Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-03-21


fly, and still family smiling, "you
are my tallest girl, and have the
greatest influence. DO you think
you could be, for a day or two, my
best and wisest girl? Will you try
to take my place while ] am gomez
| have sometimes been grieved that
you did not better use your oppor-
tunities, but you have many noble
qualities, and see them now"
"To teach and keep them in or
der, and-and everything?"
ITO do everything you have seen
me do. You can do it, l am sure,
if only you are willing"
"Yes'm; Miss Gaynor, I'll try"
she answers briefly, still looking
straight before her; but l can see a
great flush rise over her face, and
her lips twitch a little.
"Give me your hand, then, Madge,"
her teacher says; and so, with her
other hand in Lucy's, she stands be-
tween the worst girl and the best
girl in school, and says good-by
quietly and tenderly. Many of the
girls are weeping, and some are Sob
bing audibly.
"Girls, probably | shall be back
among you in day or two, and
perhaps | shall never come back
any more. l have been sick for a
long time, and not really able to
work, but / am all alone in the
world, and there is no one to work
for me, and so | tried to make an
effort, | am afraid, beyond my
strength. And now before we part,
for | may not see you all together
again, | must ask you to forgive all
that was not pleasant between us.
| know | was cross and irritable at
times, but | was very often in pain
such pain as l trust you may
never know, any of you. l want to
feel sure that you will try to re-
member only the good and forget
and forgive all the rest. Will you
girls?"
A silence. The clock ticks clear
ly. On the apple-tree in the school
yard robin is fitting to and fro,
and pouring out his wild sweet rhap-
sody of gurgled music.
How glad the hurried notes sound,
breaking from his eager fluttering
throat, as if life were almost too
dear, too joyous!
He sings on, and on. Still no
one speaks. All the hard hearts
are melted, now. We are weeping
each girl to herself, silently and
heartily.
but at least you must tell me
you forgive me!' said the quiet
voice again. And then Madge Bar
ry cried out passionately, stamping
her foot, 20 Miss Gaynor, what's to
forgive? 1t was u.s. 1t was me!
| did everything IN the world to-to
hurt and trouble you. Oh, if you
die, l will die tool" and she buried
her face in her bare brown arms, in
wild despairing passion of tears.
Miss Gaynor lays her white hands
gently on the bowed brown head,
and Lucy Morris filings both her
loving arms round the poor little
breaking penitent heart. Truly on
earth as in heaven there is a great
joy over simmer that repenteth."
| scarcely knew what happened
next, there was such tumuIt of
embraces and pardons and promises,
of smiles shining through tears and
at last Miss Gaynor went away.
We crowded to the doors and
windows, and watched her going
slowly and YEARLY across the sunny
level her arm round Lucy's shoulder,
their long shadows striking over
the ''sea of daisies and clover" but
she never came back by the same
path, and we never heard her voice
in the old schoolroom again,
Madge Barry kept her word. She
not only taught us carefully, wisely
and faithfully for the next few days,
but for all the remainder of the
term.
The school throve and frightened
under her strong kindly guidance.
All the warm energies of her ma
ture were turned into broad healthy
channels. She studied hard herself,
and seemed to become woman all
at once, firm, loving, reliable.
How much more dreamlike than
any dream it was to see Madge seat
ed in her chair Of state, listening
to the recitations, her hair still