The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-13
THE PALMEROY TWINS.

In RI little village there was an academy
Tbr principal OF the ncadcmy oitereo q
ny Jal for the one who wrote the pest
essay The girls would read their essays
ut the close Of school.
or course the pupils began writing their
papers about two months before the COM
mencement in order to do their very best
work. They found the work very tire
Z some. IA the weather was warm.
Vic and Van Pameroy were twin SIS
4nrs sixteen years OF age. They were
attending this school for the last year.
rhe next year they expected to enter
college. 81. \,
from the academy. They lived IN
colonial house, With its massive pillars
front. The lawn, with It's huge oaks.
reminded one of ante-bellum days.
On tho day The principal tod them OF
the contest after the school work was
over the girls hurried homeward to be-
gin on their essays.
After four weeks OF hard work they
finished their papers and put them in
their trunks as they thought that would
DO the safest place for them. They found
that they felt SO much better 10 know
that the essays were written. About four
DAYS before commencement. the girls
went to their trunks TO get the papers,
SO that they could practice reading them
before their concert. They hunted their
trunks and the room, but to their dis
may the papers could not be found.
First they ran to their mother TO see
81 she had seen anything OF them. But
their mother did not know anything about
them. FINALLY they called their little sis
ter, Pattie, who was six years old, into
The room to sec II she knew anything
about them.
After questioning her, they found that
she, not knowing that they were OF any
Importance, had taken the essays and had
made paper dolls out of them. and after
she was tired playing with the9dolls she
threw the fragments Into the fire. She
showed them the ribbon With which lacy
We're tied. 6E
The poor girls were so worried to think
that tho essays which they had worked SO
hard over were now destroyed.
Vic ut once said that she was not going
to write another one that she had not
mcmorlzed the one which she had written
and could not go through the toll and
anxiety OF writing another out of her own
head. but she was going TO borrow an
essay from friend Of hers. who had
just graduated. She. therefore. went to
her friends house Immediately, and her
:
Seven w onders OF the World"
Van said that she was not going to do
as Vic had done; that she was not going
to read other peoples work. and pretend
It vas her own. Therefore. she began at
once writing her paper She had to work
very hard on hers, but at the time Of the
concert, her paper was finished, The sub
ject OF hers was Never BE Dis
cournged."
1t was n beautiful night In Juno, a
splendid night for q concert and the
hall of the academy was crowded w.1n
friends and spectators. There We're 80
many people present that some OF the
audience had to stand
The girls who were going to read their
essays we're dressed In white. The Judges
sat on the STAGE 1a
In u short time "The Seven Wonders
Of the World" by Miss Vic Palmeroy,
was called out,s Tho people We're very
much pleased with Vlc's essay Not long
after Vic read hey essay. Van read hers,
She was much applauded. and the judges
seemed well pleased After the essays
were read, the principal arose ana an
nounced that tho medal woulu be given
10 Miss Van Palmeroy, reader and com-
poser of Never BE Discouraged" Van
came forward to receive the medal, her
face crimson With bihshes, and her heart
filled With JOY at the honor conferred.
1Bhe appreciated It so much because she
know thart she had done her own work,
and had not simply read the essay of an
tpther.
Z 1t taught the pupils of the academy a
lesson and Van Palmeroy never forgot
The lesson which sac had learned, which
was to rely upon herself and do the
best she could under all circumstances.
ANNIE GOODMAN,
BallsYIlle. Va. -