Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-06
SNOW VS..

OWN" w. cAn nQOANES.
A True Story of Two Little Girls, One of
Whom Wanted to See Snow, and the
Other to Feel an Earthquake.
Ruth Chase was looking at the Their
mometer.
"It's thirty-eight degrees, mamma;
hat almost cold enough for
snow%'
eyes, dear, and if this were any place
but San Francisco, I should think it
would snow very soon."
"Oh, l do wish I was a Down-easter;
then 1 could say I'd seen snow" said
Ruth, seating herself by the fire.
"Why, Ruth, have you never seer
snow?" said her little cousin Nellie,
who had just come from Maine. "You're
twelve and I'm ten, and I've seen just
lots OF it, higher than your head"
"H'm," answered Ruth. "Did goa
ever feel an earthquake?"
"No; have you?"
"Lots of them. Most every year
they shake us up a %little,'' said Ruth.
chow funny!' remarked N~ellie;'.you
want to see snow, and 1 want to feel an
earthquake. You tell me about earth-
quakes, and I'll tell you about snow"
"You Begin" said Ruth. ''How does
snow come down."
cit looks just like feathers falling,
and when it's down it looks like
down. and the two laughed merrily
over this attempt at a pun,
81 thought it came down like snow
balls" said Ruth.
'sWe make snow-balls," continued
Nellie, land throw 'em at each other,
and have ever so much fun. The boys
make snow-men, and have forts, and we
play % hard we don't mind the cold. II
there's a hard crust on the snow, we
have splendid sleigh-rides, with hot
soap-stones to keep our feet warm.
Il should think you'd freeze" said
Ruth. s'Seems to me we are having
freezing cold weather hcre:"
sometimes at home the girls and
boys get frost-bitten; but we most al
ways wrap up very warm. Now you
tell me about earthquakes, Ruth"
''Why, they just shake, and your heart
Jumps into your mouth, and before it
comes out, it is all over and folks begin
to holler," described Ruth.
''Did you ever scream, Ruth, when
you felt one2"
..Tll tell you about one that hap
pened two years ago." answered Ruth.
II went to the Denman School, where l
go now. AS many as eight hundred
girls attend it. The sschool-house is
very large, three stories and a mansard
roof. My room was on the lower floor
in the rear
"One morningI was studying away,
and happening to look up | saw the
girls rushing pell-mell out of the door,
screaming and crying. l didn't know
what the trouble was, but l put my
book down and ran, too. Preached the
front entrance, and there was Miss
Steele, u real pretty little teacher driv-
ing the girls back. AS I didn't know
what 1 wanted to go out for l went
back, and everything seemed just like
a dream. When everything was quiet
my teacher, Mss Small, stood up by
her desk and said:
THE girls who did not leave their
seats will arise
"Four girls arose.
".You will report ten extra credits.
Those who did not leave the room will
arise
'Seven stood up.
".Five extras
"And there l lost all those extras,
when l didn't feel the earthquake, and
didn't feel afraid, and only went with
the crowd. [ told mamma about it
when [ got home, and she said | must
not think so much about the extras, but
remember never to leave my seat, as l
might get hurt or hurt some one else in
the rush.
"About a month after, I felt the old
school shake, and l knew it was an
earthquake. 1t was heavier than be-
fore, and 1 never saw such excitement
in my life. l wanted to scream at the
top Of my lungs. but l just held on to
my desk and thought Of crtras. Celia
Blunt sat opposite me. She was the
dirtiest girl ! ever saw; and she put her
arms about my neck and Cried:
".Save me! oh, save me!'
81 wanted to shake her, but l was
afraid to let 90 that desk, because
might act like the rest and lose those
extras When the girls came to their
senses Miss Small said:
"'You may now resume your study.
ing
':And not q single word about extras.
I wanted to cry, | was SO disappointed
I'm glad | held on, because Miss Steele
was hAt 81 the girls running over her
but l did want those extras!'
eyes; twas AWFUL mean," c%onsoled
Nell; ''but then, you were real brave
not to yum"
Ruth walked to the window, com
planning of the cold, and suddenly
called:
20 Nellie, sec all those little whit.
things coming down.!
'.1t's snow, Euth; snow, snow, snow'
And the two cousins made q bound
for the door, and would have gone on
Aoro ho-l,I o~I horo Lo,lo1 - mn