Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-14
ON THE WALPOLE ROAD.

--
on THE WALPOLE ROAD.
Walpole was . lively little rural en-
porium of trade; thither the villagers
from the small country hamlets there
aborts went to make the bulk of their
modest purchases.
One summer afternoon two women
were driving slowly along a road there
from, in a dusty old-fashioned chaise,
whose bottom w%asheaped up with brown
paper parcels.
One woman might have been seventy,
but she looked younger, she was so hale
and portly. She had a double, brist-
Ing chin, her gray eyes twinkled hui
morously oTn her sp~ectacles, and she
wore a Withdrawing black straw bonnet
with purple bows on the inside of the
rim. The afternoon was very warm,
and she held a palm-leaf fan in one
black-mitted hand, which she waved
gently now and then over against her
capacious bosom.
The o:her woman was younger-tor-
~ perhaps; her face was plain-featured
and energetic. She wore a gray serge
dress and drab cotton gloves, and held
tirhtly on to the reins as she drove.
Now and then she would slap them
br.skly upon the horses back. He was
g heavy. hard-worked farm animal, and
was disposed to jog along at an easy
pace this warm afternoon.
There had not been any rain for a
long time, and everything was very
dusty. This road was not much trav-
eled, and between the wheel ruts grass
was growing; but the soil flew up like
Emoke from the horses hoofs and the
wheels. The blackberry vines climbing
over the stone walls on either side, and
the meadow-sweet and bareback bushes
were powdered thickly with dust, and
had gray leaves instead of green. The
big-leaved things, such as burdock,
growing close to the ground, had their
veins all outlined in dust.
The two women rode in q peaceful
sort of a way; the old lady famed her
self mildly, and the younger one slapped
the horse mechanically. Neitherspoke,
till they emerged into a nor open
space on a hill crest. There they had
an uninterrupted view OF the northwest
SKY; the trees had hidden it before.
q declare. Almiry,' SAID the old la
dy, 1--WE air goin' to hev a thunder
shower"
1T won't get up till we get home,"
replied the other, SAN ten chances to
one it II go round by the northanyway,
way they do half the time here. If I'd
'aseen q cloud as black as that down
where used to live, I'd a known for
sure there was goin' to be q heavy
tempest, but here there's no KNOWN
anything about it. 1 wouldn't worry
anyway, Mis- Green, if it should come
up before we get home: the horse amt
afraid OF lightnin'."
The old lady looked comical. '.He
m afraid Of anything, is he, Al
miry?n
NO answered her companion, Civ
ing the horse spiteful slap; she don't
Know enough to get scared even, that's
atacf. l don't believe anything short
OF Gabriel's trumpet would start him up
II don't think you ought to speak
1nat way, Almiry," said the old lady;
ITS kinder maxim light O. sacred
things, seems to me. But as long as
You've spoke OF it, | { don't believe that
would start him up either. Though I'll
tel you one thing, Almiry: I don't be-
ileve thar's goin' to be anything very
frigghtful bout Gabriel's trumpet. !
mink it's goin' to come kinder like the
ROBINS an the flowers do in the spring,
Kinder meltin' right into everything
else, sweet an material like.n
Tina amt accordin' to Scriptur,'
sad Almira, stoutly.
"lt's accordin' to my Scriptur. I tell
you what It's, Almiry, I've found out
one thing alvin so long, an that is,
thar amt 80 much difference in things
on this airth as thar is in the folks thai
see EN-. It's me a-seein' the Scripturs
an It's you a-seein' the Scripturs, AL
1ny' an you see one thing an l an,
oIher a 1dare say we both see crooked
mostly, with may be a little straight
mixed up with it. an we'll RELY
know how much is straight till we SCI
70 read it by the light of the New Jeru
salem" "
Mis- Green"
"Wa'al, 80 l would tha' ben Of I hao
seen a man; I alters thought 1 would
nut s'posethe Lord thought there wa:
more need of an extra hand Just thent<
.a!se up children, an bake an brew an
WASH dishes. You'd better drive along
ieetle faster eft you kin, Almiry."
Almlra jerked the reins viciously AM
SJiueked' but the horse logged along I'm
ulssurbedly. ut amt no use,' sail
sne, You might as well try to star
w stone post.h