Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-26

Ou1 W supper, anu tnen nome, LOT sue
never staid to the evening sociable that
supplemented the afternoon OF real work.
Much she pondered that night on the
course of action she had almost decided
on.
"They don't mean it; I know they
DON'T" she said to herself. "They hear
things, and b'lieve 'em; tits natural they
should, I s'pose; and I know they'll be
real glad to find out they amt so. I'll
look out all them things to- morrow, Provi.
dence permittin', and straignten Fem out
the best l can, for I know real we'll there's
mistakes all round most likely; and I pre-.
sumo to say Celye King Is as good a girl
as steps. know she is"
All, dear Miss Sylyy!. she Judged her
nelShbor-as we all do-by herself; II only
all our judgments were drawn from as
pure and kindly q nature as hers, how
tranquil our world would be! So the next
morning Miss North put on her best bon
net and slipped into Mr.. Brooks house.
Mr.. Brooks wa the miller of Dalton, and
Susan, his. elderly daughter, kept his
house, for the other children were all MARI
ried and settled far away, and the mother
long since dead. Susan was a bright
prompt. outspoken woman, who did her
duty with thorough efficiency, and said
her say. without thought OF anything but
expressing her mind freely and honestlyt
Kindly and generous as she was, het
frank speech made her many enemies, for
q "a Us AlAo tu0 sharp crystals OIL UCuUU
unless they are set in gold.
Susan was at home; indeed, she always
vas, for her father spent the day at the
mill, and she had to be on the premises,
not only to do her work, but to take or
ders for the mill, which was the best part
Of a mile above Dalton, on the hillside,
down which poured Yeast Brook to join
Dalton Brook.
"Set down. Pm real glad to see you,
Sylvyy" was her CHEEKY greeting.
~ thought I should find We to home, Su-
SAN" answered the elder woman.
eyes. | have to stay by the stuff"
laughed Miss Brooks.
Miss Sylvy was no diplomatist, yet a
sudden odd shyness prevented her intro
ducing the motive of her call at once; they
chatted a few minutes about various small
matters, and then she took courage and
said:
"How do you Ike the new minister?
Susan?"
Not very much" was the reply; but
then other people do. l expect l am a lit
tie notional about ministers. l like to hear
'em preach the gospel out straight, with
out airs and graces, and scraps of forrin
language switched in. What do we Dali
ton folks know about his German talk and
his Latin remarks? l suppose there is
some that think it sounds good, but I
DON'T"
"Perhaps they like it the same as an old
woman I've read about who was so over
come with a sermon that she had to
wait and tell the minister low pleased she
was, but when he asked her what Phrtic'-
lar part met her case, all she could say
was, oh, that blessed Mesopotamiyev"'
Susan laughed.
That's something, it's a fact; why: I
Smith, only he don't just suit my idees.
He fills the church, and interests the
young folks, and that's his business"
"Well, l asked you because 1 heered
somebody say that you set all day a Sun :
dsy in me meeti9' With t{,s your our! eyes Shut SOS to
"If that ant Dalton oil over! Why, if
II hated him like piston, Miss Sylvy, l
wouldn't do such a low kind of thing as
that: I speak in meetin',' when l do
speak. l don't go round blinking and
making faces. Truth to tell, had q split
TIM headache Sunday, but I do hate 10
I'd go and stout it out, but setting in that
corner one gets the light straight acrost
from the window opposite, and It hurt my
eyes 80 I had to shut 'em."
well, I thought likely 'twasn't to show
spite you done it; you amt that kind; but
i thought Id ask We, SOS to set it right"
"If / was you I'd let it bile, Sylvy," said
Susan o little indignant. "Folks that say
things like that don't want to have 'em
set right, you won't get no thanks for do
"Why, Susan, you don't suppose folks
want to tell what amt true?"
"They want to talk" curtly replied Su-
san. The simple, grieved old face regard
ing her changed the current Of her inten-
ton; she took Sylvy's face between her
hands and kissed her tenderly.
"Well," she said, shave it your own
way, Sylvy; you're as harmless as a dove,
ii you amt as wise as q serpent. l didn't
want to have no serpents bite you; that's
ALL"
And Miss Sylvia, with a puzzled look on
her face. went her way.
She stopped next at q farmhouse some
distance beyond the village, whore Dea-
con Cole and his wife lived. They were
| old friends OF Sylvia's, and she had no
shyness here. She sat down in the kitch-
on, where Mrs. Cole was making pies, and
after a certain amount of friendly talk,
sne sa much au tr 70 WHY Mish t hnn' P Pc kDa
girl."
Q 'Sights," says Mrs. Cole, laying down
her rolling -pin-"sights of trouble, Sylvy.
She is the most contrary thing l ever ses;
you can't lead nor drive her. She don't
want to work and she don't want to learn.
/ can't manage her; the deacon thought
he could last week. He's real mild
spoken, you know, but he's real %resolute,
too, and he always goes to Scripter for
everything, SC he's always fingin' it at
me tnaC 1--we spared tue rOu on dopSy, duO
in'lly l owned I guess l had; but l
couldn't whip her, for ! couldn't hold her,
she's so strong. So when he camerin last
week a Monday, and found her eatin'
bread and m'lasses, and the Inner pot oil
billed out, the vlttles burned to the bottom
and the clothes lynn in the basket not
hung out-for rd been called in q hurry
over to Eds house, her teethin' babe
havin' gone off in convulsion fits, so I'd
left the dinner for her to finish, and wrung
out the washin' for her to put QUITO the
line, and husband come in to dinner to
find things so. Well, she laughed and
jumped round, and acted as though she
didn't care a mite; so he took down .
good rod he'd cut u purpose, and dressed
her down pretty smart. She yelled quite
q little, he said, but l guess it done her
good; she's stepped round pretty spry
sence."
swell! we'll" calculated Miss Sylvy.
Snow they're tellin' that you whipped her
most 10 death; that she was all wales
when she come to school. I didn't hardly
blieve it could be so, and l thought I'd ask
ye, and tell them the real fac's next time
s'ciety meets"
"If was you, Sylvy, I'd just stay away
from folks that talk such Stories, said
meek little Mrs. Cole, her lips quivering
and her ACE flushing with reasonable
anger. II never laid a hand on Hepsy-
navari wiah't had. and fhara WASN'T a