Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-10-01

the old farmers, who for q score Of
years had watched their corn, felt
tue fascination of the verse. Nor
did they see the value of carefully
mapping out to scale bit of familiar
land with Mrs. AS henhouse and
Mr.. BIS barn exactly located before
teaching the relative positions of
London and Paris.
Muriel found her first triumph in
the appreciation of a blacksmith who
heard of her compelling her pupils
to measure scrupulously, pint by
pint, the sawdust that made a bush
Ell, end writing out their own table
before even seeing it in the book.
Suffice to say that she made those
five months OF school a paradise for
the children, and when ct the end of
that time she left to accept a desir-
able position in the neighboring city
they everyone mourncd her sincere
ly.
But during those five months she
had changed the whole current Of
Fred Msynards life. 1t could hard
ly be otherwise, for from the first
she had exerted over him the dan
gerous fascination OF novelty. The
young people about, 10 spite of her
efforts to win them, stood in awe of
her, envied her and were not at ease
with. her. Fred wondered wherein
the difference lay. He learned from
her frank talk that she was not mar
vellously rich as be had at first sup
posed, it was simply her different
way of living. 1t wasn't style alone
mere conforming to current customs
but although he could not express
it, it was the power of culture that
must needs always reign omnipo-
tent. e
One day he went to her room to
fix an unruly curtain. He glanced
at the piles Of books scattered every
where apd he felt for the first time
how much he had missed. Could
this be the same room he had
known before-college banners, pho
tographs and the Thousand and one
things that only girl can place in
a girls room. Her dressing table
with its dainty accessories met his
gaze, and he started as he saw a
young mans photograph in its sill
yer frame among the others there.
Was he one Of the college boys she
so often spoke of? He surely be-
longed to her world. What was the
difference? He glanced at his re-
fected face in the mirror above and
compared. 1t wasn't the collar, the
part of the hair, but knowledge of
larger world, a broader life that
had left its impress on the pictured
face. 1t was knowledge Of the
world Of books, the books Muriel
read and OF which he knew nothing.
The thought came like a revelation,
and from that moment a steadfast
determination to be like the fellow
whose pictured face confronted MUIR
lei each morning formed itself in
Fred's mind.
Muriel soon came to have an
honest liking for Fred, and when
she discovered his love of nature
she gave him copy of John Bur-
roughs. 1t was simple way Of
starting him in literature, but q
most wise one, One night, determ-
ined to improve his mind, he
borrowed her copy of En-
erson's essays and started the one
on compensation. He found it dry,
for he was not yet ready for it.
Muriel watched him curiously for q
time, and then crossed the room and
took the book from him. Then
speaking as she would to one OF the
children she said, ssLet me tell you
what I like to read" She told him
then in her graphic way about the
chambered nautilus, where it is
found and of the wonderful way it
lives, and of the beauty of it's she'll.
Then from book of poems she read
Holmes most beautiful one. It
struck the right chord and Fred felt
its beauty and the man in him rose
at
"Leaye thy low, vaulted past,
Let each new temple,
Worthier than the last,'
and she felt her lesson had done its
work.
Another time she left him to read
the Vision of Sir Launfal, and re-
joiced at its effect. Gradually Fred's
enjoyment Of literature grew, and
Muriel privately studied his inter-
ests and catered to them. One
night, in the long talks on "Men
and things, as she laughingly said,
she spoke of Darwin and his evolu.
ton theory. 1t took deep root in
his mind and when he learned to i'm
bibe something Of her religious be-
lief, and saw that religion and
science do not of necessity conflict,
he could actually feel himaeIf cv-