The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-12
ONLY FIFTEEN.

ONLY FIFTEEN.
That was rather cruel, unfeeling re-
mark of Mr.. Earle to his daughter Sadie
|or Sarah, as she now wished to he called,
because cat least, she wasn't baby"
No, sis, you're neither little girl nor
q woman; but just between hay and
grass, as one may say"
Sarah gave an extra push to her al
ready we'll tied black muslin overskirt,
and started for schoo! with q smoldering
spark in her eye.
cts true, what father says" she solilo-
quized as she walked along. ''I'm 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 frizzes, putfs and coils. And as the
cows IN the spring, when the hay is gore
and the grass not well grown, have to
put up with odds AMI ends, so have to
take all Hats and Jen's cast-ott dresses
and hats; or if there is anything awfully
unbecomlng to them, I get that, whether
like it or not. Then, in the work, what
| have is just what everybody else hates
to do, like washing dishes and cleaning
the 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
attached to the door-handle told the
scholars. Sarah started at once to retrace
her steps; for it was two-mile walk,
with only here and there a few
old apple trees to shield her from the
suns glare. ......
As she walked her thoughts reverted to
the mornings conversation, partly, per-
haps, because the scent of the new-mown
hay greeted her. Like any girl of her
age it struck her as queer backward
sort of comparison to speak of childhood
as the time of hay.
ooh. yes!' she exclaimed, aloud az q
thought struck her; II see how it is !" and
she at once resolved to write the coming
weeks composition on that very subject.
"I'll say" she soliloquized, "that child
hood is cared for by the general love of ia
ther and mother. That's the hay, you
see r But, at last, the youth goes out in
to the world and gathers love for himself.
And I shall give it moral turn: for
somehow, I think young people ought
not to be selfish, even if I am so-but
ought to gather love by loving.
"What is the use of talking, thought
If really wanted to be useful, couldn't.
Who'd ask inc to sit up and watch with
sick people, for instance? couldn't even
keep awake all night. I wish I could be
sure I'd be the right sort Of woman, and
then, seems to me, it mi ght be beautiful
to be wrlnkled or gray; for, by that time
one is sure of ones SELF: 49, 49,.
Then she suddenly stepped down from
her mount of moral enthusiasm-a feat,
alas !! SO easily accomplished, so hard to
account for often.
"Before I get to be good and gray Id
like some nice times and some nice
things. This muslin overskirt and waist
are pretty enough and, for once, new,
what"
She sprang quickly out of the road in
sudden terror, for she thought loose
horse was plunging down the road be-
hind her. She had not scrambled half
way up the steep bank before he came in
sight, but to her relief he ives not rider
less. Squire Waits boy reined him in
with difficulty, just within view, and
turning in his saddle, shouted at the ton
Of his voice, evidently to some one in q
nelghboring field:
IF Doctor Ainslie amt to home,
what'll I dot" ..
Sarah could not hear the reply; but the
boy appeared satisfied, for he quickly set.
tied himself in the saddle, applied the
whip to the horse, and was out of sight
in an instant.
Sarah hurried up the bank and looked
over the stone at its top. At no great
distance she saw man lying on the
ground, and three others standing by
him. In q moment she saw who it was,
and as she run toward the group she
guessed the truth, which was that Squire
Wait himself had received at the hands
Of one of his laundering workmen a Sc.
verc cut In the leg from scythe while
moving.
The bright aterial blood was pouring
from the wound, death-like pallor had
oyerspread the sufferers face, and;his eyes
were already half closed. =.
| Sarah whlsked the muslin Oversklrt ov.
er her head like a flash.
"Help me tear broad bandage out o.
this!' she cried.
The men were dull-looking, ploddine
laborers, but one of them semed encour
aged by her air Of determination, and IN 6
moment from the back of the skirt ,
breadth was torn. Without any word.
Sarah tied a strong knot in this
breadth. Then she stopped down
and with one great heart
sinking, ono cry Of the flesh against the
spirit, she lifted the rent garment from
the gaping wound to see just where II
was; then she pressed the knot just above
the wound with all her strength.
"John," said she, steadily, ''tie this
bandage under the leg, and one of you
others go as quick as you can for stout
short stick
The blood already affected in its flow
by her pressure, oozed more slowly from
the wound. The stick was brought in q
trice, and slipped unders the bandage
where John had tied it in q hard knot