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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June, 1867, by J. W. Burke & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia.
Vol. I.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
SUSIE LANE’S BIRTHDAY VISIT.
DON’T believe tliere ever
was any little girl more
<sktgWtaf glad to see the light of a
spring morning, than was
<tl *' Susie Lane, as she awoke
c j|jnone bright April morning and
greeted the rising sun with a bcam
ing smile. It was one of the me-
P morable days in Susie’s life—an era
in her young exist
ence—as just such
occasions have been
to all the little read
ers of this paper.
It was Susie’s birth
day this bright
and beautiful morn
ing—and she was to
dress herself in her
very best clothes and
pay a visit to some
one who was very
dear to her.
Poor Susie! her
“very best” clothes
were none of the
nicest. They cer
tainly were new
once upon a time,
but it must have been a great while ago,
for they were not only sadly worn, but
were several degrees too small for her.
But there was not a cloud to be seen on
that bright April morning; the air was
as balmy as summer, and one of her neigh
bors had told her that the woods were
fall of flowers. And so they were, of yel
low jasmine, and w T dd violets, and honey
suckles. And do you suppose that Susies
thoughts dwelt for a moment then on her
faded dress? No, she thought only of
her journey, of her dear old grandfather
whom she was going to visit, of the fine
morning and the beautiful flowers. <
MACON, G-A., APHID, 11, 1868.
Yes, this little girl had thankfulness in
her heart of hearts for this fine morning.
She did not express it in words, but it
filled her with a serene and holy joy,
which continually broke forth in little
snatches of song.
That bright April morning wms Susie’s
twelfth birthday. It was also her grand
father’s birthday—his sixty-third. So
the little girl and the grey-headed grand
father could exchange birth-day greetings.
Susie Lane’s father and mother were
honest, hard-working people, who dwelt
in the suburbs of one of our large South
ern cities. A better couple never lived,
and their little daughter, trained in a
strict but loving school, was as gentle and
obedient as their hearts could have wish
ed for.
Susie’s grandfather was an industrious,
hard-working old man, whose home was
in the country, several miles from the
city where Susie lived. It was a good
long walk for the little girl, but her pa
rents were willing to trust her, for she
was a determined little body, and had
been used to long walks all her life. Be-
sides, she v T as more than likely to get a
ride on some wagon going towards the
end of her journey, and she was to sleep
at her grandfather’s, and come back on
the morrow, probably getting another
ride on her homeward trip.
So Susie took her basket, breakfast be
ing over, and prepared to set forth on her
journey. The basket contained a present
from herself for her grandfather, nicely
wrapped in a napkin, and which nearly
filled the small basket. Into her pocket
or the flowers bloom more beautifully, or
the birds sing more sweetly than on tnis
April morning. All nature seemed to be
keeping holiday in honor of Susie s festi
val. Her way lay now through beautiful
shady woods, and again by the side of
cultivated fields, now just beginning to
show signs of life. On her way she some
times stopped to hear the birds sing, and
once she almost imagined that a mocking
bird which sat on the bough of a tree
overhanging the road, was singing an ex
tra song in honor of her birthday.
Susie had a delightful time, and had
heaps of things to tell when she returned.
No. D1
she carefully put a
pretty silk purse of
her ow T n knitting,
(which was also for
her grandfather,)
containing some
money, a present to
grandfather from
her mother. This
she was very care
ful to put in the
very lowest part of
her pocket, so that
it should not get
lost; and then kiss
ing father and mo
ther, she set off on
her journey.
Never did the
sun shine brighter