Smyrna times., 1879-10-29
Only Fifteen.

mark Of Mr.. Earle to his daughter Sadie,
or Sarah, as she now wished to be called,
because, sat least she wasn't baby"
No, sis, you're neither a little girl nor
a woman; but just between hay and grass,
as one may say"
Sarah gave an extra push 20 her already
welltied back muslin oyerskirt, and started
for school with smoldering spark in her
eye.
"lts true what father says" she sollo.
quized as she walked along. I" Pm too old
to wear my dresses short, and too young to
wear them long; too old to let my hair go
loose and comfortable, and too young for
irizzes, puffs and coils. And as the cows in
the Spring, when hay is gone and the grass
not we'll grown, have to put up with odds
and ends, so have to take all Hats and
Jens cast-OH dresses and hats or, if there
is anything awfully unbecoming to them |
get that, whether like it or not. Then in
the work. what have is just what every
body hates to do, like washing dishes and
cleaning lamps-just what nobody gets
credit for either, only blame for not doing
we'll"
By this time this ambitious girl Of ours
had reached the school house; but the
teacher had an engagement, so the card at
tached to the door handle told the scholars.
Sarah started at once to retrace her steps
| for it was a two mile walk, with only here
and there few old apple trees to shield
i her from the suns glare.
AS she walked, her thoughts reverted to
the mornings conversation, partly per,
haps, because the scent Of new mown hay
greeted her. Like any girl of her age it
struck her as a queer, backward sort OF
comparison to speak of childhood as the
time Of hay.
go. yes" she exclaimed aloud as a
| thought struck her, / see how it is T. and
she at once resolved to write the coming
weeks composition on that very subject.
IN say, she solioquized, "that child is
cared for by the general love of father and
mother. That's the hay, you see. But, al
| last youth goes out into the world and
gathers love for himself. And shall give
it a moral turn for, somehow, | think
young people ought not to be selfish, ever
if | am so-but ought to gather love by
loving"
What's the use of talking though?
really wanted to be useful | couldn't
Who'd ask me to sit up and watch will
sick people, for instance? | couldn't ever
keep awake all night. / wish | could b,
sure Id be the right sort Of woman, anC
then, seems to me, it might be beautiful t,
be wrinkled or gray; for by that time on
is sure Of ones self"
Then she suddenly stepped down from
her amount of moral enthusiasm-a feat
alas so easily accomplished, so hard to ac
count for, often.
Before ! get to be good and gray, l.,
like some nice times and some nice things
This muslin overskirt and waist are prett
enough and for once, new, but-why-
what J."
She sprang quickly out of the road i
sudden terror, for she thought loose hors
was plunging furiously down the roa
behind her. She had not scrambled ha
way up the steep bank before he came i
sight, but to her relief, he was not riderles
Squire Waits boy refined him in wit
much difficulty, just within view, an
turning in his saddle, shouted at the top
his voice, evidently to some one in
neighboring field:
elf Doctor Ainslie amt TO home, what
do?"
Sarah could not hear the reply; but IL
boy appeared satisfied, for he quickly Sc
tied himself in the saddle, applied IL
whip to the horse, and was out of sight
an instant.
Sarah hurried up the bank and locke
over the stone on its top. At no gre
distance she saw a man lying on Il
ground, and three others standing by hir
In a moment she saw who it was, and,
she ran towards the group, she guessed Il
truth, which was, that Squire Wait himst
had received, at the hands Of one of h
laundering workmen, severe cut in Il
leg from q scythe while moving.
The bright arterial blood was pouril
from the wound death.like palior hi
overspread the sufferers face, and his ey
were already halfclosed.
y Sarah whisked the muslin overskirt oy
her head like fash.
"Help me tear broad bandage out
thisl" she cried.
The men were dull.looking, plodd
laborers; but one of them seemed g
couraged by her dir of determination ar
in moment, from the back of the skirt
breadth was torn. Without any wor
Sarah tied a strong knot in this bread
Then she stopped down, and with one
= Of the flesh against the spirit, she lifted I
rent garment from the gaping wound,
see just where it was; then she pressed /
% knot just above the wound with all |
strength.
"John," said she, "tie this bandags unt
lne leRf anu one Vi you OlnerB go TO
II stout, short stick.
The stick was quickly brought and 81
: ped under the bandage where John tiet
r in hard knot.
- "Now. john" said Sarah, "twist
co. stick till you tighten the bandage SO
!, blood shall stop altogether"
=. "You're a right sensible girl" said
w. doctor, when he heard what Sarah
IAL done. ANY one ofyou fellows" contn,
he, "could have stopped the blood by p
all sing the limb above the wound with y
fingers till help could be got"
Next morning Sarah stopped at
Squire's gate TO learn how he was. il
@ was spreading hay in field close by.
INV he came out TO the road to speak to her
L. "Isay," hesaid, contemplating her sli
form with genuine admiration, ''suct
O. leetle creetur as you be to ha' been
KNOWN and smartl Why, you can't
more than fourteen or fifteen at the
side"
IT "0nly fifteen" answered Sarah, vii
- queer little smile. Just between hay
VII grass"
ct never did see the beat" respon