St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-25

the inhabitants OF an ant hill. Even
now. cold wave of remorses runs
through me when l remember how
many Of those poor innoeentS were nm
Intentionally murdered, for it was impOs-
sible to move my feet without stepping
on one or dozen of them. 10 escape
detection, threw their dead bodies to
the swine. In the afternoon the ''ruR-
ners' were cut off the strawberry vines,
the currants must be picked and the
water pumped for the cows. Thus every
day in the week passed, except wash day.
The memory and the odOr of those dread
full Mondays still hover about me. The
recollection of one is particularly vivid,
over my feet. There were only two
days in the week that brought me any
real pleasure. On Thursday came the
weekly paper, and in the evening we
all sat in the kitchen while my uncle
read aloud the politics. the poetry, the
'sSharps and Flats" and the continued
story. That was ared-letter day in my
existence, and during the following
week. while my ears were 'boxed'' be-
cause the meat burned, or s'silk' was
discovered on the corn when it came to
the table, comforted myself with the
thought of the continued story that was
coming the next Thursday, and lived
an imaginary life, in which / was a
wonderful heroine, surrounded with
dozens ofe lovers. any Of whom would
cut Off his head at any command. Then
came Sunday, the blessed day of
rest, when, dressed in a blue
and white striped calico dress,
spOtlesS white stockings and ealfskin
shoes, carrying my brown cotton para
sol. walked the school house, where
we had Sunday school. | heard and
doubted the story of Jonah and the
whale, l shuddered at the tale Of the
Elisha a bald head, / recited the ten
commandments and the twelve tribes
OF Israel. and when the teacher solemnly
assured us that God saw everything NY
thoughts would revert to the dead
chickens fed to the pigs. Sometimes,
in a fit of religious feryer. almost re-
solved to tell my aunt. and receive the
whipping which [ knew would follow
the disclosure; but after Sunday school
was over took more rational view of
the subject, thinking that although God
knew he couldn't tell OH me, and to this
day the sin has never been confessed.
Sunday afternoon l changed my
dress, donning dark calico.
put my shoes away so they
would keep nice for fair time. The
county fair was the great event OF the
year in the country-and then / wand
cred off to the COW pasture, where, with
my Bible and Aurora Leigh, the only
books | had, passed the hours with
the cows, Both of the books were be-
You'd my comprehension, but studied
the lives of Moses and Joseph. WeDt
over the sad fate Of AbSalom, and
learned my verse for the next Sunday.
Although | understood very little of the
book. l read Aurora Leigh because l
felt that she was kindred soul. She
had lived with her aunt, and lived
with mine. To me to live with an aunt
meant to be supremacy miserable, and
| had sympathy for Aurora. One senti
ment in the book / fully understood,
and it struck me very forcibly. 1t was:
'She had lived Well say
A harmless lite, she called virtuous life,
A quiet life which was not life at ALL
After reading that, l laid the book
down and said to the cows. ''That's just
like me and my aunt; we don't live any
life at ALL"
To some people, the idea of country
life may be sweet secluSiOn from all
earthly cares-s'where the wicked cease
from troubling, and the weary be at
rest;" but to me. rural existence means
a continual round of bare feet walking
over wheat stubble, wedding onions,
feeding poultry and singing ''boXes"
On my ears. POLLY POLLOCK.