Evening star., 1915-06-13
SUNDAY MAGAZINE for
A Georgia Shakespeare
By HARRY STILLWELL EDWARDS

first day caught for him thlrty-One grass
hoppers, the second seventeen, and the
third none. To take the contract to raise
young birds on worms one should acquire,
first, wings and microscopic eyes.
surrendered the position of nurse. 1t
was not gentleman's work anyway.
Grandmother brought the bird in at night
fall, and Aunt Cindy prepared his mash
twice day. | reserved myself for his
higher education.
In the meantime Shakespeare covered
himself with feathers and learned to keep
his mouth closed except at lunch.
ILEXHURST, I our home, was vast es-
tate. So was its neighbor. Featherstone.
In the beginning the first Gordons and
Witherspoons had built their homes close
together, impelled by friendship. A slight
depression lay between the two residences,
and along this ran the dividing line. The
line was buried under privet hedge. The
great orchard of IleXhurst ran down to the
hedge, and was met by the great orchard
of Featherstone The fine old house on
our side was shielded from the view of the
Witherspoons, and the fine old house of
Featherstone was shielded from the view
of the Gordons by clumps of trees.
Only one of our windows was visible to
our neighbors, and that was mine. 1t was
in the rear upstairs, opening to the east.
One rear window at Featherstone would
have been visible but for a limb of a
great water oak. But one of our Gordon
ancestors had thoughtfully dropped few
pecan nuts in the rear of our orchard.
and time had given us some trees whose
spreading branches almost touched the
ground.
My hat is off whenever l think of this
ancestor; for it was under these trees that
first saw the little orphan Nettie Moore.
Nettie had found weak spot in the hedge,
and one day my eyes caught the futter of
white under our pecans and | raced for it.
Nettie saw me, and raced for hole in the
hedge. She reached the spot first and
passed through not stopping to lift the
obstructing limbs: no, Nettie simply dived,
and diving left one of her bare little feet
in my hand. drew her back and loaded
her down with pecans. And thus l. aged
twelve, first met Nettie Moore, who, aged
seven and last of the Witherspoons, thus
came into my lfe
A ND Nettie came through the hedge
again. Well, they found us there. The
enemy arrived. and it was goodby. little
sweetheart. for many day. Then at
length, being true Gordon. | climbed a
giant oak by moonlight and sawed away
great limb. 1t fell noisily; but Feather
stone slept on. The next morning my
window looked full into Nettie Moore's
across the fruited orchards. From "The
Boys Own Book" copied the wigwag
code and bribed Aunt Cindy to carry it
with a set of flags to Nettie. Great was
our happiness; for | wigged love to Net
tie with military precision. and Nettie
wagged back her affection in full regula-
ton style, barring occasional typograph-
ical errors.
Then came the school. the old hillside
academy two miles away. 1t was GER
tainly a spectacle, Nettie'S arrival behind
the grays with her nanny Phyllis by
her side and the old black driver holding
the lines.
This happened daily for while: but it
was too grand to last The ceremony
finally diminished to pony transportation
and there was where got back into the
runninu. for Iay after dny mont N after