Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-05-19
Selected Misfellanp.
MY PRIVATE SCHOOL.

Look at that" cried my grandmother,
striking An attitude worthy OF Lady Mac
beth when she addressed the fatal spot on
her head this time, however, it was only
the SCISSORS which, in falling, stood up
right in the floor.
.I see. It's nothing uncommon, is it?"
"Did you ever know it to Happen that a
stranger didn't come before the day was
out2"
~ never noticed; somebody was always
coming for the matter OF that
II tell you that sign don't never fall
(my grandmother always used double ne
gatives when she meant to be emphatlc0
''most Others will, but that's trae as book.
And another thing, there was a stranger in
my tea tonight, q long one-that shows
tits n man that's comm. Some folks set
great deal by that sign; but it amt to be
mentioned in the same day with the scls-
sors standing up in the floor"
~ hope he will come soon, for the storm
will be here before him." and with the
words the wind went wailing round the
house, and the first big drops beat against
the window-pane.
Three score years and ten had not taken
the first bloom from the romance of my
prsndmothers character; it was fresh and
green as in her girlhood. beggars heard
of her afar off, and ran to fall on the neck
of her charity.
She followed the advice of Lamb with
ort ever having read it. When poor crea-
tnre came before her she staid not to in
ouire whether the "sd&en small children"
in whose name he implored her assistance,
had a veritable existence, but cast her bread
upon the waters and lived in faith.
In fact, she had cast 30 much bread upon
tho waters IN the course of her long life,
and so small IA proportion had come back
to her, that she had nothing lest for her.
self except the old farm and the gambrel-
rooted house.
Within it's walls my father had first seen
the light, and lived till he went out to fight
the world He fell early in the strife, and
nv mother soon followed him; but not I'M
til she had marked out my way in life, and
40 fixed me in the groove of her ideas that
had no choice left. l went to village
academy till was old enough to enter the
Normal School,, for my destiny was to
be teacher. My little income had to be
eked out In some way; and of all work to
which woman may turn her hand, a
school, perhaps, divides the burden most
equally between body and mind.
When | graduated my grandmother
left the old gambrel-roof to see me do it,
and carried me home with her "breathin'-
spell" Gas she saidD before getting n place
to teach.
As to my future, was neither happy nor
unhappy, but rather between. At twenty,
life runs on with very little friction there
is excitement enough in mere youth to
make living pleasure.
The evening drew on with ever-increas.
ing gusts of wind, and the old house shook
to its foundations, but it chung CALAMITY to
the great central chimney, which, being
nearly as broad as it was high, could al.
ford to be indifferent when wind and wea-
ther came to blows and made night of it.
II hope you don't mean to sit up for that
somebody who is coming. All signs fall in
wet weather"
The words were scarcely spoken when
we heard the tread of horse running nj
speed down the steep hill above the house
then crash of the fence, and all was still.
We held our breath and listened. Soon
mans step sounded low and heavy on
the walk, and ny grandmother rushed to
open the door.
Don't be scarf, said the familiar voice
of one of our neighbors and he stumbled
in, carrying man, pale, and lfelesS, in
his arms
'Lay him right on the lounge got ihe
camphor bottle here's somebody sure
enough don't tell me again that sign ever
falls. Who is it, Job2"
al dunno his name; city fellow, reck.
on; said he'd pay me most any price tc
got him to Meriden tonight The mare
did well enough till we got to that ere hill
then flash scared her, and she never stop.
ped till she brought up agin your fence -
fhe hadn't been fool and jumped ont he
might a been As spry as am; but some
folks don't know nothin'.'
"Thats so that the rest can get Twin
ont of EN-, y said my grandmother, Mean
time she was vigorously chatting his hand
and feet, while dashed the camphor in hi
face, and bathed the broad white forehead
which certainly promised we'll for the brail
behind it,
"de must be dead said L she don
come to at0ll."
easy. He'll giyeyou trouble enough befor,
you're done with him Now I'll 60 afte
the doctor; faint noways likely he'll know
any more what's the matter than we do
but he'll pretend to, and if the man dies it,
his fault, and not ogrn."
The doctor found no bones broken, bH
the head was injured and he must be pu
TO bed and kept rs quiet as possible No,
was my grandmother in her element.
"You couldn't work any harder, said |
'ii he were your own son,
He is somebody's own son, we musn
never forget that YOU know
Our patient fell from his his first faint
ting tit into fever; and from morning ii
nigh and night TIL morning again, he tos
sed aud turned with enc continuous cry {
drive faster, for he must be in Meriden tina
night My grandmother was nurse.in-chis
bat she often made me her deputy whe
the labor began .o wear upon her,