River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-04-29
MISS PLATT AND MRS.
PRATT.


lnkeater n Co., fifteen years Mrs.
Pratt had been a teacher seventeen
years. TSey were good-looking WON
IN and dressed well. though plainly.
They had saved in the years they had
worked about S40O apiece. That was
all Mrs. Pratt's hair was long since
gray and Miss Platt was expecting
daily 10 find the first white hair in her
brown locks-the picket, SO to speak,
announcing the advance of the whole
army. They had been economical,
and worked up to the last drop OF
blood in their bodies. and yet they had
not been able to get ahead. Every
year it seemed harder and harder to
rise ia bitter winter mornings to catch
the five-cent train on the IL" road.
Every New Years day Miss Platt cut
q notch in the leg of their one boarding
house rocking chair, and looked into
Mrs. Pratt eyes and remarked mourn
fully:
"Men may come and men may 60,
But we go on forever"
One memorable day Mrs. Pratt
answered back:
Must We 20 on fJrever'
Miss Plat was the best talker and
Mrs. Pratt was the best listener That
was one reason they got on so well to-
gether. 1t must have been nearly a
thousand times they had discussed the
possibility Of getting out of their tread
mills. They recognized that nobody
ever became pecuniarily independent
working for somebody else on a little
salary. He must 90 into some enter
prise for himself, Women never have
any capital 10 commence business.
They must work for such small pay
compared to men that they have no
chance to save anything. The spinis-
ter and the widow were beginning 10
look forw ard with q cold terror to the
time when they should be shunted off
the track like a wOrn-out horse, too old
to work any more.
Il suppose, maybe, l can save
enough to admit me into widow $
home, somewhere, said Mrs. Pratt,
mOurnfully.
And little back room, an old
maid and a cat and a cup of tea and a
picture of the Rock of Ages said
Miss Plat, sorrowfully.
They had discussed all ways they had
ever heard of for escaping the i'm
pending doom. All failed for want of
capital to begin. Miss Platt's eyes
were giving out. The school board
had giving notice that it meant to chut
down the little pay of the women
teachers aud add it to the big pay of
the men principals. Both these brave
women were nearer despair than they
had ever been before.
Have you ever noticed that Just when
we become desperate the tide turns in
our favor?
1t was with energy, and a flushed
cheek and a dewey eye that Mrs. Pratt
said. therefore:
Must it 90 on forever?'
Then both women were silent, look
UNCOVER the situation. The very ali
around them was blue. At length Miss
Platt spoke:
Susan, g" said she, '.let us make a
break for liberty"
Yes" said Mrs. Pratt.
Susan, said Miss Plat, "will you
shake hands on it?'
Il will"
Their hands met in a solid, seriou,
clasp.
Now. it's done, said Miss Plat.
They talked far into the night. Both
knew they would do as they had said
But now the agreement was made, they
couldn't help feeling a little scared.
They were going to give up a certain
ty, however small, for an uncertainty,
however big. Being women, they were
timid and conservative.
Il wonder if we couldn't start a
creamery. That's where they make
butter, isn't il" said Miss Platt.
But now Mrs. Pratt made a long
speech for her.
mo. Marian, that won't do. What
ever we 90 at, we must do the work
ourselves Do YOU think we could
learn to milk cows at-at our age2'
Speak for yourself about age,
said Miss Platt; I'm not too old to
learn any thing, hope. 1t must be in
the country. though. The only life
worth living is in the country. I've
been in a city all my life, and am tired
to death of the sight of people"
Yes said her friend, "they eX-
haust one So.
1T seems to me, said Marian,
..when | am IN crowd that they
breathe all the life out of me. | won
even 20 into town of J, 600 inhabitants
"a nasty, back-biting little village
where they send, a committee around
to see what church you belong to. My
one earthly desire is a little place in
the country house of three rooms
with roses and strawberries, and an
old pear tree and chickens.
Chickens, did you say? asked the
quiet widow "Chickens?"
Yes, replied Miss Plat. MA
rian. You've his it, Chickens il is. -
Then the widow made the longest
speech of her life.
We'll get little place in the coun'
/ try and 90 to raising chickena. Cow:
I horn people and they kick. Hens
+ haven't any horns and they can't kick
/ Cows 90 dry and they would be dead
expense on our hands part of the year
Hens don't 60 dry.
DO YOU mean TO go into the poultry
business. run a chickenery or what dc
YOU call it.
Yes" said Mrs Pratt. Nov
we re committed, think that would
be the thing"
"Oh. Susan. fresh eggs to sell, anc
spring broilers, and no board to pay
/ I've read that plum orchards go wei
with chickens. The fowls eat up the
worms that sting the fruit. or lsome
thing. What a splendid thing it viii
be to have plum erchardl'
Worms don't sting plums, y correct
/ ed Mrs. Pratt.
well little thing like that doesn't
matter. How much do damsons anC
/ green cages sell fer a bushel. Susan?'
Mrs Pratt smiled. Il don't know,
she sajd, "but l think we can do it.
Tlen we might keep few bees. My
grandmother. in the country"
'.Oh. YES, L hnow. They sell honey
by tie pound. Fifty pounds of honey
al tw 5nty cents pounds, that would
be ten dollars. Ten dollars in the
country viii gofurther than twenty-five