Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 32: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

80 FLORIDA ; OR, THE {RON WILL. the foot of a great oak tree whose roots, sinuously bending ee Thi on branches. It was uncle Barby. a one of the Lord’s finest mornings, sit,” said the old man, who had unbounded reverence for the “clargy” and all “scolards,” and lifted himself up with difficulty that he might not seem wanting in respect. ; “Don’t rise, Uncle Barby, don’t rise,” said Parker, solicit ously, “Lord bless you; my limbs is never got.oyer the rheumatis I took in Jarsey,” said the old man, breathing heavily—“ for which,” he added a moment after, as if he had forgotten some- ‘thing, “the Lord make us all abundantly thankful.” Parker smiled. “You're goin’ to the school’us, I take it,” queried the old man. “Yes, uncle—to teach the young idea how to shoot,” was “Don’t, don’t,” cried Uncle Barby ; “ human critters never was made to shoot, anyway. If you'd had a brother shot down by your side, and seen your own fiesk and blood and brains, as it was, spattered onto you, you'd never want to hear or speak of shootin’ agen, I rackon—however, praise the Lord!” “That was only a figure of speech, Uncle Barby,” said Parker, “comparing the young mind to a young tree, you know, shooting up in the air.” “O! ha—well, yes, but I thought trees growed; howsomever, you're ahead o’ me in larnin’ if you're behind me in years, bless the good Lord !” In the back-ground stood several young girls, among them Her face took on a look of spiteful, jealous interest, as the young schoolmaster advanced, Virginia now loitering a little in the rear, conscious that the eyes of many were upon them. Tye vengeful-looking girl, Madge Spicer, seemed ready to burst with rage, as she turned to enter the low-roofed school- house, It was so easy to interpret the teacher's glance of worship, bent upon Virginia—it was so hard for him to forbear aiding her tenderly up the flight of rude steps. “ Any body could tell,” whispered the mischievous girls with winks and shrugs. “ Madge is a capital barometer.” comic ooks.com