The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-28
Gertrude,s Labbit.

California was like fairyland to
Gertrude. To pick roses when she
knew her playmates in Philadelphia
were rolling snowballs, and to wear
the same white muslin dress on
Christmas day which she wore to Bes-
sic Smiths Fourth of July party sur
passed any of "Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland" she thought.
Every day she saw new and curious
sights, but nothing interested her
quite as much as her visit to the
Chinese mission. Aunt Rachel taught
there Tuesday evenings. 1t did not
close until $780, but her mother prom
ised she might go one night, provided
she took a long nap in the afternoon,
says an exchange.
The mission looked just as it did
in the pictures Aunt Rachel had sent
her; the four oilcloth covered tables
at which six people--three teachers
and three scholars-could sit and the
walls were hung with pictures and
texts, some of them in English, and
some in those queer Chinese charac-
ters that Gertrude declared looked
like chicken tracks
Aunt RachePs scholar, Chew Wing,
was the first to come; his square
toed black slippers with heavy white
soles shutting loosely as he walked,
and his long queue dangling at his
heels Chew Wing was cook in
boarding house and worked hard all
day, but every evening he came to the
mission to learn English Gertrude
was just wee bit afraid at first, but
he smiled in such friendly way that
she soon forgot her fears.
He placed pair of steel-bowed spec
tacles on the end Of his nose and he
gan to read out Of the book he
brought with him, pronouncing each
word as Aunt Rachel pointed it.
"This is a labbit" he read, and
Gertrude wondered whatever that
might be- When he read, THE lab
bit eats glass" she said to herself, TT
must be a California animal, for I'm
sure there isn't any in Philadelphia
that can eat glass"
At o'clock a gong sounded and
the books were laid aside Bibles
we're passed and a few verses were
read, after which they sang, first in
English, and then in Chinese. On
the wall hung a chart on which the
queer characters were printed, and
one Chinaman pointed to them as
they sang. Gertrude was surprised to
see him begin at the very end, until
she remembered her teacher had told
her China was on the opposite side of
the world from us Course" she re-
fected, "he was born upside down,
that's all"
Just before they went home Chew
Wing, with a very broad smile, hand
ed her package. 1t proved to be
wonderful silk handkerchief on which
were embroided purple butterflies and
red roses, with pink and yellow buds
and bright green leaves. A bit of red
paper futtered out when she unfolded
it. Aunt Rachel said this was for
good luck.
It was not until she was in bed that
she thought of the "labbt" "Oh Aunt
Rachel, what is a labbit?" she called
out. Aunt Rachel looked puzzled.
He eats glass, you know. Chew
Wing read about him." Gertrude went
on. Aunt Rachel laughed till the
tears ran down her cheeks my dear
child" she said, as soon as she could
speak, Cinnamon always say 4 In
stead of r. what he meant was, The
-abbit eats grass" Gertrude gave a
little "Oh," and then
she laughed, too q thought it must
)e some kind of a California animal"
,ho said Newark Call