The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-04

EIlIny Lou SeCOuu ySul az
a certain large public school
PSTSy5SN1 found her round. chubby self,
kAEakSCJ Ike pink-cheeked PERIOD
ending the long line OF inter-
mingled little boys and girls making
what was known, twenty-five years ago.
as the first reader class. Emmy Lou
had spent her first year IN the primer
class, where the teacher. Miss Clara ny
rame had concealed the kindliest OF
hearts behind a brusque and energetic
manner, and had possessed, along with
her red hair and u temper tinged with
that color also, a sharp voice that by
it's unexpected snap In attacking some
small sinner, had caused Emmy Louis
little heart to jump many times a day.
Here Emmy Lou had spent the year IN
strenuously guiding squeaking pencil
across protesting slate. or singing IN
chorus, as Miss Clara's long wooden
pointer went up and down the rows or
words on tho spelling chart: At at;
bat. bat: CAT, cat,' or IAN, an;
han, ban; can, can" Emmy Lou her
self had so little idea OF what 1t was all
about that she was dependent upon her
refghbor to give her the key to the proper
starting point heading the various col
umns-"a-t, at" or IAN, an" or ct,
ct." or ION, on; after that 1t was easy
calling. But one awful day, while the
class stopped suddenly at Miss Clara's
warning finger as visitors opened the
door. Emmy Lou, her eyes squeezed tight
shut, her little body rocking to and fro
Ia the rhythm, went right on, "m-a-n.
man." pam. pan"-untif at the sound
Of her own sing-son little voice rising
with appalling fervor upon the silence,
she stopped. to find that the page IN the
meantime had been turned, and that the
pointer was directed to a column be-
ginning 10y, oy.'
Among other things incident to that
first year, too, had been recess. AZ
that time. everybody was turned out
into brick-paved yard the boys ,.S on on one .bs
side Of a high fence. the girls on the
other And here, waiting without the
wooden shed where stood q row of buck
cts. each holding tiny dipper, Emmy
Lou would stop on the sloppy outskirts
for the thirst OF the larger girls to DC
assuaged, that the little girls oppor-
tunity might come-together with the
dregs in the buckets. And at recess, TOO,
along with the danger Of being run INTO
by the larger girls at play anu a.a ha Mt.1s
the breath knocked out OF one 8 niue
body. which made it necessary to seek
seouestered corners and peep out thence.
there was the man to be watched Tor ana
ayoded-the low, square, blacK-proWeu,
hla ok bearded man who brandlshen
broom at the little girls VINO cropped
their apple, cores and crusts on the pave ".
ments and who shook his list ut the
ieerlng little boys who dared to swarm
to the forbidden top and sit straddling
the dividing fence. That Uncle Michael,
the janltor, was getting old and hao
rheumatic twinges was indeed Ohcle
Michael's excuse, but Emmy Lou dld not.
know this. and her fear OF Uncle Michael
was great accordingly
But somehow the primer year wore
away, and one day toward It's close. IN
the presence of Miss Clara. two solemn ,,4
looking gentlemen requested certain NJ
fla hovs to cipher and several little girls
to to spell, and sent others to the black.
hoard or the chart, while to EmmyNLou
was handed primer. open at page II.
v hich she was told to read: hnow'h n.'
page II by heart, and Identifying 1t by
it's picture, Emmy Lou arose, and her
small voice droned forth in sing-song
fashion: