The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-10-31

scription OF the country. however
picturesque II might be. I mean that
| there's nothing TO do here" Beth re-
/ piled impatiently. What good are
| the woods II they're vacant. and one
! tires OF gazing at the view, which
gives an impression Of vast loneli-
! ness. and IL Is no fun rowing or nsh-
/ ing just By ourselves all the time"
Il dare say the woods aren't va
cant. for I've run across some very
pretty. home-Iike little houses during
my long walks. and I've seen some
very interesting looking children
playing about the doors" said Aunt
Flo. There's something In this high
land air that makes me want TO walk
for miles and miles. I'm Just setting
out now. Come go with me-"
20. I'm not in the mood for walk
ing this morning." Beth answered
YEARLY. Get Uncle Dan 10 go with
you"
Your Uncle Dan isn't we'll enough
for the walk this morning; and II
you don't go with me, I'll have to go
alone" said Aunt Flo as she started
down the path which led from the
. bungalow TO the woodland.
Beth Carter, whose parents had
died when she was a wee little girl,
made her home in the city With her
uncle and aunt, Mr.. and Mrs. Dan
Warren. Mr. Warren's health had
broken down in the early spring, and
Joc &c nh Of i'm
away to the heart OF the highland
wood for the summer. Mrs. Warren
and her niece had accompanied him;
and Beth was spending rather lone
ly vacation, separated from her
, schoolmates and with none Of the So
cial diversions which In former vaca-
| ttons she had enjoyed.
: Isn't the breath of the highland
wood refreshing2 and don't you like
to follow the pathways which lead
you through the very heart of nature
sweet, wild, uncultured nature?"
said Aunt Flo as she tripped gayly
along the way.
Mature is pretty enough, I sup
pose, but I'm always impressed with
|
Beth replied rs she followed some
what behind her aunt.
But it isn't vacant" Mrs. Warren
, argued.
80, know that there are creep
ing things and birds and snakes-O!"
and Beth gathered her skirts more
closely about her. But I mean HUI
Jo -.
and quiet and deserted. One finds
only an occasional hut and wonders
how human beings ca nbe content to
/ live here"
We'll, I've made some very nice
friends here, and I believe I'll take
you to see them this morning" Mrs,
Warren announced as she led the way|
down a wooded slope to dell, all
carpeted in moss and overhung With
canopy Of reddening boughs.
AS they heard the foot of the
slope they could hear a monotonous
voice reading aloud in a slow, hest
tating manner, stumbling over the
words and mispronouncing most of
them.
Look" Aunt Flo babe her niece,
there beyond the sassafras bush"i
! Beth did as she was told, and saw a.
tall, barefooted, plainly clothed girl
standing before a group of children,
ranging from her own age down to
infancy, seated upon the moss. They
were looking up at the reader as if!
wholly unaware of her Deficiencies in;
the art. 1t seemed to Beth that she
had never seen a more attentive au-
dience.
who are they? and what are they
up to-" she inquired in a whisper.
'They are the Todd children; and
Ann Eliza, the oldest one, and also
the only one who has ever attended
school, Is reading aloud to the 9TH
ers and trying to teach them. Poor
child! She has a very hard time, for
she knows very little to teach, and
reading is painfully difficult to her.
But the little ones are eager to learn,
and the summer school is progressing
nicely considering the circumstances
I ran across them just here one morn
ing not long ago. They live in that
cabin down yonder at the foot of the
glade. You can see the blue smoke
curling up from the chimney, al
though the house is hid by shrub
berry. I have read to them some and
tried to help the teacher. But you
know I never was a good reader,
while you have given the subject
more time than any other at school,
and have taken the prize as the best
reader in your class, and have always
been chosen to take the leading part
in the expression entertainments.
Can't you read to them from their
own book just simple little story
or else tell them a tale? You know
lots of splendid ones that you used to
tell during the Saturday story hour
at the kindergarten, you remember"
said Mrs. Warren. And then, with