River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-03-24
A PYRAMID OF CABBAGEs.

"Why, where are you going, Isabel
Eastman? Not into the farmyard
surely?"
eyes, Miss Lottie Maynell, lam GO
ing into the farm-yard, surely" replied
Isabel, with mischievous smile on her
prettily curved lips, rs she opened the
gate leading to that place. No where
else can we be confidential without
running the risk of being overheard
The farmers family are in the orchard ;
Charley and half-doZen of his play
mates are playing in the flower garden
there's a young couple in the parlor at
the piano, he making love and she not
making music, and a still younger
couple whispering and giggling in the
hay-windOw; auntie is in my room en-
Toying Splendid Misery and grand
ma is in auntie's room iarning stock
ings. And so if YOU really want to
hear right away why | am here in
stead Of at one of my usual summer
haunts, YOU must cen follow me to the
farmyard. Besides which" speaking
with increased animation-'I have
lately, strange rs it might seem to you,
de"eloped quite passion for farm
yards"
ut doesn't seem at all strange to me,
my dear, for during our ten years
friendship you've always been develop
Ing some odd passion or other. But
I've never lost faith in you. Lead on;
I'll follow"
And stepping daintily and gracefully
unimpeded by trains or demi-trains the
Young girls threaded their way through
the crowd of hens and chickens holding
loud and lively conversation prepar-
atory to going to roost; past the cows
waiting to be MIXED, and turning their
heads to look after the intruders with
great solemn brown eyes; and old Low
head the white horse, Stacking his
thirst at the water trOugh-to the ex-
treme end Of the yard, where pile of
cabbages, neatly arranged in the form
of pyramid confronted them.
Behold" said Isabel, stopping be-
fore it, chow nature lends herself to
art! THAT sounds well, though | don't
know now as it means anything) This
mighty structure, formed of the green
and succulent cabbage, is no doubt the
work of some humble field-laborer,
who, having read of the pyramids of
Egypt-incited thereto, no doubt, by
tttt newspaper itttI Hho tAhOht Jul
own dear oblisk-has sought to vary
the monotony of cabbage life by build
ING rs close an imitation as his ma
terial would allow. Let us hope that
the flight of his imagination may lead
to higher one, and the cabbage man
like the butter woman may meet with
public recognition, and at last be
crowned with wreath of laurel. Often
from the humblest sources spring the
greatest works of genius. Burns
Lottie," breaking off suddenly, and as
Stunning cheerful tone-''why do you
break in upon my eloquence with rude
and unseemly laughter? / was about
to repeat to YOU Longfellow's last poem;
now | won't. See what your frlvolity
has lost You, And take a seat on
the extreme base of the pyramid Il
prefer the mound of sod in this seclud-
ed corner, sacred to somebody's rake
and hoe), while | go back to the COM
monplace."
THANK you, Bell dear, I'll share the
sods with you, if you please. | have
an idea that Il cabbage would prove Il
very uncomfortable seat under any
circumstances. And do go back to the
commonplace, that's a darling, for I'm
dying to know what happened since
we parted an age ago.
'.An age ago, One year and a half
exactly. | was then engaged to Claude
Venner. Pretty name. isn't 1t? And he
was a pretty little fellow, with nice
curly hair, and lovely blue eyes, with
lGshes long enough for bang, small
dimpled hands. and not an idea in his
little round head. My mother-With
all due Difference / say it-and his
mother-to whom | accord much less
deference-made the match when |
was eighteen, and | unmade it at
twenty. never loved Claude. How
could /? And he never loved me- How
could he? We were the victims of cir
cumstances and matchmaking mann
mas. and two mcrtals more unlike il
would he hard To find. He was the
most conventional of men, and would
have nearly died if ut one of those
dreary dinner parties in which his soul
delighted, somebody had whispered to
him that his back hair wasn't parted
straight, while have often been strong
~ tempted to shock the ful-dressed
guests, at the very start, by asking for
more soup.
well last June. at Newport, my
diminutive friend Eda Smythe, with a
head the exact counterpart of Claude's,
appeared upon the scene, and she and
my bethrothed fell in love with each
other at first sight Mamma fretted
and fumed and scolded, and asked me,
with tragic emphasis, how | could look
calmly on and see 50 many thousands
Of dollars being lost to the family. for
she was sure that aTtful mink would
persuade poor dear Claude TO clope or
something; hut | continued to look
calmly on. until one evening Claude,
with 4 deep sigh, kissed Eda's hand rs
he hade her goodnight when | turn
ed suddenly upon them, and babe them
follow me to my room. There | for
gaye-quite in the manner of stage
parent-the infatuated midgets their
base duplicity, gave them my blessing,
kissed them both and, rs they, beam
inc with Joy, had departed, |, also.
beaming with joy, and not quite in the
manner of stage parent, except per
hans a Pinafore one, executed a plrou-
ette-a mad, revolving pirouetfe-in
honor OF my newly acquired freedom
Mamma was awfully angry, but they re
awfully happy, and they've named the
oaby after me Ny chains they were
never very heavy. l must contest bro
ken beyond repair. | fiirted more than
ever, all the time growing as weary as
could be OF herring the same compli-
ments and making the same replies,
and doing this thing in the morning
and that in the afternoon, and the 9th
er in the evening, and at last fled
from the old familiar throng precipi-
lately one rainy day, leaving my maid
to pack my wardrobe ard follow And
| determined that this summer / would
try pastures entirely new. Auntie had
often told me of the pleasant, old-fash-
toned farmhouse which she discovered
wears ago, and | coaxed mamma
promising to take Charley, our young
est. who is the 'worrit OF her life, along
with me-te let me spend three OF my
four out-of-the-eity months here. And