Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-06-14


pose. Before closed my eyes on
that first night l had marked out
regular course of study which was to
occupy every spare moment. 1t seem.
cd to me that | had grown old In the
last two weeks. l could not realize
that l was the same happy child who
had danced so mcrrily in and out of
the parsonage door so short time be-
fore. If could only have staid with
Margaret. dear Margaret. who had
taken me when an infant from my dy-
ing mothers arms and cared for me
during all the fifteen years of my life
She would have clung to me faithfully
had not the death of my father left
her in her old age as helpless and de-
pendent as myself. Dear Margaret
l will yet make a home for you. aud
together we will eat the bread of iude-
pendence. !" l cried. tterly. Strong
in my determination to succeed, |
gathered my school books from the
bottom of the old chest, and took up
the unfinished lessons that my father
had marked out the day before he
died. Thanks to his thorough method
of instruction. and the interesting
manner in which he strOve to present
the great truths he taught l was not
only well advanced for girl of fifteen,
but | possessed that inOrdlnate love
for books that makes study pleasure
instead of task.
Much as shall always despise John
for his cowardly treatment OF friend
less orphan, cannot but feel grateful
to him for utterng the singing words
that aroused me from M stony grief,
and opened up II new source of enjoy
ment to NV starving soul. Every mo.
ment | could steal from aunts watch
full eye wxs devoted to my books.
One evening she happened to come
into the pantry when was replen-
ishing my light Taking the old saul
cor from my hand. she said sharply:
Seems TO me. Elsie. you use a
like sixty. Miss Jones got seven cents
pound for hern. There is no sense
in great girl like YOU havin' to carry
Il light upstairs every night. Betty
Robbins told me that she had seen u
light in your window all hours of the
night and that folks say you set up to
study. If | catch you stealth your
time to pour over books I'll burn 'em
every one"
She set the old cracked dish on the
upper shelf and crawled mp stairs, dis
Outraged but not conquered. just at
this time | was wholly absorbed in
Geometry. made it point to learn
one new theorem every dav. which |
al ,, knH nj OF nj ,rh In
way | mastered the whole book. re-
viewing until could have demonstrate
ed every theOrem It contained without
making u single mistake. In similar
manner became proficient in many
other branches. Usually | attempted
but one study at time. Alta very
early age nv father had insisted on my
wr ting verse, story or little sketch
at least once n week. This practice
managed TO keep up. and after my
Compos ton book was written through
! had recourse to an old tlmc-worn
ledger OF my grandfather's
One day-it was my sixteenth birth
day. tool gained courage to send my
poems to a paper my uncle had been
induced to take. | watched its col
uhlbs tuStilN tNcig "oNh' hhli NY
pride was fully gra,ifed by seeing nv
own production in print Again and
again my vanity prompted me TO write
II few verses. which invariably made
their appearances in the course of few
weeks.
One evening my aunt sent me on an
errand TO the IN mister wife. She was
engaged when made NV business
known. n Il gave ms new magazine
to look over until she could wait upon
mo. Among tho first articles to at.
| tract nv attention was one of my own
little poems clipped from the paper fol-
which il bad been written. My hea /,
throbbcd ioyfullN at this token of ap,
precat on. For a few minutes was
supremelr happy, and then an over
whelming sense OF my utter loneliness
came over me, and with the b ttel
thought that had not single friend
to rejoice with Inc over my success,
turned rapidly through the remaining
pages, until the words, 'FIve-hundrec
dollar prize" attracted my attention
! first ran IN eye over it hastily, theI
re-read it carefully. after VIII ch / tool
paper and pencil from my pocket anC
copied the address. The pr &c was offer
cd by the editor of the magazine 70
the best serial story for girls. AL
competing manuscripts were to be il
the hands of the editor bv January LIST
and the prize was awarded early il
April. ii WAS now the middle of Oct o
Der Before | slept ! had written 70
particulars. and II nelghbOr's lad, pass
ing b, at day break the next morning
carried the letter To the Office for me
As soon as ! rere we'd instructions.
went TO work III VII. and hav
no doubt but that my aunt had jus
cause for her fault find ng during th
| next three mouths. for my mind wa
more upon the char tcterS that nv i'm
agination ha'i brought into being, tina
, upon my work. Aunt hal persistent
Y ly denied me light in my room dul
ing the whole year. but kind Margart
' remembered mo on my birthday /
: writing me u good long letter. !
t which she enclosed a crisp new doll a
p bill. Part Of Ihi' use for paper an
4 o ]. AMI the balance was boarded f.
y postage.
# A week before the time specified ha
!. expired, IN: precious package Wi
8 COMMITTED to the care of Uncle Sai
r and the two next months ] waited al
Il hoped. get dreaded 10 hear the decisit
r that the spring might have in store f
10 for me. Three days later my wea
> watching WAS changed into II glad sol
n OF thanksgiv NJ. for bus -lookil
l. letter which uncle put into my han,
Is brought me the five hundred dollars
n. had been dreaming about for 6
in months. | had won the prize: how.
H. scarcely know, unless my despera
ig case had nerved me for the conflict.
2 may be that m. aching head ma
to itself felt through nv fingers-til
nj AT any rate. had won the PR
rs and the money. ind sputable, W
re m ne.
D. Five hundred dollars may seem
pt very insignificant sum TO those wi
u. count their possessions by the tho
ri sanls. but To mo II meant a peacei
home with MI dear old Margaret al