Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter | Page 2

them now as you do. We shall be
late if we don't hurry."
Miss Patten's house stood in a big garden which ran nearly to the
water's edge. The schoolroom opened on each side to broad piazzas,
and there was always the pleasant fragrance of flowers in the big airy
room. Sylvia was sure that no one could be more beautiful than Miss
Patten. "She looks just like one of the ladies in your 'Godey's
Magazine,' "she had told her mother, on returning home from her first
day at school.
And with her pretty soft black curls, her rosy cheeks and pleasant voice,
no one could imagine a more desirable teacher than Miss Rosalie
Pattten. There were just twelve little girls in her school. There were
never ten, or fourteen. Miss Patten would never engage to take more
than twelve pupils; and the twelve always came. Mrs. Waite, Grace's
mother, had told Mrs. Fulton that Sylvia was very fortunate to attend
the school.
School had opened the previous week, and Sylvia had begun to feel
quite at home with her new schoolmates. The winter before, Mrs.
Fulton had taught her little daughter at home; so this was her first term
at Miss Patten's.
Miss Patten always stood near the schoolroom door until all her pupils
had arrived. As each girl entered the room she made a curtsey to the
pretty teacher, and then said "good-morning" to the pupils who had

already arrived, and took her seat. When the clock struck nine Miss
Rosalie would take her place behind the desk on the platform at the
further end of the room, and say a little prayer. Then the pupils were
ready for their lessons.
"Isn't Miss Rosalie lovely," Sylvia whispered as she and Grace moved
to their seats, "and doesn't she wear pretty clothes?"
Grace nodded. She had been to Miss Rosalie's school for three years,
and she wondered a little at Sylvia's admiration for their teacher,
although she too thought Miss Patten looked exactly like a fashion
plate.
Grace was eager to get to her desk. From where she sat she could see
the grim lines of the distant forts; and this morning they had a new
value and interest for her; for at breakfast she had heard her father say
that, although the forts were occupied by the soldiers of the United
States Government, it was only justice that South Carolina should
control them, and if the State seceded from the Union Charleston must
take possession of the forts. With the consent of the United States
Government if possible, but, if this was refused, by force.
Grace had been thinking about this all the morning, wondering if
Charleston men would really send off the soldiers in the forts. She had
not spoken of this to Sylvia as they came along the street facing the
harbor, and now as she looked at the distant forts on guard at the
entrance of the harbor, she resolved to ask Miss Rosalie why the United
States should interfere with the "Sovereign State of South Carolina,"
which her father had said would defend its rights. "Question time" was
just before the morning session ended. Then each pupil could ask a
question. But as a rule only one or two of the girls had any inquiry to
make. To-day, however, there were several who had questions to ask
and Grace waited with what patience she could until it was her turn.
When Miss Rosalie smiled at her and called her name, Grace rose and
said:
"Please, Miss Rosalie, if Charleston owns the forts, could anyone take
them away?"

The teacher's dark eyes seemed to grow larger and brighter, and she
straightened her slender shoulders as if preparing to defend the rights of
her State.
"My dear girl, who would question the right of South Carolina to
control all forts on her territory? We all realize that this is a time of
uncertainty for our beloved State; we may be treated with harshness,
with injustice, but every loyal Carolinian will protect his State."
The little girls looked at each other with startled eyes. What was Miss
Rosalie talking about, they wondered, and what did Grace Waite mean
about anybody "taking" Fort Sumter or Fort Moultrie? Of course
nobody could do such a thing.
School was dismissed with less ceremony than usual that morning, and
the little girls started off in groups, talking and questioning each other
about what Miss Rosalie had said.
Two or three ran after Grace and Sylvia to ask Grace what she meant
by her question.
"Of course we know that northern people want to take our slaves away
from us," declared Elinor Mayhew, the oldest girl in school, whose
dark eyes and curling hair were greatly admired by auburn-haired,
blue-eyed Sylvia, "but of course