The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-07-23
LOVE VERSUS SCIENCE

LOVE VERSUS SCIENCE
Tine, the early iiftics. Place a
country school house on a central Hi
nois prairie. Illinois was not the
greatest railway state in the Union
then. 1t was state of magnificent
distances of prairie boltomess sloughs
every body called them "sloOs'-
dense forests here and there. and wide
eXpamses of 'fevcrnagur' everywhere.
Nagrant herds of deer still found room
to grow UP with the country. the howl
OF the wild painter" was heard occa-
siOnallv in TIE woods at mightfall. men
wore "britches'' with "galluses," ;" Meth
odist circuit preachers held 'meetin's"
nj crossroads school houses at the
usual hour in tire morning and at
early candle lighting" in the evening.
where people knelt down when they
prayed, were net afraid to shout
Amen" when they indorsed the sem
timcnts Of the brother who happened
to be leading in prayer, and where the
preacher, when he had become thor
oughly warmed up with his subject
and was putting on the emphasis,
could be heard mile away.
The climate hatsa't changed then.
All over that part of "Eclinois'' the
apple orchards were famous for the
variety, excellence and abundance Of
their yield, peach trees grew luXur-
iously in the fence corners along the
roads and in the lanes. and wagon
loads of their luscious fruits rotted on
the ground or were eaten by long
nosod PIGS for lack of better customers
to pay - cents Il bushel for them or
take them away for nothing.
The people never suffered from par
esis or neurasthenia. were ignorant Of
the very existence of hay fever, and
were happy without knowing ANYTHING
about Delsartc. 1t was before the
days of the Colorado potato bug, and
the yociterous greenback orator Of
later years was wading in the pond be-
yond the patch of rOsim weed bare
headed, sun-burnt and freckled. hunt
inc tadpoles or fishing with a hazel
switch, Il piece of string and Il bent
pin for mud-cats.
1t was Friday afternoon and school
was out for the week The Youngsters
had gathered their books. fled out of
the door with a whoop. and were on
their way home. Some OF the older
puplIs-there were no pupils then,
however; they were all schoars-had
fingered TO discuss the absurdity of a
proposition laid down by the school
master in the little talk with which he
was accustomed to wind up the eXer-
clscS Friday afternoons. when the pro-
grammG OF speeches and compost
tions" had been finished This prOpo-
sition or statement was to the effect
that two straight lines could aDuroach
each other forever without coming
quite together. He had made this as
sertion incidentally, without stopping
to demonstrate it, and with all their
reverence for his superior knowledge
they Couldu't swallow it.
Hiram Walker, the Young man who.
for Il consideration of $50 n month and
the privilege of boarding round
among the families represented i'll his
school. had been imported from IN
Ohio college 10 teach the early central
Illinois idea how TO shoot, was appar-
entity absorbed in the work of arrang-
ing the books and papers in his desk
preparatory TO locking them up. APP
parenlv he had forgotten that he was
TO spend the coming week with the
family OF Farmer Sanford, whose eldest
daughter. Mary, was the brightest,
smarlcst, prelliest GIRL in the whole
school. and that it was his habit 10 be-
Gin his week Of boarding Friday even
inc. He did not seem 10 notice that
Miss Mary was preparing to slip quiet
Is out Of the door. Yet he was not so
deeply occupied with his books and
papers that he did not hear the sub
durd comments of the incredulous big
bows and girls concerning the two
straight lines always getting nearer
and nearer 10 each other and yet never
coming together. lie listened with a
faint suggestion of Il smile on his face
10 the words and fragmentary sem
tences that reached his ear, and went
on arranging his desk.
Presently he took from its inmost
recesScs a bio oblong ball of twine,
such as kitc-hying boys are wont to
make by winding it erisS-cross on
stick OF wood, put it in his pocket, and
closed the desk with slam.
by the way. Miss Mary" he said to
Farmer Sanford'S daughter, after he
had shut and locked the door of the
school house and found himself appar-
eutly by accident overtaking her, Il
am 10 be Il boarder at your house for
the next week, if | am not mistaken"
Yes. sir, " replied Miss Mary, look
ing straight ahead.
you expect to board there yourself
right along, just the same as ever?'
Yes. sir.
Going home now, are you not?"
Yes. sir
No other road there than this?"
Not that | know of"
Then we can't help going there to-
getl;er can we?'
Il suppose not"
This fact being logically established,
Mr.. Hiram Walker took from his
pocket the obion@ bail of twiue.
Now, Miss Mary" he said with
the manner of Il man bent wholly on
demonstrating a proposition in mathe-
maticS, IF YOU doubt that two lines
can approximate each other forever