The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-05-14
complains again I'll tell him to como
and see for himse1f"

complains again I'll tell him to come
and see for himself.
We learned very fast that year, any
one could tell that, and 80 the trustee:
and parents decided to give US pic
mic as asareward either for studying hare
Or for not having broken our heads, a.
some of the grumblers contended
For weeks we all looked forward to it
We were proud of our school and hkee
TO compare it with others.
One afternoon, about week before
Che picnic, Robert Dawson and hi
father were breakinga young horse. Il
stopped directly in front of the schoo
house. One of the boys whispered
that no animal Rob Dawson rode
could pass Miss Hope till his master
had looked at her, but the girls would
3ot listen to his Joke. It was recess
and we were all out upon the grounds
We had seen colts broken before ant
knew enough to be quiet; but Mis-
Hope cried out:
"Oh, what beauty"
That was true, and the remarl
pleased the Dawsons, for they were
very proud of their horses"
eyes" said Robert, she is beauty
and quite gentle, too"
"Then why do you keep the rope OF
It's neck and in it's mouth?"
"Because he is not quite broken yel
and if he gets frightened few jerks
on that soon quiets him. I'm going
to drive this team and take a load o.
the children to the picnic for you
May II"
He looked at her entreatingly.
Miss Hope blushed little as che aD
swered:
care you ST. it will be safe?"
"Why, yes. If you like I'll leav'
che rope on, although it won't be neo
,ssary by that time"
"Oh, thank you! You are ver5
Sind."
The last day of school-our picnf
day-fnally arrived. The whole dis
trict-men, women and children
were going. We met at the schoo
house. How happy We were as w
rode through the beautiful country
Even the voices of the grumblers
those who found fault with the teache,
and predicted dire results from he
ralisthenic drills and tsich doin's,
became attuned to nature and helpet
complete the harmony of the day.
Oh, what a day that was in th
woods and on the water But 1t ended
1T last. The children were to star
home first, while the older ones, with
Miss Hope, remained to pack up tn
Ihings.
How it was no one ever could quit
tell; it must have been the horns,
think, but after the children were al
in the wagon that colt, without th'
least warning, suddenly jerked itsel
loose from the man who was holding
it, and, dragging the rope, sprane
away, and before any one could reacf
out saving hand the horses were dash
ing down the mountain with tn
crowded wagon.
We sat still and dumb, with whiA
faces, afraid to move or scream, al
though some of the little ones hi(
their heads and cried. We. were help
less with fear. Barbara Hunter ha(
taken the reins, but she dared not USE
them, for at each pull the colt reared
end kicked. We knew nothing could
Save us from being thrown into the ra
vine if the horses speed was not slack
ened before we rounded the sharp, na1
row curve.
But who was that in the road g,
least 8 dozen rods from the curve:
Miss Hopel Her dress was torn, and
her sweet face and hands all scratched
and bleeding. In few moments she
had secured the dragging rope. which
we had forgotten, and calling to Bar
bara to pull hard on the reins, the
horses were brought to stop just a:
Robert Dawson, on horseback, dashed
upon the scene.
Miss Hope tainted dead away then.
Robert caught her in his arms and
sailed her wildly by name; but she was
unconscious still when they took he1
home. For days she lay tossing in the
delirium of brain fever. She recov-
cred at last, and soon after that We
learned that we were to lose our
teacher; for Robert Dawson never
rested until she promised to be bis
wife.
We were all sorry to lose Miss Hope
but none more so than Mr.. Sawyer.
81 don't care whether she know
how to teach in the old way or not, .
he said to one of the trustees; 'sbut q
girl who could climb down the noun
tain hand over hand, on the wild grape
vines, to save the lives of a lot OF chill
lren, is fit to be trusted with those
children anywhere. I'm afraid We
ihall never see her like again"
And we never have, in the school.
oom; but Mrs. Robert Dawson is a
social power in the district, and her
former pupils are her most devoted
friends. -Waverly Magazine.
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