Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-07-05
HOW | BECAME AN AUTHOR.
The story OF that ve-uundred
Dollar I'rizc.
BY BELLE V. CHISHOLM.

BY BELLE V. CHISHOLM
DO not put heapin spoonful of
sugar in your tea, Elsie. Mind, sugar
has riz half cent on the pound" said
my Aunt Phillis, sharply. as she NOV
ed the yellow, cracked sugar-bowl out
OF my reach.
Grown girls do eat an amazin'
sight" joined in Uncle Reuben. from
the other side of the table. 1T was
mighty inconsiderate for Robert TO
drop oil SO sudden-like and leave you
unprovided for. With his five hundred
year he ought to have laid away
sight o money. But he was no mana
ger. never was. 1t was not in him 10
say no when people came Begin.
md he religiously laid by his tenth for
the Lord, no matter how poor the
harvest. Now my doctrine is, if the
Almighty stints the crops. it's his own
lookout if he has 10 take short toll 1
reckon will be obleeged to give you n
home, but you must jump round spry
and try to pay your keepin'. Now. If
Providence could only have seen far
enough forward to have made you
boy, il would have been more to my
likm'. Then you could have built
fence. fixed the cellar wall ami sich.
which I've got 10 pay for, seem you
are girl. IL you could have taken
hold of the plow-handles and followed
the burrows / needn't have hired
Jacob to help with clearin or grubbm'
but pshaw! what does II girls work
amount TO, anyhow What signifies
rubin out few cloths. sweepin' the
house over once day. or washn' n
dozen dishes now and then? Cryin'!
1t IS aunoyin' how easy women do cry.
Sakes alive, they laugh and cry in one
breath. No power on earth can control
'em when they want to be contrary.
"And that reminds me, Elsie, that
your uncle has took the sch oolmaster
TO bourd. and it is high time his room
was put to rights. l am sure / don't
know what possessed you. Reuben, for
them book-larned people are all a wool
gatherin' set OF course, four dollars
a week is a Renaissance not to be over
! looked, but if he has not an appetite
like a saw-mill. miss nv guess"
Aunt Phillis' steel gray eyes were
still upon me, though her closing
words were addressed to uncle, who
was too intent upon the business before
him to grant her'an answer. Though
trembling violently, ventured to in
quire
Cant l go to school, Aunt Phil
LISP"
She turned upon me savagely, fairly
screaming:
go to school. Elsie Do you reckon
that me and your uncle are q goin' to
keep you up n lady, and git nothin' for
I our painsp You're better scholar
now than even our John. better than
any man or woman in the neighbor-
hood. unless it might be the minister
! himself. You'll not sit here mopin'
like YOU did at home when your father
was Twin, l assure you"
You see what book larnin' did for
your father" put in Uncle Reuben.
"He was II sight better off than was
when we started in life, for Uncle
Robert Cherry left him five hundred
dollars for his namo If he had in
vested that money in land, instead of
putin 1t in his head you would not be
on my hands pauper, to-day. Too
much edication is not good for men.
and it ruins women"
Here uncle gave emphasis to his
words by decided nod; II habit he had
when peculiarly well pleased with
himself
As we arose from the table. aunt re-
turned to the subject uppermost in her
mind, by hurrying me off to arrange
the masters room.
Tuck EN- big pillows into the chest
that stands in the corner. Goodness
knows, these college chaps carry their
heads high enough without poppin
'em up with four pillows. and mind.
Elsie. 10 take off that new blanket.
You can slip OH that old comfort in
the chest. He'll never know the diff
ference"
was glad to escape from the sound
OF her harsh voice, but more formid-
able foe awaited me in the passage.
No sooner had closed the door than
cousin John, q great, burly lad OF six
teen. called out tauntingly:
"Ho, my fine lady. So you expect
to put on grand airs. and lord 1t over
us in finished style. Pretty cheeky for
a poor-housc kid. should say"
"You are bad. cruel boy. and /
hate YOU" 1 cried. indignantly.
Take that, and that for your
sass" he retorted, striking mo with q
whip he held in his hand. I'LL teach
you TO talk back to me, you beggar."
You are n wicked, unprIncipled
boy" returned defiantly, springing
behind the door to avoid the second
attack. In his fury to got ahead of
me- he jerked the d DOR with such forco
as 10 throw himself against table that
stood near. His howl Of pain brought
his mother 10 the scene OF conflict.
That young tiger flew at mo like a
mad-man. and hammered my face into