Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-30
The Policeman Have no Control Over Wild
Flowers.

" N"S SOAAo usAN
take them away from me?" she asked,
about timidly and then sitting
down beside her mother.
No, dear, there are no policemen in
the country"
Then why don't everybody live in
the country?
IF everybody did then there would
be need of policemen"
But we could live here, couldn't
NO. for there would be no work for
me to do"
But you wouldn't have to work any
if you lived here"
ooh, YES, dear, 1 should have to
work no matter where / might be?"
"Why?"
Because l am poor
Who made you poor"
"Oh, don't ask suchquestions, Mary"
You never did anybody any harm,
did you?"
Never III the world"
And rich people have done harm?'
Some Of them have"
And is that the best reason they are
rich?"
"You must not talk that way, child.
Go on over there, now, and gather some
more flowers, for mamma is very tired
and does not care to talk"
Il am too tired to gather flowers.
Will l catch cold if l lie down here?"
NO" the mother answered, making
a pillow of a shawl, "lie down and 90 to
Sleep"
And if that big b%lue-looking bird
comes back will you wake me up so L
can see him? i
"Yes."
"She was soon fast asleep. The
tired woman bent over her. Cattle
came down and drank at the brook. A
farmer boy, breaking up the corn land
in an adjoining field, cast %glances at the
sun, as though longing for the noon
hour, and q foot-sore man, with a rusty
bag thrown across his shoulder, trudged
YEARLY down the road. A M
ina far-away door-yard stood with q
bread-tray resting OH a low gate post,
and cheerily called the chickens.
The little girl awoke. where are
my fowers?" she asked.
Here they ire. dear, just where you
left them"
Il dreamed that the policeman came
and took them. Did the blue-looking
bird come back?"
"No, but he may be back after
awhile. Do you feel rested?"
almost. / wish you would sing to
me-"
ooh, I can't sing now, Mary, / de-
clare / can't. 1t is almost as much
as I can do to talk"
"Please sing just a little bit Of q bit.
Precious, 1 really cannot. Don't you
know that I have not been able to sing
since L had that awful cold in the win
ter? Come, let us go up to the house."
They went to a farmhouse not far
away. A brusque woman was sweeping
the yard. A lazy dog, with n eye
shut, lay on the porch.
Il reckon you find it mighty lonesome
out here" said the farmers wife"
ooh, no." the city woman replied.
This is the only resting place I have
foundfor many a day"
"Well, 1 guess it does keep a body on
the move in the city. bavin' to go to so
many balls and parties"
81 do not go to any. [ work in a shirt
factory"
why, I didn't low that city folks
had to work at all. L always thought
that the folks in the country have to
keep them up in their idleness."
"And my little girl expressed the
opinion just now that the people in the
country did not have to work any. Her
idea of work is that the laborer must be
shut up in a house."
"Ho, that amt no work a TALL" spoke
up o slouching boy that had left his
pillow and come to the we'll to get q
drink OF water. IF I didn't have
nothin' to do but to stay in the house J.
wouldn't care whuther Sunday came Or
not. It's bein' out in the br'ilin' sun
that makes a Teller hump"
Mamma, said the little girl, II want
to lie down. I am tired"
II am afeerd," said the farmers wife,
shat you brought her here too late,
and I don't know but you come too late
yourself"
A little white face in a beautiful
tangling of brown hair. A high, old
fashioned bed,-white plaster kittens on
each corner Of the mantel-piece and a
clock ticking midway between them. 1t
was late at night, and the tired boy
snored in the "rafter' room just above.
The mother and the farmers wife sat
beside the bed. The child had been
sleeping. Suddenly she awoke.
won you sing for me?" she asked.
The mother tried to sing, and then
sobbed on the pillow.
"You can't sing, for you have such a
cold" said the child. did the blue
looking bird come back, mammal"
mo, angel"
The tired boy snored in the @~rafter"
room Just above. The child was asleep
asleep for evermore. A handful of
flowers lay on the bed beside her. The
policeman did not come and get them.
-ArkansaW Traveller.
Politeness in the Boston Of Mexico.