STORIES AND SKETCHES BY SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 57

STORIES AND SKETCHES BY SCHOOL CHILDREN.

IV.— A CONVERSATION.

By A. Donald, Normal School (aged 15 years).

Fcene : A girl's club room. Enter a girl announcing that for fche following day she must write a " conversation " — a very difficult task, she thinks, and, to judge from tbe expression of tbe other?, they think so, too. Ab ltst one of the girls suggests that two of the number should •'make up" a conversation for tbe occasion. This plan was unanimously agrfted to as be>ing the besr, and fche following convert afcton between two, whom we shall call "A" and "B/' took place :

MY FIRST EIDE.

A : " Suppose we dis cues a little the much-talked-of bicycle riding ? "

B : " Ob, thafc just reminds me I intended to tell you aboub my firsfc ' biking ' lesson, which tuck place last night."

A: •• Indeed ! Let's hear about ib ! Where ? When? How? With whom? &c. You know bow I like details. Can you ride ? "

B: "Please give me time. I can't; answer such a hosfc of questions afc once. If I begin afc the beginning and tell you ever} fcbiog, fchafc will be the b=.Bb way of satisfying your curiosity, wont ib ? "

A: "Yes, I suppose so. Bub, hurry up and begin — commence, sfcarfc, or whatever you like fco call ifc."

B: "Well, last evening afber I lefb you I was on my way home, thinking of nothing in particular, when a lady'd bicycle went whizzing by, and on ib a gentleman whom I have kaown ever since I was a child."

A : " That's a long time ; you are so ancient. Oeer seven, are you nob ? "

B : " Don't be earca&fcic. Afc the foot of the hill the gentleman stopped, aud, coming up to me, atked me if I would like a ride. Of course I had to confess I couldn't ride ; whereupon he proposed that he should teach me."

A : " How very kind ! "

B: " You needa'b laugh. Ib was no easy task, I can assure you. When ab last I succeeded in seating myself properly we eefe off. Oh, dear, what fun ifc was ! I waddled from side to tide through tbe mud, every now and again falling, or rather precipitatiug my&elf, over the side."

A : "I should like to have had a snapshot of you."

B : "So I thought at the time. I was thankful that fche nighfe, though closr, waa rather dark and fche road lonely. However, after aboafc half an hour's hard struggling I succeeded id riding alone. My companion thought 1 must be tired, aud "

A : " I'm sure he was."

B : "Ye 3, he must have been ; but •my blood was up,' and I wouldn't give in to tiredness or anything else.

" I had some splendid runs along the sofb, smooth road, till at la3fc my. friend hinted fchafc my mother might be anxious, as ifc was growing late. This o£ coarse recalled my fljing sensep, and we set off for home, he ruuuirfjj aud J pedalling as fast as I could.

"As we walked up the hill to my home the moon uuveiled its splendour and shed its sofb celestial light over the hitherto darkened landscape; over hills and plain, sky and. water the silvery moonbeams stole, and the scene is indelibly imprinted on my mind. I shall never forget it. It reminded me of Marie Corelli's description of 'The Land of the Midnight Sun.'

" Thus ended my first bike ride, and although to-day I am acbe3 and pains from head to foot, I am ready for another of the same kind."