St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-08-30

Priscilla Davis, Molly's dearest
friend. walked four miles, as usual, to
meeting that day, walking barefoot the
greater part Of the way to save her one
pair of morocco shoes, which. with her
white stockings, she put on under con-
venient tree.
| Do not pity her, girls, because she
| had no fashionable shoemaker to sup
ply her with unlimited boots. Many of
our Observation-Disclosures did the same
thing and lived merry and wholesome
lives, and beuueathed to their descend
ants strong bodies and brains.
When your very dearest friend goes
to Montana, or Japan, you cable or
write every week, but for Molly and
Prissy, alas! there was no such pleas
ure possible. Postage was costly, and
there were few mail routes in the whole
country. Between Manomet, which was
twenty miles away, and Douglas, there
was none; and the friends would have
to depend on chance travellers for notes
and news.
There were tears in Prissy's blue
eyes as she bade Molly 'good-by,"
but it was very quiet goodzby. Our
Puritan grandmothers did not rush into
each others arms and kiss ecstatically;
they did all things "decently and in
order" The family farewells were
equally subdued. The horses were led
up to the mounting-block. Molly had
mounted with light leap. Luther
tucked her little foot into the stirrup,
and she babe father, motheR and
brothers good-by simply, though it
was a most momentous setting oS1t into
the world.
On Molly's summer of school-teach-
ing it is not my purpose to dwell. She
taught the children to knit and to sew,
and every Saturday drilled them in the
eatechism. The school-house was not
unlike some we may see in primitive
New England towns to day, square in
shape, painted red, a good deal BE- tered
without and within, and anchored in a
treeless sea of sand. Once only during
the summer she heard from home. Asa
Parker, Quaker, riding through Man
omet and Douglas on his way to Quar-
terly Meeting, stopped over night with
his friend, Squire Crowde, and became
the bearer of the messages.
1t was on morning in early October
that, her school closed, Molly started
alone on her ride home. The sixteen
dollars she had earned Ga dollar week
and board were Molly's wages) were
carefully packed il the saddle-bag.
Captain Israel had arranged to go TO
Boston about that time, and as his
route lay through Douglas arrangements
had been made for Molly TO 60 home
under his protection. But Mrs, Israel
had recurrence of certain spells to
which she was subject, and the Cap
tain's departure became indefinitely
postponed.
Molly, however, determined to go on
the day set. She rode Baal. a coal
black horse, one that she had ridden
and petted all summer, and which her |
father had consented to buy for her use,
and had bargained for ono Captain Israers |
visit. Molly had no fears at all about |
riding the twenty miles alone though |
eight of them led through thick
woods.
For the first five miles her way lay
between sunny reaches of farms, with !
here and there a farmhouse. Great |
heaps of yellow pumpkins lay in the
corn-tields, and piles of greeniRgs and |
golden-sWeets under the trees IN the |
orchards. The sunny, lazy air was de- |
licious with fragrant, fruity smells. ard /
Molly was conscious of quiet happi- |
ness as she rode along, her summers |
work successfully ended. Many regrets |
had been expressed that she would not |
stay till after the husking frolic at Seth |
a abb onRaJc &Ao
already in preparation, and as she drew
rein at the great gate, in obedience TO
a signal, Love Blackmer came running
down to the road to bring q pound
cake and mince turnover for Molly's
by the way. Her father |
came along behind her.
YOU'D better stay, Molly" said Seth.
" Eff you's my gal, | wouldn't risk yer
through that woods alone, n I don't be-
lieve bat Squire Crowded be my way O.
7
But Molly only laughed. "What is
there to be afraid OFF" she said. eff /
there are any wolves or wildcats in
Manomet woods they don't roam by
daylight; and as for Indians, there
isn't wild Indian within hundreds of
miles. F"
"If there amt any wild Injuns
there's drunk ones enough" said Seth.
Anyhow it's borne in on me that faint
right f yer to go alone. y
The golden rod and the deep purple
blue asters bloomed by the wayside in
great lush crowds and the corners of
The Struggling fences; and there afar off
IN the east cleaned the blue line of the
ocean. The air was of that electric
quality that exhilarates like an intoxi-
eating draught, and it was in q brisk
and cheerful mood that Molly rode away
and plunged into the forest. Then, al