CHAPTER XX. EXTRACTS FROM “OUR MAGAZINE”

EDITORIAL

As will be seen there is no Honour Roll in this number. Even Felicity has thought all the beautiful thoughts that can be thought and cannot think any more. Peter has never got drunk but, under existing circumstances, that is not greatly to his credit. As for our written resolutions they have silently disappeared from our chamber¹ walls and the place that once knew them knows them no more for ever. (PETER, PERPLEXEDLY: “Seems to me I’ve heard something like that before.”) It is very sad but we will all make some new resolutions next year and maybe it will be easier to keep those.

THE STORY OF THE LOCKET THAT WAS BAKED

This was a story my Aunt Jane told me about her granma when she was a little girl. Its funny to think of baking a locket, but it wasn’t to eat. She was my great granma but Ill call her granma for short. It happened when she was ten years old. Of course she wasent anybodys granma then. Her father and mother and her were living in a new settlement called Brinsley. Their nearest naybor was a mile away. One day her Aunt Hannah from Charlottetown came and wanted her ma to go visiting with her. At first granma’s ma thought she couldent go because it was baking day and granma’s pa was away. But granma wasent afraid to stay alone and she knew how to bake the bread so she made her ma go and her Aunt Hannah took off the handsome gold locket and chain she was waring round her neck and hung it on granmas and told her she could ware² it all day. Granma was awful pleased for she had never had any jewelry³. She did all the chores and then was needing the loaves when she looked up and saw a tramp coming in and he was an awful villenus looking tramp. He dident even pass the time of day but just set down on a chair. Poor granma was awful fritened and she turned her back on him and went on needing the loaf cold and trembling—that is, granma was trembling not the loaf. She was worried about the locket. She didn’t know how she could hide it for to get anywhere she would have to turn round and pass him.

All of a suddent she thought she would hide it in the bread. She put her hand up and pulled it hard and quick and broke the fastening and needed it right into the loaf. Then she put the loaf in the pan and set it in the oven.

The tramp hadent seen her do it and then he asked for something to eat. Granma got him up a meal and when hed et it he began prowling about the kitchen looking into everything and opening the cubbord doors. Then he went into granma’s mas room and turned the buro drawers and trunk inside out and threw the things in them all about. All he found was a purse with a dollar in it and he swore about it and took it and went away. When granma was sure he was really gone she broke down and cried. She forgot all about the bread and it burned as black as coal. When she smelled it burning granma run and pulled it out. She was awful scared the locket was spoiled but she sawed open the loaf and it was there safe and sound. When her Aunt Hannah came back she said granma deserved the locket because she had saved it so clever and she gave it to her and grandma always wore it and was very proud of it. And granma used to say that was the only loaf of bread she ever spoiled in her life.

PETER CRAIG.

(FELICITY: “Those stories are all very well but they are only true stories. It’s easy enough to write true stories. I thought Peter was appointed fiction editor, but he has never written any fiction since the paper started. That’s not MY idea of a fiction editor. He ought to make up stories out of his own head.” PETER, SPUNKILY: “I can do it, too, and I will next time. And it ain’t easier to write true stories. It’s harder, ‘cause you have to stick to facts.” FELICITY: “I don’t believe you could make up a story.” PETER: “I’ll show you!”)

MY MOST EXCITING ADVENTURE

It’s my turn to write it but I’m SO NERVOUS. My worst adventure happened TWO YEARS AGO. It was an awful one. I had a striped ribbon, striped brown and yellow and I LOST IT. I was very sorry for it was a handsome ribbon and all the girls in school were jealous of it. (FELICITY: “I wasn’t. I didn’t think it one bit pretty.” CECILY: “Hush⁴!”) I hunted everywhere but I couldn’t find it. Next day was Sunday and I was running into the house by the front door and I saw SOMETHING LYING ON THE STEP and I thought it was my ribbon and I made a grab at it as I passed. But, oh, it was A SNAKE! Oh, I can never describe how I felt when I felt that awful thing WRIGGLING⁵ IN MY HAND. I let it go and SCREAMED AND SCREAMED, and ma was cross at me for yelling on Sunday and made me read seven chapters in the Bible but I didn’t mind that much after what I had come through. I would rather DIE than have SUCH AN EXPERIENCE again.

SARA RAY.

TO FELICITY ON HER BERTHDAY

Oh maiden⁶ fair with golden hair

And brow of purest white,

Id fight for you I’d die for you

Let me be your faithful knite.

This is your berthday blessed day

You are thirteen years old today

May you be happy and fair as you are now

Until your hair is gray.

I gaze into your shining eyes,

They are so blue and bright.

Id fight for you Id die for you

Let me be your faithful knite.

A FRIEND.

(DAN: “Great snakes, who got that up? I’ll bet it was Peter.” FELICITY, WITH DIGNITY: “Well, it’s more than YOU could do. YOU couldn’t write poetry to save your life.” PETER, ASIDE TO BEVERLEY: “She seems quite pleased. I’m glad I wrote it, but it was awful hard work.”)

PERSONALS

Patrick Grayfur, Esq., caused his friends great anxiety recently by a prolonged absence from home. When found he was very thin but is now as fat and conceited⁷ as ever.

On Wednesday, June 20th, Miss Olivia King was united in the bonds of holy matrimony to Dr. Robert Seton of Halifax. Miss Sara Stanley was bridesmaid, and Mr. Andrew Seton attended the groom⁸. The young couple received many handsome presents. Rev⁹. Mr. Marwood tied the nuptial¹⁰ knot. After the ceremony a substantial repast was served in Mrs. Alex King’s well-known style and the happy couple left for their new home in Nova Scotia. Their many friends join in wishing them a very happy and prosperous journey through life.

A precious one from us is gone,

A voice we loved is stilled.

A place is vacant in our home

That never can be filled.

(THE STORY GIRL: “Goodness, that sounds as if somebody had died. I’ve seen that verse on a tombstone. WHO wrote that notice?” FELICITY, WHO WROTE IT: “I think it is just as appropriate to a wedding as to a funeral!”)

Our school concert came off on the evening of June 29th and was a great success. We made ten dollars for the library.

We regret to chronicle that Miss Sara Ray met with a misfortune while taking some violent exercise with a wasps¹¹’ nest recently. The moral is that it is better not to monkey with a wasps’ nest, new or old.

Mrs. C. B. Hawkins of Baywater is keeping house for Uncle Roger. She is a very large woman. Uncle Roger says he has to spend too much time walking round her, but otherwise she is an excellent housekeeper¹².

It is reported that the school is haunted. A mysterious light was seen there at two o’clock one night recently.

(THE STORY GIRL AND I EXCHANGE KNOWING SMILES BEHIND THE OTHERS’ BACKS.)

Dan and Felicity had a fight last Tuesday—not with fists but with tongues. Dan came off best—as usual. (FELICITY LAUGHS SARCASTICALLY¹³.)

Mr. Newton Craig of Markdale returned home recently after a somewhat prolonged visit in foreign parts. We are glad to welcome Mr. Craig back to our midst.

Billy Robinson was hurt last week. A cow kicked him. I suppose it is wicked of us to feel glad but we all do feel glad because of the way he cheated us with the magic seed last summer.

On April 1st Uncle Roger sent Mr. Peter Craig to the manse to borrow the biography of Adam’s grandfather. Mr. Marwood told Peter he didn’t think Adam had any grandfather and advised him to go home and look at the almanac. (PETER, SOURLY: “Your Uncle Roger thought he was pretty smart.” FELICITY, SEVERELY¹⁴: “Uncle Roger IS smart. It was so easy to fool you.”)

A pair of blue birds have built a nest in a hole in the sides of the well, just under the ferns. We can see the eggs when we look down. They are so cunning.

Felix sat down on a tack¹⁵ one day in May. Felix thinks house-cleaning is great foolishness.

ADS.

LOST—STOLEN—OR STRAYED—A HEART. Finder will be rewarded by returning same to Cyrus E. Brisk, Desk 7, Carlisle School.

LOST OR STOLEN. A piece of brown hair about three inches long and one inch thick. Finder will kindly¹⁶ return to Miss Cecily King, Desk 15, Carlisle School.

(CECILY: “Cyrus keeps my hair in his Bible for a bookmark, so Flossie tells me. He says he means to keep it always for a remembrance though he has given up hope.” DAN: “I’ll steal it out of his Bible in Sunday School.” CECILY, BLUSHING: “Oh, let him keep it if it is any comfort to him. Besides, it isn’t right to steal.” DAN: “He stole it.” CECILY: “But Mr. Marwood says two wrongs never make a right.”)

HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENT

Aunt Olivia’s wedding cake was said to be the best one of its kind ever tasted in Carlisle. Me and mother made it.

ANXIOUS INQUIRER:—It is not advisable to curl your hair with mucilage if you can get anything else. Quince juice is better. (CECILY, BITTERLY: “I suppose I’ll never hear the last of that mucilage.” DAN: “Ask her who used tooth-powder to raise biscuits?”)

We had rhubarb pies for the first time this spring last week. They were fine but hard on the cream.

FELICITY KING.

ETIQUETTE¹⁷ DEPARTMENT

PATIENT SUFFERER:—What will I do when a young man steals a lock of my hair? Ans.:—Grow some more.

No, F-l-x, a little caterpillar¹⁸ is not called a kittenpillar. (FELIX, ENRAGED¹⁹: “I never asked that! Dan just makes that etiquette column up from beginning to end!” FELICITY: “I don’t see what that kind of a question has to do with etiquette anyhow.”)

Yes, P-t-r, it is quite proper to treat a lady friend to ice cream twice if you can afford it.

No, F-l-c-t-y, it is not ladylike to chew tobacco. Better stick to spruce gum.

DAN KING.

FASHION NOTES

Frilled muslin aprons²⁰ will be much worn this summer. It is no longer fashionable to trim them with knitted lace. One pocket is considered smart.

Clam-shells are fashionable keepsakes. You write your name and the date inside one and your friend writes hers in the other and you exchange.

CECILY KING.

FUNNY PARAGRAPHS

MR. PERKINS:—“Peter, name the large islands of the world.”

PETER:—“The Island, the British Isles²¹ and Australia.” (PETER, DEFIANTLY²²: “Well, Mr. Perkins said he guessed I was right, so you needn’t laugh.”)

This is a true joke and really happened. It’s about Mr. Samuel Clask again. He was once leading a prayer meeting and he looked through the window and saw the constable²³ driving up and guessed he was after him because he was always in debt. So in a great hurry he called on Brother Casey to lead in prayer and while Brother Casey was praying with his eyes shut and everybody else had their heads bowed Mr. Clask got out of the window and got away before the constable got in because he didn’t like to come in till the prayer was finished.

Uncle Roger says it was a smart trick on Mr. Clask’s part, but I don’t think there was much religion about it.

FELIX KING.