CHAPTER XXVIII. MAGNOLIA GROVE.

hewoulddo.Well,now,youseehowitis.Hetakesthespelling-bookaway,andhetellshimhewillgivehimnine-and-thirtyifheeverfindshimwithitagain.What'stheconsequence?Why,theconsequenceis,themansulksandgetsugly,andhehastosellhim.That'sthewayit'soperating." "Well,then,"saidAnne,lookingsomewhatpuzzled,"Iwillstrictlyforbidourpeopletoallowspelling-bookstogooutoftheirhands,ortocommunicateanyofthesethingsoffoftheplantation." "Oh,Itellyou,MissAnne,youcan'tdoit.Youdon'tknowthepassioninhumannatureforanythingthatisforbidden.Now,Ibelieveit'smorethatthanloveofreading.Youcan'tshutupsuchanexperimentasyouaremakinghere.It'sjustlikeafire.ItwillblazeitwillcatchonalltheplantationsroundandIassureyouit'smatteroflifeanddeathwithus.Yousmile,MissAnne,butit'sso." "Really,mydearMr.Bradshaw,youcouldnothaveaddressedmeonamoreunpleasantsubject.Iamsorrytoexcitetheapprehensionofourneighborsbut"— "Givemeleavetoremindyou,also,MissAnne,thattheteachingofslavestoreadandwriteisanoffencetowhichaseverepenaltyisattachedbythelaws." "Ithought,"saidAnne,"thatsuchbarbarouslawswereadeadletterinaChristiancommunity,andthatthebesttributeIcouldpaytoitsChristianitywaspracticallytodisregardthem." "Bynomeans,MissAnne,bynomeans!Why,lookatushereinSouthCarolina.Thenegroesarethreetooneoverthewhitesnow.Willitdotogivethemthefurtheradvantagesofeducationandfacilitiesofcommunication?Yousee,atonce,itwillnot.Now,well-bredpeople,ofcourse,areextremelyaversetominglingintheaffairsofotherfamiliesandhadyoumerelytaughtafewfavorites,inaprivateway,asIbelievepeoplenowandthendo,itwouldn'thaveseemedsobadbuttohaveregularprovisionforteachingschool,andschool-hours,—Ithink,MissAnne,you'llfinditwillresultinunpleasantconsequences." "Yes,Ifancy,"saidAnne,raisingherselfup,andslightlycoloring,"thatIseemyselfinthepenitentiaryforthesinandcrimeofteachingchildrentoread!Ithink,Mr.Bradshaw,itistimesuchlawsweredisregarded.Isnotthattheonlywayinwhichmanylawsarerepealed?Societyoutgrowsthem,peopledisregardthem,andsotheyfallaway,likethecalyxfromsomeofmyflowers.Come,now,Mr.Bradshaw,comewithmetomyschool.I'mgoingtocallittogether,"saidAnne,rising,andbeginningtogodowntheverandasteps."Certainly,mydearfriend,yououghtnottojudgewithoutseeing.Waitamoment,tillIcallMissGordon." AndAnnesteppedacrosstheshadyparlor,andinafewmomentsreappearedwithNina,botharrayedinwhitecape-bonnets.Theycrossedtotherightofthehouse,toasmallclusterofneatcottages,eachoneofwhichhaditslittlevegetablegarden,anditsplotinfront,carefullytended,withflowers.Theypassedonwardintoagroveofmagnoliaswhichskirtedthebackofthehouse,tilltheycametoalittlebuilding,withtheexternalappearanceofasmallGreciantemplethepillarsofwhichwerefestoonedwithjessamine. "Praywhatprettylittleplaceisthis?"saidMr.Bradshaw. "Thisismyschool-room,"saidAnne. Mr.Bradshawrepressedawhistleofastonishmentbuttheemotionwasplainlylegibleinhisface,andAnnesaid,laughing,— "Alady'sschool-room,youknow,shouldbelady-like.Besides,Iwishtoinspireideasoftaste,refinement,andself-respect,inthesechildren.Iwishlearningtobeassociatedwiththeideaofeleganceandbeauty." Theyascendedthesteps,andenteredalargeroom,surroundedonthreesidesbyblackboards.Thefloorwascoveredwithwhitematting,andthewallshungwithveryprettypicturesofFrenchlithographs,tastefullycolored.Insomeplacescardswerehungup,bearingquotationsofScripture.Therewererowsofneatdesks,beforeeachofwhichtherewasalittlechair. Annesteppedtothedoorandrangabell,andinabouttenminutesthepatterofinnumerablelittlefeetwasheardascendingthesteps,andpresentlytheycamestreamingin—allages,fromfourorfivetofifteen,andfromtheebonycomplexionofthenegro,withitsclosely-curlingwool,totherichbrowncheekofthequadroon,withmelancholy,lustrouseyes,andwavinghair.Allweredressedalike,inaneatuniformofsomekindofbluestuff,withwhitecapesandaprons. Theyfiledintothetuneofoneofthosemarkedrhythmicalmelodieswhichcharacterizethenegromusic,and,movinginexacttimetothesinging,assumedtheirseats,whichwerearrangedwithregardtotheirageandsize.Assoonastheywereseated,Anne,afteramoment'spause,clappedherhands,andthewholeschoolcommencedamorninghymn,infourparts,whichwassungsobeautifullythatMr.Bradshaw,quiteoverpowered,stoodwithtearsinhiseyes.AnnenoddedatNina,andcastonhimasatisfiedglance. Afterthat,therewasarapidreviewoftheclasses.Therewasreading,spelling,writingontheblackboard,andthesmalleroneswereformedingroupsintwoadjoiningapartments,underthecareofsomeoftheoldergirls.AnnewalkedaboutsuperintendingthewholeandNina,whosawthesceneforthefirsttime,couldnotrepressherexclamationofdelight.Thescholarswereevidentlyanimatedbythepresenceofcompany,andanxioustodocredittotheschoolandteacher,andthetwohourspassedrapidlyaway.AnneexhibitedtoMr.Bradshawspecimensoftheproficiencyofherscholarsinhandwriting,andthedrawingofmaps,andeventhecopyingofsmalllithographcards,whichcontainedaseriesofsimpledrawing-patterns.Mr.Bradshawseemedfilledwithastonishment. "'Ponmyword,"saidhe,"thesearesurprising!MissAnne,youareaveritablemagician—aworkerofmiracles!YoumusthavefoundAaron'srod,again!Mydearmadam,youruntheriskofbeingburnedforawitch!" "Veryfew,Mr.Bradshaw,knowhowmuchofbeautyliessealedupinthisneglectedrace,"saidAnne,withenthusiasm. Astheywerewalkingbacktothehouse,Mr.Bradshawfellalittlebehind,andhisfaceworeathoughtfulandalmostsadexpression. "Well,"saidAnne,lookinground,"apennyforyourthoughts!" "Oh,Isee,MissAnne,youareforpursuingyouradvantage.Iseetriumphinyoureyes.Butyet,"headded,"afterallthisdisplay,thecapabilityofyourchildrenmakesmefeelsad.Towhaten