Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-03-06
Frem Our Young Folks.
Gussy's Coasting.
BY ANNA BoYNToN AvERTLL.

life that she will remember as long as
she lives, and that is the evening she
went sliding with Gid on Maple Hill.
Il She carried as happy a little heart
there as ever beat in baby bosom, and
brought it home with her too. Her
8 fingers ached desperately, to be sure,
and the tears came through her nose
rnaccountably, and there was bruise
! on her forehead but all this was OF no
account whatever.
Evening after evening she had heard
the joyous shouts, and watched the
darting sleds, with her face pressed
against the pane, and her whole soul
in sympathy with the noisy throng,
/ until she was struck dumb with Joy by
/ her fathers announcement that she
should go, for once, with Gid. Her
mother began to protest mildly with a
4 Now William - and Gussy was kept
h quivering in suspense for five minutes
4 while the subject was discussed. Her
4 father urged that the evening was fine,
and that Gideon was fully competent
u to take care of his little sister and her
mother consented finally, with many
Il cautions to Gideon, and with promise
II times, and no more.
y Gussy Is a most unwieldy little
4 dancer, but she usually expresses in
y tense Joy by kind of clumsy gymnas-
i tic feat which Gid calls dancing. She
q hops as high as she can raise her little
n fat body, comes down solidly on her
n heels, or loses her equilibrium reck-
Il lessly and rolls in glee. Upon hearing
n ner mothers decision, she betook her
Il self to her favorite exercise with such
zeal, and laughed and sang, and Rugged
Mand kissed them all by turns so raptu-
Nrously that it did their hearts good to
Nsee her.
1t was such a new and wonderful
#eXperience, however, to be out under
IN the cold, brilliant moon and the wink
n ing stars, walking with Gid among the
q shadows, the houses, steeples, trees,
Md fences all unfamiliar in the weird
S tight, that she grew quite still and
81 awe-struck.
~ While they climbed the hill, the
coasters came dashing past them, -
81 boys and girls, large and small, but
"A none so small as she. In vain she
"a looked for Kitty Plummer or Dewey
N Haines. Meg Cameron was there with
&her superb new sled, the "Queen of
1.-THE Hills /; " but Meg was ten, an only
slaughter, and far too proud to care for
little four-year-olds. While Gid settled
@Gussy comfortably ON the sled at the
top of the hill, Meg, adjusting her
#oyershoe, looked on scornfully.
1 Il should think your mother would
keep such babies at homen
8 Gid's eyes flashed, only nobody saw
~ hem. There was always war between
These two. She hated him because he
WAS the only boy in school who would
S#not reply TO her taunts and he de-
@fpised her because she was saucy, and
was girl If Il boy went beyond the
sounds Of forbearance, it was some
&flmes extremely gratifying to force Inn
1lp to the mark, and exact fair play
according to the school-boy standard.
"a girl could be equally exasperatiug,
fnd At the same time be exempt from
fhe deserved punishment, thus becom-
ing doubly obnoxious.
He only stood up silently now, and
waited until the Queen of the Hills :"
Vas on her way; then, as he glided
Otter, with his chin over Gussy's shout
he whispered, Never mind,
(hick, she's only girl - And Gussy
was altogether too young and too hap
Py to resent tins implication.
Meg's fling was only one of the lit
tle pucks which children as well as
grown men and women have to endure :;
and little triumph followed it too,
Tor old Pointer distauced the s'Queen
Of the Hills, and all the boys set up n
shout Mt the sight.
That slide counts one, and twas
a9ood one wasn'tit Gussy 2" shouted
Glq,, triumphantly tugging her up the
hi again.
" Yes, - piped Gussy back, for all the
coasters conversed at the top of their
IN Il never went so-fast. We've
vents fast rs the wailwoad ~
This time all the sleds came up at
once, and were to start together for a
- but Gid mindful of his mother S
csution, waited TIL u Iad all gone
.down, and then started alone with
Sdussy. With all her delight, she was
"a little timid as yet, and grasped the
hled tightly, cautioning him to go
stwait
L shall go straight, Gussy," he
Asured her. . See, I drag my foot
a, and steer just as true as a dart "
" may etoer some time, mayn't n
q G questioned, catching her breath as
81 ey began to go faster and his answer
lost "a the huzzas 1T the foot OF the
h
This makes Jwo," he said, turning
~ s.el and climbing back .We can
~ 81 three more. Can von keep tally,
Do
Is as " She answered. laal.ipo mn ~