Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-03-06
! The Swamp Secret


Il don't know as l have any pertikler
objections, eff father hain't," said Mrs.
Porter, after thinking the matter over.
What do you say, Samanthy!
Samanthy was Mrs. Porter's cousin,
and acted in the threefold capacity of
hired girl, companion and household die
tator. She was ''smart as a steel trap
an awful capable" Mrs. Porter told her
neishbors, ''an' takes right holt an goes
ahead with things as well as could.
She us't to make us all stan round,
Mrs. Porter was won't to affirm, years
after Samanthy had left her, "but we
was us't to her ways an didn't mind her
bossin' us, she was so handy an willin'.
There want a single lazy hair in her
head, an we, never had nobody work fer
us that begun to earn her wages as Sa-
manthy Peters did-never.."
What do / think about what?' asked
Samanthy, coming in from the back room
and leaning on her broom, prepared to
listen and advise or object, as the case
might be.
THE singiB' school man wants to come
here to board" explained Mrs. Porter.
What do you hev to say about it?'
"'Tain't fer me to say anything as |
know on" said Samanthy, in reply. Il
s'pose there's plenty of room fer him,
an we can git along 18th the work well
enough; but I'm free TO say | didn't take
much of a fancy TO him, and. wouldn't
keer to hey him round more'n six months
to a time But mebbe we can stan it
while he's teachin, an you can turn my
bill to singing school on his board, eff it's
any accommodation.
Samanthys consent being obtained,
Mrs Porter went out in the garden,
where father was at work. and held
a short consultation with him. The re-
suit of this conference was foregone
conclusion, however, as father" always
deferred to his wife's Judgment and
wishes.
"You can tell him that he can come,
then" said Mrs. Porter, when she came
back to the house. THAT is. eff he feels
as eff he could put up with our way O.
livin'
ooh, | know he won't mind that said
Mamie, delighted with her success. Then
she put ON her sunbonnet and ran home,
never stopping for word with Dick, who
had been leaning on the fence, waiting
patiently for the conference with Mrs.
Porter to end.
Il wonder what's the matter now?' he
thought, as he saw Mamie come out of
the gate and walk straight down the road
toward home without so much as looking
in his direction. Something about the
singing school, suppose, or its teacher"
he added, with curling lip. Its strange
how girls Will act. all on account of
handsome face and smooth ways"
From which remark you will under
stand that Dick was beginning to get
jealous of Mr.. Wayne.
wont it be nice?' Mamie said to her
mother, when she got home and told the
news. Hell be so near that can run
over real often to have him show me
about anything that bothers me. mean
to practice all the spare time l get, and
get ahead Of all the other girls. / know
| shall like him ever so much
When Dick came to supper, Mrs Boone
told him about Mrs. Porter's new board
err. Mamie, for some reason, didn't come
into the kitchen as she usually did when
he washed his face and combed his hair
Coming to Mrs. Porter's, is he? Well,
can't say as / care a great deal about
having him for such near neighbor
Samanthy and / didn't take much of a
fancy to him"
Dick looked at Mamie as he said this.
but she pretended not to hear Dick
knew that she did hear it. for all thar,
for her cheeks got a trifie redder, and
she gave her head a little toss that told
that she was not greatly pleased with the
remark.
II s'pose wen be favored with whole
slathers o music, afore long," said Mr.
Boone, as they sat down to supper
This gal here. pinching Nannie's plump
cheek, thinks she'll have the whole
grammit. or whatever you call it., at her
tongues end in less'n week"
"Well, it will be a first-rate chance
for me to learn" said Mamie, as she
passed the butter TO Dick. Hell be so
near, you know. / can run over to Aunt
Porter's and ask him lots of questions
when l come TO something l don't just
understand"
TOO near" Dick thought but he said
nothing.
They walked down to the school house
together that night, but the conversation
between them was not what could be
called a very lively one. If Mamie talk
ed of anything it had to be either the
singing school or its teacher, and Dick
could not wax very enthusiastic on such
topics, therefore he preferred to keep
still and let her do the talking.
Promptly at seven o'clock the session
began. Any one who has ever attended
singing school in the country knows what
the usual routine OF work is: An eXplana-
ton of the scale. with its letters, its
fats and sharps, and ever-changing keys,
its do-re-me's and fa-so-la's. and then,
for the beginners benefit, little easy ex-
ercises which are TO the study of har-
mony what the primer is TO the reading
book with the student in the district
school. Every teacher of music begins
with these a-b-c's of the science, but not
one in dozen succeeds in making his
scholars understand much about them.
The fun comes in when they get to
singing pieces" Most of the students
can catch the tune from hearing it sung
by the teacher, and singing real tunes
is much more satisfactory to the scholar
than drilling on dry exercises. This
school was like all others in this respect.
After the rudiments had been dwelt upon
for an hour, Mr.. Wayne said they would
practice a Ettle on some old tunes for
recreation and variety. Had any one any
choice of a tune?
Deacon Snyder called for "Windham. I"
adding, as a sort of postscript: THAT is,
il the teacher is familiar with it,"
Yes, Mr.. Wayne was quite familiar
with that tune. They would try it, And
soon the audience was making the air
dolefui with the mournful strains of the
tune the deacon had selected
"A little more expression would inn
prove it. l think" said Mr.. Wayne. Let
me sing verse as l think it ought to
be sung"
He did so amid the profound silence OF
the class. He had q smooth. clear voice.
and he sang well aud with due regard
for the sentiment OF the words. The old
hymn took on a new meaning under his
rendering of it. The girls were delight
ed with his way OF singing IL. and the
young men wished they could sing like
that; bur Deacon Snyder. whose musical
education was as primitive as the cut OF
his pantaloops, and who was not inclined
TO be progressive in his ideas, hardly
agreed with Mr.. Wayne's opinion of how
the HYMN ON s.bf IN he Sl,nx~