The morning times., 1896-05-24
A Brave
e Girls
Act.
BY MAY BELLEYLLE BROWN.
copyrighted, 1856

copyrighted, 1850
Before Miss Burton had teen teaching
the White Center School month, she wrote
home as follows:
This is patriotic towu-intenseIy, ar
rogantly so, and its patriotism. judge,
is not OF the sort that reaches its high
est tide in the revelations or July Fourth,
but in the more solemn holiday OF May,
which is more to them than Thanksgiving
turkey or Christmas goose"
May was at hand, the meadows ard
gardeuS were starred with spring flow
ers, and preparations for Decoration Day
were already being discussed, W when, after
school one day, the teacher detained the
pupils TO discuss a new plan for celebrating
the holiday.
''As you think so much Of Decoration
Day she said to them, Il thought that
we might add to the regular exercises of
Memorial Sunday and May thirtieth, by
presenting patriotic program, rendered
by the whole school, on the evening OF the
twenty-ninth. We will ask to have the use
of the Town Hall for the evening, and each
scholar Will have some part in the enter
tailment. How many are in favor Of the
pian?''
A flock of eager hands lowered in the
air over the heads of the owners. But
one pupil, a little girI OF some twelve
years, sat dejeetediy, with downCast head.
Miss Burton mapped out her program,
assigning parts 10 different ones. There
We're To be songs. TecitatiOns, chOruses,
and patriotic cantata.
The main part of this cantata,'' said
she, should Oe taken by a child with
clear voice both for speaking and singing.
land 1 shall assign it 10 Alberta Hughes
"ITm very sorry, Miss Burton, but
1 can't take the part"
why, my dear queried her teacher,
| kindly.
Instead of answering the kindly question
the little girl dropped her head into her
| folded arms and sobbed softly. while Miss
| Burton stood aghast ut the situation, until
one of the smaller boys thrust dirty
hand into the air and exclaimed:
please, Miss Burton, she can't never
have nothin' TO do with our Decoration
| Day doin's, an we don't none OF US want
| her. cause, you see, her gran'father was
| deseTter.''
THE CANTATA
! There had never been a larger crowd In
the White Center Town Hall than had
! gathered TO witness the exercises on the
| evening before Decoration Day. AS songs,
| recitations, and declarations were rem
I dered. the enthusiasm OF the patri-
] otic audience rose higher and higher,
| as did its estimation OF the city teacher
| who had planned anu prepared such an
| entertainment
The cantata which was to close the
! program was almost finished Marcia
| Doyue. whose father had been drummer
boy IN the White Center regiment, had
been given the princIpak-.2rt. Miss Bur
ton had persuaded AltA to come, and
| the child sat in the COrnef of a front seat
| thoroughly happy for the time.
No one saw Just how IT happened, but
( i'll shifting the weight Of his flag, one OF
the boys must have thrust the top of the
staff against one of the glass lamps in the
| old-fashiOned chandelier that hung just
! above the girls IL was thrown To the
stage and shattered, Luckily the oil was
| low in il, but still the flames flashed along
the floor, licking peril"usly near Mar
! cia's gaUZy skirt.
The children huddled back, too terror
! stricken to speak or stir. at Tue hrSt
| moment. There was movement anu sur
! through the room. but, in that hFst crit
! ical second, little figure spraug To the
| stage, caught an armIul OF the folds OF
the heavy bunting flags, flung them across
| the Ieaping flame, and, fighting with blow
after blow. kept down the fire until stronger
il less self-pOsSesSed hands came To flush
the work.
For once the White Center people forgot
past in present heroism and, though no
| one recognized The child, they cheered again
ana again Then Miss Burton led her tG the
front nr the stage, and. in spite OF her
tunlDled hair, smoked face and bliSteEed
hands, they knew the grandchild OF the de
serter It was a surprise, not an unkindly
feeling, that made the cheering stop sud-
denly, but the sileUce made Alberta shrink
and shiver Then Miss Burton said softly
|. Dear friends, should not the heToism
of the child who saved more than one or
your children from pain and disfigure-
ment, if not worse. atone for the wrong
wrought by the deserted duty of one who Is
dead aud gone? Must the living still suffer
for that which the dead atoned iu dyiDg?"