AS said, the bend Wa. a new place,
we were al poor, and had not yet been
able to have u school. Our children
were growing up in ignorance, a fact
we loudly deplored among ourselves;
20 when sweet Olive North proposed
to teach us three months term free
of charge, you'd think we'd have
jumped at the chance, but VIC didn't.
1.-The stuck up thing! l spoSc she
thinks she'll be missionary to us
heathens," said Mrs. Ivens. My young
uns may live an die in ignorance fore
I'll send 'em to a charity school kept by
her, said Mrs. Godsey.
1t would take too long to tell all the
hateful things we did say, but at last
some of MS began to come to our senses,
myself for one, not that was a bit bet
ter than tho rest, but did want Danl
! and Sary. my boy and girl, to be learn
ing something: so at last we concluded
| that we reckoned we could stand it il
| s;,e could, and sent her word she might
| begin.
! If Olive could have heard all the
ugly things we said she might have
quit in despair. seeing she did not get
even than>ee for her work. but she
kept right on, and the children were
&c ting to like her in spite of all they
heard said against her. and were get
| ting so they'd speak up and take her
part but none of us older ones. even
yet, were friendly with the Norths.
Some of us had neighbore a little
with them, but we took pains to let
! them know that we thought ourselves
| as good as they. and made ourselves
| very foolish and disagreeable.
| About that time. word got out that
Olive was taking a fiddle to the school
| house and playing while the children
made motions to it. What storm it
raised.
only to think that she's lcarnin' the
precious innocents to dance, when we
thought 'em Il studyin' of their books
said Mrs. Ivens, with tremor in her
voice
II allus knowed som thin would
come out. Such amt to he trusted.
s-lookin' as if butter wouldn't melt in
their mouths" said Mrs Hatch.
| When we sifted the thing it came
out that it wasn't a fiddle that Olive
had in school, but something that
looked like one.
Mine said she thumped it with her
fingers, and Ike Ivcns said she clawed
it like cat: but, anyway. it was
something, and something had to be
done. so we made it up that, without
saying anything to any body. we'd meet
and go in a squad to the door of the
| schoolhouse-it was a little old desert
ed country storehouse that Olive and
her pa had fixed up at their own eS-
pense-we'd go in a squad to the door.
just after the children had been called
in, having waited somewhere near. and
just when Olive got into the midst of
her denoralizing performance we'd
rush in and ask if that was the way to
keep school. There was little sort of
porch room in front. and we all tip-toed
into that and stood nudging each other,
for now we'd got there, no one wanted
to be the first to break in, though we
could hear the music going, a clear.
sweet young voice leading some child
ish song. the little ones joining in.
while they all kept sort of time with
their hands and bodies. That much
saw through crack in the door before
Mrs. Ivens nearly mashed my foot
crowding me over to take my place.
Two or three of the stoutest got their
eyes to the cracks, and the rest had to
be content with hearing: but every
word came plain as truth to where we
were standing. I'll say hero that no
prima donncr ever had a sweeter voice
than olives, and when they had fin
ishcd the little ca'isthenic piece -
think that's what they called it-she
struck up Nearer My God to Thee. =
all the young ones joining in, and she
Eiaying the accompaniment on the
guitar, for we learned later that that
was the name of the instrument tba,
had created such an excitement, and tC
my diving day [ don't expect to heaI
anything sound sweeter.
Jest listen at Tad" whispered Mrs
Hatch. I'D no idea the little felleI
could sing so! I'll have to tell his pap
Before the hymn was finished l felt
my eyes getting moist. and l saw sew
eral others getting the same way. We
forgot all about the object of our visit
and only thought of listening to ths
. music: and once Mciindy Peters nearly
. spoiled everything by joining in, bu
Lucy Ivens saw her opening her moutl
, and chucScd her under the chin.
, When the hymn was finished. wha
. was our surprise to hear the same swee
voice leading in prayer. and you nigh
! not believe it. but a more beautiful
2 n'1I,,.,.. a. IA |