The daily Alaskan., 1919-03-04
CHAPTER ".

One day the stage, on Its way te Ballybeen. came to our house and left a box and a letter from MT. Wright, addressed to my uncle. which read:
 Dear Sir-I send herewith a box of books and magazines in the hope that you or Miss Baynes will read them aloud to my little partner and In doing so get some enjoyment and profit for yourselves.
 Yours respectfully,
 as. WRIGHT, JR-
 "P. S.-When the contents of the box have duly risen into your minds will you kindly see that 1t does like service to your neighbOrs IF School District No. 77 S. w. Jr."
 "I guess Bart has made friend O this great man-sartin ayes!" said Aunt Deel. "I wonder who'll be the next oneT
 The work of the day ended, the candles were grouped near the edge of the table and my aunt's armchair was placed beside them. Then sat on Uncle Peabody's lap by the fire or, as time went on, in my small chair beside him, while Aunt Deel adjusted her spectacles and began to read. I remember yividly the evening we took out the books and tPnderly felt their covers and read their titles. There were ''CruikShankS Connie Alma nae" and Floods Comic Annual; tales by Washington Irving and James K. Pauldlng and Nathaniel Hawthorne and Miss Milford and Miss Austin; the poems of John Milton and Felicia Hemans. Of the treasures In the box have now in my possession: A life of Washington, ''The Life and Writ ings of Doctor DuckwOrth," "The Stolen Child" by John Galt, Esq; 1 'Roslne Laval" by "Mr. Smith; Ser mons and Essays by William Ellery Charming. We found in the box also, thirty numbers of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review" and sundry copies of the "Hew York Mirror"
 Aunt Deel began with ''The Stolen ! Child" She read slowly and often paused for comment or explanation or laughter or to touch the corner of an eye with a corner of her handker- | chief In moments when We were all deeply moved by the miSfortunes of l ha frhinh acute and numerous.
 In those magazines we read Of the great West-"the poor mans para dIse"-tthe stoneless land of plen- ty"; of its delightful climate, of the ease with which the farmer prospered on its rich soil. Uncle Peabody spoke playfully of going West, after that, but Aunt Deel made no answer and concealed her opinion on that sub feet for long time. AS for myself, the reading had deepened my inter- est in the east and west and north and south and ia the skies above them. How mysterious and inviting they had become!
 Ou6 SNSuluS d ACA6AOOA AoN OANS6A~ the Republican from the post-othce' I opened 1t and read aloud these words in large type at the top of the page:
 "silas Wright Elected to the U. s. Senate"
 "Well want to knowT" Uncle Pea body exclaimed. "That would make me forglt it if was goin' to be hung. Go on and read what 1t says" 1 I read the choosing of our friend for the seat made vacant by the res ignation of William L. Marcy, who had been elected governor. and the ] part which most impressed us were these words from a letter Of MT. Wright to Azariah Flagg of Albany, written when the former was asked to accept the place:
 'T am too young and too poor for such an elevation. have not had the experience in that great theater Of politics to qualify me for a place so exalted and responsible. l prefer therefore the humber position which I now occupy"