The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-25

hs 1t were, In the public eye, for on
Fridays books were put away and the at
'ention given to recitatons and com
pany.
Miss Carrie talked In deep tones. which
she said were chest tones, and described
mysterious sweeps and circles with her
hands when she talked. And these size
called gestures. Miss Carrie was an clio.
cutionist, and had even recltcd on the
stage.
She gave hcr class the benefit Of her
talent, and In teaching them said they
must suit tho action TO the word, The
action meant gestures, and gestures
meant sweeps and circles.
Emmy Lou had to learn piece for
Friday. 1t was poetry, but you called It IA
piece. and though Uncle Charlie had Sc
lected 1t for Emmy Lou, Miss Carrie did
not seem to think much Of It.
Emmy Lou stood up Miss Carrie was
drilling her and though she did her best
to suit the action to the word. It seemed
q. complicated undertaking Tho piece was
called, "a Plain Direction" Emmy Lou
came to the lines: ~
Straight down the Crooked Lane
And all round the Square.
Whatever difficulties her plump forc.
finger had had over tho first three Of
these geometricaI propositions. It triumph
ed at the end, for Emmy Lou paused. a
square has fotr sides. and to suit a four
sided action TO the word. takes time.
Miss Carrie. whose attention had wan
dcred little. here suddenly observing,
stopped her. saying her gestures were
stiff and meaningless. She said they look
ed like straight lines cut In the air.
Emmy Lou, anxious to prove her efforts
to be conscientious, explained that they
wero straight lines. It was square. Miss
Carrie drew herself up. and using hor
coolest tones. told Emmy Lou not TO be
funny.
Funny" Emmy Lou felt that she did
not understand.
But this was a mere episode between
Fridays. ono lived but TO prepare for
Fridays, and a Sunday dress was be.
coming q mere everyday affair. since
ones best must be worn for Fridays.
No other class had these recitations
and the third reader was cnv'ed. lis
members were pointed out and sazed
upon, until one realized ono was stand
ing in the gnrish light OF fame. The
other readers, 1t seemed. longed for fame
and craved publicity. and SO It came
about that the school was to have an
exhibition with Miss Carries gerrtus to
plan and engineer the whole. For general
material. Miss Carrie drew from the
whole school, but tho play was for her
own class alone.
And this was the day OF the exhibition.
Hattie and Sadie and Emmy Lou stood
Mt the gate OF tho school. They had spent
the morning In rehearsing At noon they
had been sent home with Instructions to
return at half past two. -ie exhibition
would begin at three.
"Of course" Miss Carrie had said, you
will not fall to DO on time And Miss
Carrie had used her deepest tones.
Hattie and Sadie and Emmy Lou had
wondered how she could even dream Of
such thing.
1t was not O'Clock, and the three
stood at the gate the first to return.
They were in the same piece. It was
The Play" In a play ono did more
than suit tho action to the word, one
dressed to suit the part.
In the play Hattie and Sadie and Emmy
Lou found themselves the orphaned chill.
dren of a soldier, who had failed to re.
turn from the war 1t was a very sad
piece. Sadie had to weep. and more
than once Emmy Lou had found tears
in her own eyes. watching her.
Miss Carrie said Sadie showed his
trionic talent. Emmy Lou asked Hattie,
about It. who said it meant tears. and
Emmy Lou remembered then how tears
came naturally to Sadie.
When Aunt Cordelin heard they must
dress to suit the part she came to see
Miss Carrie, and SO did the mamma Of
Sadie and the lnammn OF Hattie.
Dress them In kind OF mild ,nourn-
Ing" Miss Carrie explained, mot too
deep, or It will seem too real. and. RS
three little sisters. suppose we dress
them alike?"
And now Hattie and Sadie and Emmy
Lou stood at the gate ready for the play,
Stiffy immaculate white dresses, with
bcltlngs of black sashcs. flared jauntily
out above spotless white stockings and
sober little black slippers while black.
bound Leghorn hats shaded three anx-
ous little countenances. BY the exact
center, each hold little handkerchief,
black bordered.
at seems almost wicked" Aunt Cor
della had ventured at this point; ut
seems like tempting Providence
But Sade's mamma did not see 1t So
Sadle's mamma had provided the hand
kerchiefs. Tears were Sadie's feature
in the play.
Hattie and Satae and Emmy Lou wore
each an anxious seriousness OF counte-
rance, but It was Il variant seriousness.
IIattle's tense expression breathed a
determination which might have been
interpreted do or die; to Hattie life was
a battling foe, to be overcome ana trod-
den beneath a victorious heel: Hattie
was an infdcl st. George, always on the
look for the dragon. and to-day the ex-
hbition was the dragon.
Sadle's seriousness was Il compla cent
realization Of large responsibility. Her
weeping was a feature. Sadie renem-
hercd she had histrionic talent,
Emmy Louis anxiety Was because there
loomed ahead tho awful moment Of
mounting the platform. It was terrible
on mere Fridays to mount the PLATFORM,
and, after vain swallowing to overcome
n labal dryness and a lingual taste OF
copper. try to suit the action to the
word but to mount the platform FOR the
play--Emmy lou was trying not to look
that far ahead. But as tho hour an
preached, the solemn Importance OF the
occasion was stealing brainward. and she
even began to feel glad she was q part
at tho exhibition. FOR to have been left
out would have been worse even than
the moment Of mounting the platform,
my grown-up brothers coming" said
Hattie, IAN my mamma an gran'ma an
tho rest"
~.