The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1909-07-09

novels, given me by Tom salyers, Of
which my mother knew nothing, and
1.-THE only poetry had ever seen) a
song-book, which had, scattered
among its vulgarisms and puerilities,
some gems Of Burns and Moore.
These, my natural, unvitiated taste
had singled QUE, and | would Groom
them over to myself, set them TO a
tune of my own composing, and half
sing, half chant them, when at work
out-of-doors, till my mother declared
was going crazy.
This morning | did not read. ]
sat looking down into the water from
my perch, carrying on the inward dis
cussion of the night before, and wish
ing that breakfast-time were come,
that might try my strength and
show that | was not be put down
by any assumption of superiority,
when suddenly voice near me made
me start SO that ] almost lost my bal
lance Mr.. Hammond was standing
beneath. He laughed, and held out
his hand to help me down; but ]
sprang past him and was On my way
to the house, when suddenly my brave
Resolutions came back TO my mind,
and | stood still with feeling Of
defiance. | wondered what he would
dare to say Would he tell me how
stupid he thought us all, how like
the very pigs we liyed2 or would he
describe his own grand house and The
great places he had seen? | scuwled
up sullenly
"Will you tell me where to find a
4 towel, that may wash my face here
by the river-sjde?" .....
laughed aloud, and with that
laugh fled my sullenness. He looked
a little puzzled, but went on
/, Il went to bed so early that ] can.
not sleep any longer; and II | could
only find some way of getting across
the rivG, | could get things under
way a little before my meh come up
!, There We're ways, then. in which
could help him,--he was not so i'm,
measurably above me,-and down
went my defiant spirit The towel, {
crash roller luckily clean, was
brought at once, and gathering cour
age as | stood by and saw him fin
- ish his washing, | said
Il can scull You over the river il
a few minutes, If you will go in ouI
skiff"
You? Can you manage that shell
Of thing? viii your father let YOU
take It, Miss Boarders?"
MY name is Janet Rainsford. ant
: Squire Boarders is not my father,
said |, some of my sullenness return
= ing.
- IL NOu VIII 'dhS luS, Janet, san
he with the frank, Open-hearted ton
which had won my step-father tn
night before-a tone before which m
- sulIenness melted.
jumped in. and, letting him pas
= me before | threw off the rope, scull
" ed the little dug-out into the mlddl
Of the river. No boatman on tn
Sandy was more skilful than ! in IN
% management of the little vessel, 70
in it most of my leisure time ha
been passed for the last year or two
My step-mOther had scolded. m
father grumbled and the farmers
y wives and daughters had shaken the
" heads and allowed that Janet Rain,
ford would come to no good If sh
u vas let fool about here and Their,
Ike n boy" But on that point l wa
" inCOrrigible; the boat was my on
! escape from my daily drudgery, an
Il late at night and early in the morn
ing | went up and down among til
= shoals and bars, under the trees an
over the ripples, till every turn {
~ the current was familiar to me.
g knew all the boatmen, too, up an
y down the river, would pull along-sid
y their RATS or pushing-bo and &
from them a slice of their COrn-hrea
% or a cup of coffee, or at least a pleas
., ant word or jest, And none but pleas
- ant words did | ever receive frol
y the rough, but honorable men whol
Il [ met They respected, as the rougl
&c est men will always do, my lionel
y girlhood, and felt sort of pride
u the daring, adventurous spirit thu
10 | showed.
Ito be continued)
ar Notice!