Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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12 The Augusta Seminary Annual. She was followed by a small man about iifty years old. The lady smiled at Polly and said, Your father told me to come at five o ' clock, and here I am. I am Miss Barton. ' Polly ' s eyes grew large and round. She blurted out, Are you the Red Cross Miss Barton who goes to wars and floods and earthquakes Miss Barton, smiling, answered, I suppose I am the one you mean. Polly ' s father came in just then, and they began talking of a bill before the committee for the relief of some sufferers from a famine, and the cliild was sent n;t of the room, but this accjuaint- ance ripened into friendship. Polly ' s sister loved to go to Miss Barton ' s, and so did Polly ; the sister because it was so quiet and tranquil in the little old- fashioned house after the whirl of society — Polly because Miss Barton would get out her beautiful jewels, ])adges, ribljons and pins that had been given her because of her Red Cross woi ' k. One thing that seemed especially lovely to Polly was an enormous pansy, its petals cut out of amethyst, and each petal surrounded by brilliants. It was given to Miss Barton by the Empress Au- gusta of Germany. Sometimes, to please the cliild, Miss Barton would put on all her jewels and decorations, and there were so many that her dress was completely hidden. Miss Barton kept the most irregular hours. Often she sat up all night and slept the next day. She never realized that other people did not. do the same thing, and saw no reason why, if she liad the time to talk to you, you should not listen until long after midnight. When you saw Miss Barton coming you might be sure her secre- tary. Dr. Plubbell, was not fai- away. lie was lier right hand man, and liad been her secretary for years. He would tell Polly wonderful stories of their experiences when he could make him- self stop listening to Miss Barton, but he seemed to enjoy every- thing she told, and would sit and look at her as if she were the queen of the world. Polly had been so much vith older |)eople that she was far more mature than most children of he} ' aij;e. Sittino- on her father ' s knee vhile he read Jiis paper, slie spelled out the large letters, then the small ones, until she knew how to read before her family realized that she knew her letters. She was a great hero-worshipper. The justices of the Supreme Court, in their long black gowns, Senators, members of the Cabinet, even the

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77 ' Auyusta Seminary Annual. 11 so la- vater fountain. ( )ih ' iiioniiiiij vv father, who was ijoing acntss to lvi t:;s ' Hank, told I ' olly t(» wait fur him in that store. IK ' (lid not know she spent a part of evei ' v (Uiv there. When he returned he saw her coat l in on tlie floor and l lh ' , with cap on the back of her head and her sleeves rolled up, washing the cups while the little hoy handed out hot ch(jc(tlate to the cu.stom- ex ' . Polly cried out, Oh, i)apa, I ' ll wa«h you a cup till it shines, and Phil will give you a nice hot cup of chocolate. Her father picked uj) the coat, also Polly, and hurried out of the store, but not even the presence of the imposing Secretary of State, Mr. Payard, could silence her. She said, But, papa, I have not had my soda, and Phil will be mad ; why are you in such a hurr} ' ? As they walked down the Avenue towards the Capitol a tall, broad-shouldered man, with blue twinkling eyes, short curly hair just turning gray, and a ruddy complexion, came up, and shaking hands, said, AVell, little sweetheart, how are you ? Do you feel like a blue-grass colt this clear, crisp morning i It was Senator Beck, who made all children and animals love him by his kindness to them. The Riggs House was the headquarters for the advocates of Woman ' s Rights, as Mrs. Spofford, the wife of the projirietor, was a leader in the movement. Miss Susan B. Anthony spent a part of every winter there, and she and little Polly were very good friends. She is a very kind, gentle woman with a pleasant face, iron gray hair, and a spare figure. She wore a handsome black silk dress and dainty little lace cap every night to dinner. Her voice, usually very low, could fill a hall, if necessary. A Woman ' s Rights Convention was held in Washington just when la grippe was at its height. Miss Anthony was the presiding officer. A meek little woman got up to speak, but could not be heard, there was so much coughing. Miss Anthony arose and said sternly, Every one will please stop coughing, or leave the building. In five minutes you could have heard a pin drop. Polly ' s father was (tn the Appropriation Committee. One day when she was curled up fast asleep in a big arm chair, she was awakened by a knock at the door, and when she said come in, there entered a sweet, old-fashioned looking woman, a little bent with age, with big, dark eyes, a smiling mouth, and hair brought smoothlv over her ears and fastened in a knot Ioav on her neck.

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The Augusta Seminary Annual. !• President liiiiiseir, did nut .stril i! iiwe to liur heart; but an act(jr, any one who Iiad wi-itton a ho jk, coniposed a melody or painted a ])icture, seemed a divinity to lier. One day she ran into h father ' s stndy and found him talkinii; to a gentleman she liad never seen hefore. Hit father said, Mr. Clemens, this is my little liirl. l ' »lly was awed at last, for she knew this was the man who had told ahont the little Prince of Eni land and the i aiiper Poy, and ahont tlioM ' had hoys, Tom Sawyer and Huckle- berry Finn. But how solemn he looked, as if he had never lauojhed in his life. Polly secretly thought her father nnist have made a mistake. Lawrence Barrett came to Washington about this time, and as Polly could not and would not be left in the hotel by herself, she was taken every night to the theatre. One day her sister received a note from a friend, asking hei- to a small reception, at which Lawrence Barrett was to read. The child was wild, and teased to be allowed to go, until at last her sister wrote to her friend, asking if she mitrht bring Pollv. When the child learned the friends would be ' iy ' glad to have her come, she could not rest, and on the morning of the reading she was up by six o ' clock, worrying the whole family by her repeated question, Isn ' t it time to go ? Being the smallest person at the reception, and not having learned the .art of concealing her thoughts, Mr. Barrett noticed her admi- ration, and amused by it, came and spoke a few words to Polly. That night when he played Bichlieu she could hardly believe it was the same kind, trancpiil man she had seen in the morning. At Christmas, w hen Polly was given a beautiful boy doll, dressed in a velvet suit and having hair almost as thick and shin- ing as her own curls, she at once named him Lawrence Barrett. In a few weeks Wilson Barrett came to Washington and, one Wednesday afternoon, Polly found herself in the great parlor of the Biggs House, standing by the kind-hearted wife of the Speaker of the House. But it was not Mrs. Carlisle who caused Polly to stand with open mouth, her gray eyes black with excite- ment and lier dimj led cheeks redder than her scarlet sash. No, it was a dark, distinguished looking man of medium height who had just entered. This was Wilson Barrett. Polly was so close to him she could stretch out her little hand and touch him. She noticed every detail, though she seemed to be in a dream. He