Seats for the children--these
puzzled me much. I was haunted by a New England vision of
neat little desks and chairs, but, alas! the reality was rough
plank benches without backs, and at times without legs. They
had the one virtue of making naps dangerous,--possibly fa-
tal, for the floor was not to be trusted.
It was a hot morning late in July when the school opened. I
trembled when I heard the patter of little feet down the dusty
road, and saw the growing row of dark solemn faces and
bright eager eyes facing me. First came Josie and her brothers
and sisters. The longing to know, to be a student in the
great school at Nashville, hovered like a star above this
child-woman amid her work and worry, and she studied
doggedly. There were the Dowells from their farm over
toward Alexandria,--Fanny, with her smooth black face and
wondering eyes; Martha, brown and dull; the pretty girl-wife
of a brother, and the younger brood.
There were the Burkes,--two brown and yellow lads, and
a tiny haughty-eyed girl. Fat Reuben's little chubby girl
came, with golden face and old-gold hair, faithful and sol-
emn. 'Thenie was on hand early,--a jolly, ugly, good-hearted
girl, who slyly dipped snuff and looked after her little bow-
legged brother.
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