Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-06
A Poor Lone Orphan, But Quite Abe 10
Take Care Of Herself.

Take Care Of Herself.
About two years after my graduation
in the College of Medicine, while yeta
Young man of ardent feelings and sym,
pathies, I was called through special
influence to a professorship in a Vest
| ern college with permission ito attend
! to a few special cases outside. The IN
| stitution was an excellent one, but the
| neighborhood limited and thinly settled.
Social life in that locality was hardly
fascinating to the habitue of the metrop-
oils. Thus 1 got to visiting an all
around" store where loungers oongre,
gated, as we'll as all the cranks ana
humorists of the place.
The s%torekeeper himself was a
| character-strong in sense, sterling IN
honesty, pleasant and kind in the main,
but there was still a sort of subdued
f~erocity about "old Bill Farrar."
He broke his leg once and l was
called on to officiate. l was introduced
to his comfortable home and to his wife,
a quiet, commonplace, %toothless Ole
woman, and to his step-grand-daughter,
Pearl Ainslie-a name for a poem, isn't
it?
How strange to find this beauteous
flower growing up in q seml-wllderness,
as I thought it, though the people
around there evidently considered it the
center of civilization and cradle of the
arts. AS far as | could see this Pearl
of price was growing up without any
companionship except those two old
people. But the old woman dotted on
H.. .- DID, Iorc1, voicn coffnOoH L
thought, with a yearning tenderness
when he addressed her.
What a face she had! Pallid as
moonlight, fair as q lotos lily, with
delicately chiseled features and eyes
blue as %violets, full OF a mournful, ten
der pathos, a sort Of desolate appeal for
love that melted q mans stout heart.
grew to fancyI knew her quite we'll,
though l never caught a dozen words OF
her low silver voice. She always
blushed and remained silent in my
presence.
"Poor orphanw 1 thought, poor girl
shut up with these two old people. Yet,
doubtless, she loves them and appre-
ciates their tender care and devotion"
She interested me so that l talked OF
her to my wife and nothing but tender
pity filled my heart for Pearl.
One day in the midst of a freezing
winter Mr.. Farrar vas taken down witt
pneumonia. Although l preferred not
to extend my practice out of the college
limits, ] responded again to his call FOL
PEARLS sake. A few days suficied tt
show me all was up with him. The
girls beautiful nature shone out in this
dangerous hour as she comforted he:
grandmother and nursed her grand
father. The last came TO
J me. Too late! 1 entered the bedroom
with the gray light of dawn. TIL
grandmother had been hurried from tn
: room by careful hands. Pearl wa
! alone with the stark, livid face on tn
p bed. Ny heart melted for the poor
! lonely girl. [ went up to the fire wher
{ she stood, dry-eyed and pale, and too.
: both her little hands in mine. Sh
lifted her sweet, appealing face On
spoke. And these were her words:
i doc, do you think the old devil
real good and dead? He's been lik
unto the dade three or four times beft
and just as me and granny got hill
ready for beddin''o out he come to, an,
. the doctor we had befo' you, he Gale,
it a cathelickenit fit, though we neve
had no cats round-I despise EN-"
- 1 dropped her hands quick, but [ as
sured her this was a legitimate case TO
= bedding out" and, by way of remind
y ing this sweet, seductive, horrible gin
of her situation, [ said: But 1 fea
y you will be very lonesome"
- "Me lonesome? Not if I know it
Me and Bill Simpson II get married O.
the straight come Christmas, now tn
old man amt here to cuss, and sw'a
= and threaten to hoof Bill out, cause b
:; don't want to spar me from dom chores
: 1 was allus of a tremble for fear he
y gobble Bill or Bill nd make hash out
= him. It's a raal rest to think the oil
alligator's jaws are shet up ut last. Z.
Il take care O granny, doc. She'll b
- company whan Bills out trappin' an
y she can help sling pots aud tote babies.
[ left her to nurse these glad dream
of the future and the last words { hear
= her speak as 1 descended the doorstep
were: "Look here, granny, you ju.
stop that air moanin' and gnashin' you
70 teeth-only you amt got zone to gnas
= = and come and help me, you and Sail
- Ann, to lay out your old man. Th
~, doctor says he's ready to plant nov
"a sure, and you amt goia' to git marie
y no more, nuther. Now you just IT
member that, grannie. Bill and L
get married and run this house, and
amt goin' to have no men a runnil
n round here antickin' after you, gram,
is [ don't keer how f.isky a widow 20
le be-"
a Upon the whole. [ think that girl ca
N take care of herself. Don't you?
p