The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-09-14
Franks Dream.

/ "
Let me see' If sixteen men can do
piece of work in fifteen days, and on
man can oh, nonsense! My hea,
is in tangle already. will put
dash near that, showing I think it
pretty tough"
Having thus addressed himself, Franz
Abbott laid his slate down upon hi
desk, closed his arithmetic, put that Oh
top of his slate, and then folding hi
arms. rested these on the slate. 1t wa
so much easier to do this, and thel
watch the sun sinking toward the pur
pie hills than to be in a ferment ant
worry about "sixteen men in fifteel
days" There he remained looking
away from his desk through the low
school-room window, while the SUI
hung out more and more tempting
pieces of cloud-drapery in the western
sky, as if conscious that school-boy
was watching the display. 1t was no
a prolonged watch on Franks part, fol
the masters bell was sharply ringing
ont the warning for dismissal. Franz
took his book under his arm and wen
home. At the door he met Aunt Sa
brina, his fathers housekeeper. Sh,
was looking at pile of wood in the
yard. cycling it sharply through he
bright spectacles.
"Do you s'pose you could tackle
that, Frank?"
"You mean to saw it?''
"Well. can't say that mean to saw
it. Aunt S'brinay did saw and spill
when she was young, but she's past that
now. Could you do it? 1t would save
your father heap. He's away coastin'
and money for the wood would eat big
hole into his pay"
Frank thought of his father in the
coasting schooner, Gypsy" and knew
that his fathers fight with storm and
wave was also fight with poverty, and
he wanted to help him, but that big
wood-pile! He could saw part of it, but
he couldn't saw the whole. He shook
his head and answered Aunt S'brinay
slowly.
'Fraid-'fraid not! know can't. y
"Hum!' said Aunt Sabrina, and she
went into the house.
After supper Frank took up his arith'
metic, He also pulled out from draw.
er slate, and then he groaned.
"Oh, dear, that question. can never
do it! Sixteen men in fifteen days
nonsense! Aunt Sabrina," he called
aloud. "don't you think they have some
ridiculous things in arithmeticsP"
81 don't know" said Aunt Sabrina,
who was knitting. when l was gal
they said l was pretty good at figgers."
Here Aunt Sabrina Strengthened up
her form as if conscious of new dignity
in the recollection of her old skill al
''fggers."
'Have you tackled it?'' she asked.
"You said tackle when you men,
toned the wood-pile. What good would
it do?"
Hum" said Aunt Sabrina, as before.
That night Frank had a dream. In
the air he saw a beautiful building, and
over one door it said: ''For Frank
A." The remaining letters of the
second word in his name were missing.
Through the windows he saw elegant
pictures on the wall. He had glimpses
of elegant furniture, chairs, tables, mir
rors.
"Is that for me?'' he asked. "What
is on my back|'
As he asked the second question he
put his hand behind him, and did he
feel a slate that was strapped there? A
slate, or was it a ladder?
ats ladder, and I'll set it up against
that house and claim my property"
thought Frank.
He tried the ladder, at least planted
1t on the ground, and began to-opeu
his eyes! He found that somehow he
had thrust his hand under the mat
trass, and was rubbing it over the bed
stats!
'Those were the ladder-rounds,"
thought Frank.
The next morning he laughed and
said: "Aunt Sabrina, let me tell you
my funny DREAM and he rehearsed
the story of the house, of the object on
his back that felt like slate and yet
was ladder.
"A slate! Try the ladder on yom
arithmetic" said Aunt Sabrina. "Per
haps Frank A OF the house meant
Frank Abbott. That is to be seem"
He laughed again.
"What do YOU mean?"
Didn't wicked old Pharaoh have an
interpreter of his dreams? Let me inter
pref q don't mean to make you out
old Pharaoh). The ladder means,
make an effort and see what you can
do. Try that ladder on your arithme.
tic"
Frank made hard effort at climbing
and solved the problem.
Now try your ladder on that wood
pile, Frank"
I'm try, aunt" said Frank, laugh.
ing.
He planted his saw and wood-horse
by the pile.
g Aunt Sabrina, 1 have set up my
ladder" he shouted.
Climb replied that energetic rel.
alive.
Over that pile, or through it. rather,
went Frank, subduing it to the very
humble state of fire-wOod.
Franks dream, and we would moi
forget the ingenious interpreter, did
him vast amount of good.-EdUara
a. Rand, TN Chicago Interior.
Naw Wnnlon Eoods Ahr AufuYnu