The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-02-24
DOY.
4 SOY or the Fresh Air Fund.


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Its harum- -scarum idea," said
Miss Reliance Roxbury, as she stood
among the currant bushes at the gar
den fence. IA most ridiculous idea. {.
l wonder what this gushing American
people will do next" and she gave an
emphatic twitch to her purple calico
sun bonnet.
There was faint murmur Of dissent
from little woman on the other side
Of the moss grown fence.
"No--of )urse You don't agree with
me-" continued Miss Reliance, as the
clusters Of ruby and pearl flew into
the six-quart pail at her feet. You're
SO soft hearted that your feelings are
forever running ayE with your com
mon sense. Yon-nsyer say word
about the National debt, or the con
dition Of our navy, but let anybody
start a subscription for sending blan-
ket shawls to Brazil, or putting up
monument to Mathusaleh on the
meeting house green, and you'll give
your last quarter. And now you're
going to open youra house to lot of
little ragamuflins from New York;
The motherly brown eyes on the
other side of the fence were full Of
tears, and a pleasant voice replied:
''It makes my heart ache to think
how the poor things suffer, crowded
together III dirty stxests, with never
breath Of a .cDvelsfeld or a glass OF
milk. If you'd just read about it Re
lance, you'd count it blessed privi-
lege to give them a bit Of our sun
shine"
I'D as soon have q tribe OF Zulrls
on the place sad Miss Reliance,
"and if you'll take my advice you'll
save yourself lots of trouble"
Mrs. L-ae stoppca hos work for
moment and said:
''Liakim and me are all alone now,
Reliance. One bv one, we've laid
Kate and Sarah and baby Lizzie over
there in the old burying ground; and
Jack is in Colorado, and Richard in
Boston, and We got hungry some
times for the sound of little feet.
When / began 10 read about the
fresh air fund itlilid Of sent thrill
all over me, and 'Laikim he reads
about it every day, and he wipes his
glasses pretty often, too. Then, when
we heard the parson say that party
would come here if places could be
found for 'em, 'Lsikim spoke right
of for four, and they'll be here next
Tuesday, and I'm going to make it
Just as much like heaven as can"
you'll make yourself sick, that's
what you'll do, Amanda Lane" repi-
cd Miss Reliance, but il you want
your garden overrun and your silver
spoons stolen, and your house full of
flies, and your nerves prostrated. why
it's your own fault. must go in and
get my Jelly started"
Miss Roxbury went up the path
between the sunhowers and holly
hooks. entered the large, sunny, airy
kitchen, and set down the pail of cur
rants for Hannah, the house maid, to
pick over Then she hung the pur-
ple-calico sun bonnet on the nail that
for forty years had been devoted to
that purpose, and went into the cool
sitting room to rest in her favorite
Roxbury had been for twenty years.
with the exception of a gardener and
house maid, the sole occupant of this
ancient stone dwelling, that had stood
for more than century beneath it's
elms and naples, the pride Of the
village Of Lynford" She was a stern
woman, who liked but few people, and
had horror of children, dogs and
sentiment. The village boys, with
keen perception of her .unsympathet-
ic nature, called her sold Ironsides."
She was proud Of her birth and of
the substantial property that had
fallen to her at the death Of her father,
old Judge Roxbury.
She was member OF the Presby-
tarian Church, and paid high rental
for the Roxbury pew, but with that
considered that her pecuniary obliga-
tons to tho cause were at an end As
a general thing, she had not allowed
convictions on the subject of giving
to trouble her, but somehow, ever
since Sunday, when the pastor stated
the work of the fresh air fund and
made fervent appeal for "these little
ones that suffer-" she had been sub
jected to numerous vague but uncom-
Portable sensations. She rocked back
and forth in the spacious sitting room
that no fly dared to invade, and noted
the perfect order of the apartment
From the China shepherdess on the
mantcl, to tho, braided rugs al the
doors, every ytling occupied the same
position as in the days of Miss Rox-
bury's girlhood. There was torture
in the thought of having the table
cover pulled awry, of seeing the shells
and prim old daguerrotypes disar-
ranged on the what-not, of having
sand tracked in by small feet over the
faded Brussels carpet, and her pet
verbena bed invaded by eager young
fingers. nf eVg 3%a5-
Surely, religion and humanity could
not demand such sacrifices of her.