Middletown transcript., 1908-06-06

WCh0 q Aga4 SN1
with huge sliding windows guard
Cd by massive shutters. There
was no glass in the windows out
light was admitted through thln'
fat shells, about four lnches
square, set in the sashes. The
floor of the room was OF thick,
rough.hewn mahogany planks
polished by much friction OF bare
feet; the rostrum was of rose
wood the heavy desk was OF
white mahogany, and the teacher
sat in a high.backed chair OF
richly carved ebony!
The splendor of the apartment
ended here, however. The walls
we're of rough boards covered
with painted cloth. A few prlm-
tive benches occupied the center
of the floor, but a dark, solleo
streak running round the wall,
about two feet from the floor,
showed where most of the pupils
sat, squatted upon their heels,
with their shoulders against the
wall. The ceiling was OF woven
bamboo splints, and just now it
sagged heavily near the middle
showing where big Coil, the
schoolhouse snake, lay asleep.
All the old Filipiao buildings
have house snakes, small pythons
which live in the attics and keep
the devouring rats in check
This particular pet was ten feet
long. His presence overhead
had at first been sore trial to
Miss Cartwright's nerves. Now,
however, she was so accustomed
to the unusual that it seemed to
her she would not have minded
much if big Coil had descended
to the floor and asked for a read
ing lesson. AS a matter of fact,
the house snakes never do come
down, unless the ceiling falls.
The themes were all upon one
subiect-the attempt to tell what
was to be seen in a certain pic
ture, Just an advertisement which
the teacher, because books and
pictures were scarce in the pro-
vincial schools, had cut from a
magazine. It showed a child IN
it's mothers arms.
The little son, Emily read from
one of the laborious compost
tons, has two hands, two eyes, a
nose and a soul. The teacher
smiled. That must be Juan Sa-
lazar, she thought. 1t sounds
like him.
Then she sighed. Jaun had
been one of the ever-increasing
number to whom she had that
day given ration of rice for the
family at home.
Emily's school was in the fam.
inc section of the Philippines.
For years war had devastated
the region the young carabaos
were all dead, and of the old
ones few were fit to work the
fields. They were even too gaunt
and tough to use for food for
carabao meat, at its best, has
very little nutriment. The ca
metes, or sweet potatoes, the
peoples chief food reliance after
rice, were all gone, and the rice
crop had failed.
There was no garrison in the
town, and just now Emily was
the only American there, for
Burnham, her colleague, wasted
with fever, had been carried
eastward, in the bottom Of a
carabao cart, two weeks before.
He was more dead than alive on
the morning of his departure,
but up to the last moment he
had begged her to come, too.
Nonsense she laughed, as she
fixed his pillow. Someone must
stay by the flag. You go down
and send up help. Do itquickly,
too, she added, for the rice won't
last forever.
But you will be in danger, he
urged, feebly.
Danger Under the American
flag? You're sick, Mr.. Burn
ham, or you would never think OF
such a thing
Burnham was sick, and he
dropped back on his pillows with
d sick man S acq uiieseenee as the the
carabao numbered forward and
the hard journey began. Miss
Cartwright, with glance at the
beautiful flag floating from an
upper window, went back to the
schoOlrooms
The building had in Spanish
days been the tribunal, or town
hall. It was of heavy timbersl
and Roman cement /; for Alme'
guete, now a mere cluster OF vil'
1apo bnte had once haan an i'm.