Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-01
BARBARA'S TRIP.
A New View That Will Last to the
End of Her Life.

''Oh. dearr'
Barbara gave the piece of silk an
impatient toss. and dropped her h ands
In her lap. She had twisted and
Topped the obstinate fabric until she
was tired of it. Turned one way it
showed a stain, turned the other it
showed where it was pieced: neverthe-
less it must trim her fall hat, for the
simple reason that there was nothing
else to trim it with.
'sThere never is any thing else."
soliloquized Barbara. disc, nsolately.
s:All my dresses are made from some
thing turned wrong side up or inside
out and / always have to trim my
hats with what is left. Generally there
ISN'T any thing left"
ssBe it ever so humble,
There's no place like home,''
quavered Aunt Susan's voice from the
basement where she was churning.
Il hope there isn't; / don't want any
other place exactly like this one"
unused Barbara, surveying with dissat-
isfied eyes. rs she had done hundred
times before, the faded red and yellow
carpet, the mantle piece with its row
of family photographs and tintypes,
the green wallpaper, and the motto in
wors ed work, somewhat married and
battered by time, which hung between
the windows, a wre ath of impossible
blue and red roses surrounding the
maxim: Live not for Thyself"
''Worked by your Aunt Jane that
died." Aunt Susan always explained.
II don't wonder she died." COM
mented Barbara, scrutinizing its ugli-
ness afresh. Il think it would kill me
to work such horror. On. dear!
wish could go away and really live
for little while. Aunt Susan doesn't
mind it. and Nat, / don't think Nat
cares much for any thing but that old
mill; but am so tired of all thisr'
The brown eyes wandered out over
the beds of late flowers to the row of
tall poplars that bordered the yard,
the mlll-stream showing in bright
glints beyond. and farther away the
hills, wearing their autumn glory now.
Beyond these lay the great world of
which Barbara dreamed. the world of
be auty and pleasure, and all fair pos
sibilities that never could find their
way into this narrow nook. Wild and
vague, as dreams are wont TO be, were
Barbara's, but none the less enchant-
ing for that. There were so many
grand things to be done and enjoved
If only she could have the chance that
others had.
t,a..
round day after day, as much pleased
at finding a new nest in the barn, or
at getting an unusually good yield
from the churning, as if eggs and but
ter had never been heard of before.
Barbara's red lips curled little as
she remembered how the kin l. home
" face had looked in at the door an
hour before to announce that ''old
Speckle had stolen a nest in the man.
gers" and Nat had paused to listen to
the important intelligence before he
went eff to his daily work.
Nat had managed the old grist-mill
alone for the three years since his ia
Their died. He had been young for
such a charge then. he was scarcely
more than boy still. though his Sis
ter seldom realized it He looked old
for his years, and his shoulders were
slightly stopped. as if they had borne
heavy burdens too early. Barbara
noticed 1t as he went down the hill;
she was in a mood for critical notice
that morning.
How brown his face and hands
were, too! and his coat a cheap af-
fair at its best and grown threadbare
now, fitted him badly. The country
neighbors all praised him as obliging.
honest, faithful and industrious. but
these seemed very commonplace Writ
ues to Barbara
OF course she was glad to have him
all these, she said to herself. and he
was always good to her. dear old Nat!
but she did wish he had just little
more dash and style about him. 10
be sure there was not much chance for
dash or style in their circumstances.
but she sighed impatiently over the
plain, plodding life and all that be-
longed to it.
Looking tor next year birds
nestsp' asked a voice just outside the
window.
Looking for something there is as
little probability of my seeing" an
swered Barbara. recalled to the pres
emit by Sallie Pratt's rasping laugh
and the disagreeable consciousness
that Sallie's sharp eyes were scanning
the strip of silk in her lap. where the
stain seemed to have grown deeper
than ever, and the seam more hope
lesslv prominent
Making crazy quiit?" was the
question, malicious this time; for the
poor. untrimmed. little hat was plain
" visible.
'.After having seen yours?" asked