The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-16
NV Visit to Edith.

I was little girl ten years old at the
time that my mother took brother Harry
and I to visit during the hot summer at the
seashore. We stopped in great large hotel
with santing roofs and gables all painted
red. Before was the broad ocean, while
behind the hotel there stood a of high
hills.
One morning, leaving Harry behind with
the maid, mother took me for a ride around
the mountain and we came to a pretty farm
house, built conveniently near beautiful
stream of clear, cool water. L begged
mamma to stop because l was so thirsty. A
little bare footed girl in a clean, blue dress
opened the door. When we looked in it
seemed as if we were looking right straight
at a picture, for [ never saw such things
before except in pictures.
There was a rosy-cheeked young woman
sewing on an old-fashioned machine and
behind her there were open shelves full of
bright tins and blue-edged dishes. In an
adjoining room another young woman was
spinning wool on spinning wheel.
The lady let us come in and watch her.
She walked back and forth, holding the
wool in one hand while she turned the
wheel with the other, and the wool kept
spinning out to a, fine thread and winding
around little iron point in a cove-shaped
ball.
BY and by the woman said: would you
like to spin, little girl"
I was delighted. for it looked so easy,
and l longed to try, but do you know the
minute / took the wool and began it all
up in great coarse punches and then
it snapped off short. l felt very much
ashamed, but the woman only laughed and
said: 81 guess you had better go and play
with Edith while your mamma rests.
Edith was the little bare-footed girl ard
she had a sweet, gentle face and light
f1aXen hair. We went out on a rock near
the creek and cracked butternuts, and then
a man came out of a barn and looked al
me as if he wondered who 1 was.
"This is the little gal that's come to
play with me- pop" said Edith; so he said
it was all right and went back into the
barn.
After we had played together awhile
mamma called me, but 1 told Edith that
1 would come to see her again some day
and bring my brother Harry, for l knew
that he liked bltternuts.
The next day Harry and [ took a walk
all by ourselves to visit Edith.
She was younger than we-not more than
seven years old, but 1t was pleasant to so
there to play and crack butternuts.
This time l carried her Il very pretty
picture card, a sort of valentine, with a
chubby little winged cupid on 1t. expected
Edith to admire it, but instead of that she
said:
oh. shame! I'd go and dress me, wouldn't
We went down to the brook, which was
not very wide. but was pretty deep in
had a golden red look under the water.
1t looked like a very safe place to, go
sailing, because the banks were so close
on each side .
Lets find something for a boat, Edith
I said, "and then we can sail
ooh l don't dast!" she exclaimed. but
finally, when l found an old barrel that L
thought would do, she agreed to let me go
into it and said she would walk along the
bank by me to see me sail;
The barrel f1oated and did not tip much,
so | climbed carefully in while Edith held
Now let CO." said all ready to paddle.
And don't you know, the minute she
was half full of water before / could jump
anywhere I felt as if / was sinking, sink
ing away down and the water splashed me
and took my breath away away towards me and
caught one of my hands, holding 1t tSht,
while she screamed with all her might,
Come, boy! Come quick, boy! Nellie III
Harry heard her and ran swiftly to us.
He pulled me out and I was dripping wet.
The water went chush, ch haaaad IN z my
sleeves when I walked, but l begged Har-
ry and Edith not to scold me-.
So they helped me back to the RED 1a i n
house and then Harry went to the notel 10
tell mamma, but Edith's folks kept me
till after dinner and dried all my thlhSS.
was wrapped up in a shawl and know thdt
| had a beautiful visit.
E,dith's mamma and sister had cooked a
boiled dinner and one thing is odd, think
I never coud eat turnips before, put l
learned to like them that day. | dld not
want to leave a turnip untaSted On my
plate when I was company, so l just made
my mind up firm and ate 1t up. mo"
like turnips very well. .a
Before mamma and Harry and L returned
home we visited Edith very often, but
lrent NV promise to my mother and never
attempted to sail any more.