Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-15

IL. AAOA OlU WIS. lOATtOu,
since.
vlc's and Bebbitt's stock of good
manners. reservation this occasion only.
nau begun to run low about the time
moIner reached the B~artons', and she
nad asked permission for them to stay
ana play there until her return. The
ola lady had said she would be delight
co to have the little dears, and the
younger Mrs. Barton had been as polite
- q new carpet. spotless ~piazza-floor,
ano Well-swept walks could allow; so
the blessed children had sat on the edge
o1 the porch with their feet hanging
over, and their heads close under the
windows where the two ladies we're at
WORK. Whatin the world possessed
Two such restless little beings to sit still
n listen to other people talking, i
can not imagine. Untold gold could
not have coaxed them to do it at any
other time. Probably thev were rather
displrited and worn out by sundry
kindly meant but most uncomfortable
pattlngs and rumplings of their
curly heads, and by an u~nceasing
string Of Eyes, ma'ams," "No,
ma 'ams," "Seven and eight last Au-
gust" and other stereotyped replies
which they had been giving at each
house on their route. Certain it is, they
must have been both quiet and atten-
tive, M the result of such an unusual
proceeding was unfolded to me at bed
time by a remark from Bobbett.
"Say, Barb.e," said he, after I had
kissed him and was going downstairs,
"a'n't father ever going to have an
other young man to study with himP''
"No, | hope not. WhyP"
"Oh. he's Just got to have another.
What will you do, if he don't?"
81 shall not have to wait and tend,
make so much cake OF SO many pies,
for one thing"
"Oh, don't they eat, thought" and
vic's curly head waved to and fro with
the bare remembrance of some of her
losses at the table, on account of the
immense appetites of those three young
men now my august brothers-in-law,
who took their preliminary studies for
the ministry under our father.
Eyes, they do eat awful" added
Bobbett, shut we've got to have an
other"
l began to suspect some sinister mo-
tive in this conversation, and so went
back from the head Of the stairs. poked
Vic back into bed, and began d plomat-
lcally to get at the reason ofthis sudden
interest ~ their part in our household
economy.
"Iell sister Barbara why you want to
have another young man study with
father | had said to Bobbett, who was
chief spokesman, and whose head was
generally the clearer of the two.
so ,Barbie! YOU can't be an old maid,
it's awful!" was his startling response
to this gentle insinuation.
Then Vic arose and poured forth the
announcement that:
"Old Granny Barton said you'd be
one unless father took somebody o.
like he did for Madge and Kate and
Ruth, but you sha'n't! Me and Bob
bett just yelled at her in the window
when she said so, the mean old thine!"
"Did you listen, children?" 1 said,
trying to be judic.ous and to inculcate
principle; land you must not say gran
n.y."
Eyes, we did, and peeked, too, and I
told her guess we could take care of our
own sister and marry her when we
wanted to without her! She said we
were 'queer% children but 1 reckon she's
queer herself, meddling so. You shall
be married, Barbie, in spite of what she
says. Well DAN father, and he'll have
another somebody, like brother Robert
or Tom, you know, and you can be
married big as anybody, if old gran
Mrs. Barton does say there's nobody
you would think good enough for you in
the village"
These were Bobbett's manly senti-
ments. After their delivery l soothed
their rutled feelings and did a good deal
Of what Bobbett calls ''proper talking"
or the Stiffness Of such an idea, and
came away with the firm conviction
that all further med tat ons on that sub
ject were effectually banished from
their childish, but loving, hearts. 1t
had not been SO easy, however, to drive
the remembrance of the scene from out
my W mind, and it had fretted and
ranked against my sensitive soul for
these last two days, in a most weari-
some fashion.
1t is a rude awakening to any simple
natured, pure-hearted girl, to find that
people are discussing and specializing
upon subjects that to her are sacred and
carefully cherished. 1t seems a desc
Grafton, that questions, which yet her
W heart has never asked, and GER
tainly her lips lever framed, should be
tossed back and forth as food for idle
gossip. 1t is my first experience OF the
kind, so carefully have we been shell
tered, and though 1 reason with myself
and mentally shake myself, l am hurt
and refuse to be comfortsd. l forget
that l am a.. beloved daughter, in a sweet
old home, the sole help of an over
worked clergyman and his much minis
tering wife; l forget that 1 am the much
worshipped sister Of the angelic Vic and
Bobbett, and that l have my best work
and noblest mission ready to my hand
the daily living, doing and homely
serving that wait for me each sunrise,
and whose cheerful fulillment has
been my only crown at each days sun
set.
We girls at home had not been
brought up to speculate upon our fu-
ture positions in the world as wives of
soma DOSSib1a harOac who 1vor, - -,