River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-05-01
THE WOODEN CROSS.
A Story of Superstition Versus
Sanitation.

A Story of Superstition Versus
Sanitation.
There was no doubt about it Little
Miss Laura Durand was having the very
best time she had ever enjoyed in her
life The long white French road, slOp-
ing so gently up hill and disappearing
against the sky on the top, was as
smooth as a floor. There were no fences
on either side, and il Little Laura
wanted 70 make a sudden dash from a
part of France that was owned by the
government to a part that was owned
by private persons there was nothing to
hinder her. And as Miss Laura had
only the vaguest notions regarding the
rights OF private property, she did not
hesitate to make many a dash after a
bright flower or a brighter butterfly,
and rOamed over the fields of France
until recalled by the voice of her mother
Dr. father. Sometimes Miss Laura stopped
IN her wild chase TO look wOnderingly at
the fisherwOmen who We're spreading
their brown nets TO dry on the green
fields; sometimes a fisherwOman near
the road spoke kindly to the little
foreigner with fiaxen hair, and then
Laura would run back and report the
extraordinary occurrence 10 her parents,
who followed her more sOberly along
the smooth upland road At the top of
the hill Laura made a startling dis
sOvery. as do all intrepid travellers
L. nd
with great spreading sails that revOlved
slowly round and round, and what was
still more wonderful was that the house
was being moved round TO face the
wind by a funny-lOOking man who
pushed on q long pole that came slant
ingly down from near the roof. This
Laura thought was most extraordinary.
She was perfectly certain that none of
the great houses of Boston could be
moved that way, and she thought what
= nice thing it would be if her papa
could 90 out on that Boston street and
turn around his handsome residence so
that the view from the nursery would
look out on something else than the
back Of the other houses. She thought
she would coax her dear papa to have a
pole put in 1t might be put in
az the back of the house so as
not TO attract too much attention,
and If papa did not care % push the
house around himself, she vas sure
John. the cOachman, would not object
The little woman looked very pretty
against the blue, clOudless sky with her
tresse streaming in the breeze that
blew in from the English channel
Iadened with the salt of its waves.
Laura theoretically beckoned to her
parents. She was sure the man would
stop turning and that they would miss
the strange sight if they did not hurry.
As might have been expected, they did
not hurry in the least, and when they
reached the summit the man was stand
ing with his hands in his pockets look
ing at them
'-Oh, now. papa, why didn't you hurry.
You missed such a sight Do you know,
papa, that that man standing there
turned that house away round all his
own self"
Now, Laura" cried Mr.. Durand,
what in the world will you tell your
friends when you get back to Boston if
you talk like that when we are here?
DO you expect me To believe that a man
could turn big house around all his
own self?'
Yes. but. papa dear. / sdr him. He
turned il away round eUer so far, he had
20 push awful hard. though added
Laura, anxious to give whatever air of
probability she could TO the incredible
story.
DO not say awful Laura, corrected
her mother.
mo. 'awfulIy' would be better gram
mar, my dear
LIT isn't the grammar I'm correcting.
Henry, it is the word. 1t is from you
she gets those words, too
L don't doubt it. Eva Any awful
trait that child has is sure to come
from my side of he house"
s'One should be very careful. Henry, of
the language ore uses before children.
They seem so Q lick at picking up what
one would rather they would not You
know you have not quite amended many
Of your Western phrases of expression.
well. Eva, suppose not. / wonder
you don't get discouraged IL ten years
privileged residence in Boston under
the direct supervision of one of the
Hubs most"
Don't say Hub Henry You know
how / dislike that word.
That's So Amendment accepted
under the direct supervision Of one OF
BOston's-yOu see l wanted 10 avoid
tsutOlogy-most dignifed daughters can
not effect a reformation. isn't il almost
time 70 give it up? 1t shows, Eva, ti.e
utter futility of marrying wild West-
erner TO reform him"
wild Westerner..r'
"a denizen. Eva, OF the uncaltIred
West. DO you ever reflect, my dear,
that the aforesaid denizen seems 20
know how TO make that useful article
known as cash, an article which regret
20 say has more slang titles than any
other commodity used in our great eoUn-
try. and vet an article which even the
most cultured OF BOStOn's citizens do not
object 70 handle and use? What a pity
il is that they haven't a Bradstreet's of
culture so that we could get the intel
lectual rating of every body. I wonder
xOme Boston publisher doesn't start
that Then We would read Mrs.
Henry Durand, AL Mr.. III. Durand.
Z24.'" All this time Miss Laura
was standing on a knoll short
distance away Whatever converse
tons took place between her par
ents. regarding the rights or wrongs of
things were never in her presence She
was watching with interest the actions
Of the Frenchman who hal charge OF
the windmill He looked the sails,
which did not seem to plea Tim, then
studied for few moments tL ERECTION
of the wind, and finally. to L, sa's in
tense delight. he placed his 5. qlder
again TO the long lever and slowly hifs-
ed the building around once more.