The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-19


THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR.
/.
II do believe It's the saws the wood,
and the woods the STEEL" cried she.
as she let the former catch and stick in
the timber during moments despair
''But 'front.' be beat, though; It's not
as if ] was no better than a man." So
again she set her teeth firm, as if to
show the saw how to bite, and went at
the rough log again
1t was rough job, and tough one,
too. while the hands so hard upon it
were small and fine. Yet never a he
carpenter went at his work with such a
will; while, alas! not even a he-carpen-
ter, expert as be is in the art Of doing
the least possible quantity in the longest
possible time, ever made less way. The
very demon seemed to have taken up
his abode in the saw. She had thought
those savage-looking teeth were made
TO cut; and instead Of this they seemed
made for the express purpose of catch
ing in the wood, so that they could be
forced neither forward nor backward
for all she could do. Now and then,
indeed, she managed to tug or push a
quarter of an inch this way or that; but
her hair was getting wet through and
her hands sore. What fool was it who
invented saws? The pair of scissors out
of her work-boX would have done twice
the work in half the time. Again she
stopped to rub her aching fingers, but
again she went on.
The log lay upon a couple of empty
barrels to serve rs trestlcs. The work
Off work such a waste of indomitable
energy could be calledl was carried on
in a dilaridated wooden shed. Uttered
with old barrels, broken hoops, old cart
wheels, WORKOUT hencoOps, and hun
dred other odds and ends of agricult-
ural lumber. And of all the unlikely
people TO be engaged in such Job, she
who was throwing into it such world
of INSTRUCTED zeal was the most utterly
unlikely. She had, indeed, none of the
outward and visible signs that 90 to
make up the idea of a lady by profess
sion; not only were her clothes defiantlv
gathered out of the way of action, with
no thought OF elegance, but they were
of the homeliest material, and likely
enough of her Own making, supposing
that she sewed not very much better
than she sawed. The gown was of the
very cheapest cotton print; over this
was Il large course apron, tied over the
shoulders; the sleeves were rolled up,
leaving the elbows bare. Yet she was
nc more TO be taken for q mere farm
servant than was her dress 10 be taken
for a Queens s. The bare arms were
white, smooth and slim. matching the
fine whit hands: the figure was light
and graceful, with sorJ of spring in it,
despite The worst that apron and gown
could do; the bright brown hair was
the one thing about her that her battle
with the SAW had not disarran@ed. She
had no special prelensicns to beauty,
and ut this moment, with bent brows,
clinched teeth, set lips and harrassed
eyes, wa by no means looking her best,
whatever that might be. But even thus
her face WAS not without its promises of
charm. The features were refined to
the point of delicacy; and there was
something touching in the sight of this
slight and slender girl, with less ap-
parent strength than belongs of right to
nineteen, battling as if for very life with
what was too much for her weakness
and unsk;llfulneSs combined.
How do the men manage things like
this?" she sighed, mentally grooming.
1T looks so easy, and it is so hard! Is
it because they drink so much beer?
And why are saws made with teeth at
all? | wonder if the chopper would
work better. | half wish 1 hadn't be-
gun; but | must 60 on now if it takes
me all night long. Well, at it again.
So you think to beat Patience Black
thorn, do you, Master Log. eh? Well
we'll see which'l give in first, you,
[, or the saw. SO-Hark."
Patience Blackthorn started at the
sound of voices, left the saw wedged
in the stubborn timber, and tripped to
n window-like opening in the shed,
through which she could peep and
listen without being seen. Whence
one may gather that an Englishwoman
who does not know when she is beat is,
nevertheless, daughter of Eve.
The aperture looked, for distant
prospect, over an eXpanse of meadows,
broken by high hedge-rows, of the
range of swelling downs; for near
one. into slovenly farm-yard, empty
of all but muck and litter, with a
broken gate leading into rough field
road, all ruts and stones. Crossing the
cart-road Just in front of the gate ran
a footpath through the grass; and two
men. coming along the path from OPP
posite directions, had met precisely at
the entrance to the yard.
"Whv, Marrishi' said he who came
from the eaSt-a smart, good-looking
young fellow, with bright face a
ready smile, and something of a town
air about his look and bearing-'Why,
MarriSh! What brings you here of a
market day?"
Business, my lad, business; that's
what brings me-" answered he from the
west. What else should bring a man
anywhere, these bad times? But what
brings you?'
He was very different style of man
from the other-over forty years old, at
any rate. and perhaps nearer fifty; a
working farmer, from his low-crowned
hat 10 his tOp-boots after an ancient pat
tern, but lean and low shouldered. and
in many ether WAYS not according TO
the accepted model of his class nearly |
eighty years ago. There was nothing |
bluff or hearty about him. or any syI,lp-
tom Of generous fare. On the contrary. |
he was lank and bony, and his cheeks |
curio'isly, though not unheal,h Is, pale !
His face was not one likely to be readily /
forgotten; though what physiognomists |
would re3d in il l can not venture to |
/ rtS,l- $ba,- rv-r-,1.I !