Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-08
HOW MILLY SAW THE OLD YEAR
OUT.
BY SUSAN COOLIDGE.

lights it. Where once was grass and flow
ers, winding Wheel-track, and meadow
fence, lies now one smooth, glittering
surface of unbroken snow. The first great
storm of the season has fallen, and when
such comes early in winter to Kennebec
Hollow it is once for all Not till April
rains and May suns conspire to under
mine the drifts will the white mantle be
rent apart and the imprisoned things be-
low find light and egress.
Faint sounds of shoveling come from
afar as the sunset deepens. All the long
afternoon the farmers have been busy
chiseling out the paths which are to serve
for so many months to cOme-lOng,
straight avenues from door to gate; mar
row tracks from house to barn. AS for
the roadway, the runners will take care
of that, and even as we listen a faint lin
gle comes from an invisible somewhere,
and further yet another springs up re-
sponsive. In fact, the young people Of
the neighbOrhO0d are collecting for their
first sleighing frOIic-one of the old-fash-
toned kind-begiDning with little love
making under a buffalo-robe, to crisp
sound Of bells, and ending with a dance
and supper. What CHEEKY tinkle it is !;
although To little Milly Ives, sitting dis
consulate in her fathers kitchen, it seems
just the most teasing, aggravating, veXa-
ti0us noise she ever heard. You see the
ear mus be in tune TO enjoy it!
Poor Milly. 1t is not pleasant at any
age to sit by and hear the signal for far
off gayeties which you long to share and
cannot; at seventeen it is intolerable. And
when once in your life have you been al
lowed to taste Of the cup of pleasure; and
when every looking-gass and running
brook that comes your way shows face
well, to say the least, not bad looking,
the case becomes worse and worse. 1t
borders ON the tragic! And such was
Milly's position.
She sits near the fire, between her father
and her stepmOther She always sits
there in the evening. Everything in that
house has its place, including the human
occupants. The Ratchet would be as
likely to desert its post and "strike'' for
different nail to hang upon as Milly
TO venture upon another chair than the
accustomed one. How she hates it
all in her soul-the spare, prosaic
neatness, the ugly chintzy pattern of
the cushions, the blue yarn in her lap
which she is pretending to fashion into a
stocking; the monOtonous ticking of the
clock 1t is q comfortable home" as
people say. There is no stint Of food or
firing, but for anything to nourish the
heart or refresh the imagination it is va
cant as Sahara. And Milly is only seven
teen, and her nature is grasping and
thirsting after something better, as plant
grapples with delicate rootlets in a hard
and barren soil.
She is what farming folk call "slip of
girl'-slight and fair, with face whose
Wistful blue eyes are strangely pathetic
when contrasted with its extreme youth
fulness. The look was born in them, gen
tie reader. Some girls have it-perhaps
a token from some long-ago ancestrcss,
whose history included broken heart. It
by no means denotes any special personal
suffering in its possessOr; but women
with those eyes generally have things
pretty much their own way as long as
they continue young and pretty. One day
Milly would find hers useful; but, you
see-step-mothers are not young men,
and the time is not yet.
The step-mother in question, fitting to
and fro in her rocking chair, marked the
unshed tears behind the lashes, and the
mutinous mouth, and made her mental
comments thereon. They were somewhat
whitening in their nature, but all she said
was:
with that stOCkin'."
For be Unknown our heroines baptismal
name was Mildred-Mildred Annabella!
Tt is one of the economical indulgences
of our New England people to give fine
appelIations to their children. Just as
cheap for the money; so why not? HUI
man patience however, and the duration
of mortal time do not permit the every
day use of these gorgeous titles; SO they
are reserved for high days and holidays,
and some easy nickname invented to
take their place. There are occasions,
however, when the indulgence of a fami-
liar address is too much to be expect
ed; and this Mrs. Ives considered one
Of them.
Il know it, ma'am. But can't knit to-
night" was Milly's reply, with the &C
compartment OF a half-sob.
whats the matter with the girl ?"
asked her father, looking up from his
newspaper.
The matter is" responded his wife,
"that she's behaving in what | call an I'M
reasonable manner. | told her | wasn't
agoin' to have her paradin' off with a lot of
cackling girls and light young fellows on
a sleigh-ride. And she's been in the sull1s
ever since. know you'll take the same
VOC | did, Mr.. Ives. We want her to
GROW up Shamefaced and modest, and not
with braided hair and costly apparel, and
iddling and dancing, which is not conve-
nient"
As Milly's hair curled naturally, it
would have been less than "copvenient''
to braid it. This, however, was not inten-
tionally part of her step-mother's syllo-
gism. She went on:
AS for sleigh-ridin' and the assembling
of young folks together, | find no warrant
for it Ia Scriptur'. Let the younger wo-
men be keepers at home Paul says. And
SO long as / have any influence in this
house 50 it shall be- There's great deal
too much of this junketing and gaddin'
goin' on in the neighb0rhood now.
said to Miss Pratt, the other day: I'm
sure. I can't see where you expect Sarah
Matilda to 90 TO. with her hair friZzed, and
dancin' and flirtin' and the like; but 4
call such doings the way to the Fit.
She saws: oh! Mrs. Ives. liz seems e
me young people really need some Htllt
amusement But | told her that sucl
sportin' on the brink Of everlaStln' woe
considered both sinful and shameful. Sht
hadn't word TO say in reply, and NJ
wonder. And now, Mr.. Ives, since W.
are ON THIS subject, we may as well nave
II settled once for ALL I'm only Milly''
sIep-mother. My word is nothin', o
course, and everything do is hardship
Dut you're her own father, and | wisi
youa speak out. Do you wish to hav,