The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-07-01
A FEMININE FENIAN.
what! Another Fenian?"

"What! Another Fenian?"
"Waal, wouldn't go ez fur ez calm
Il tibet, James Francis. OF corse, not
being Methody er Baptis', either hard
on soft, kinder sots s'picion on her in
Otter erik, but Fenian'' The worthy
postmistress shook her head in chart
table doubt. IT wouldn't prefer SIGH a
ser'us charge. She's pleasant spoken
young critter, an not tall ev'looshanry
yookin."
"Kelly wuz Fenian," asserted a
veteran farmer, deftly balancing demi-
John of molasses against the sundry con-
tents of huge bandanna handkerchief.
"'Pears ez eff this deestric' is jes' runnin
riot after SIGH f1rebrands. +"
Kelly was the late incumbent of Of
Ter Greek. discharged by the selectmen
on three counts, age, subscription to
incendiary literature and indifference
to arithmetical accuracy, as clearly
proved by his favorite formula, eff you
come within three figgers of the answer,
you're nigh enough.
"She has smilin eyes," irrelevantly
remarked an imprudent youth sorting
out hand rakes in the corner.
"Hit already, Abe?" sneered the vet
eran. "Smilin eyes be bowed! For
q sarviceable schoolmarm give me a
savage lookin gal Howdy s'pose this
un'ill rassle 18th the mill gang?"
ST don't favor her persuasion" can
didly admitted the stalwart James Fran
els, "but for all that I'm for giving her
q fair trial, even though she does turn
the boss head on the wrong road to
meeting"
''Here she comes now, a-caperin down
the hill with them Tucker children"
remarked the postmistress, pleasant
smile lighting up her comedy face. 'It
do beat all how a great growed gal, an
q sohoolma am at tibet, kin frisk along
ez giddy an friv lus ez eny of her schol-
ars. -
Quite unconscious Of the interest she
had excited, the young teacher came
blithely down the hill, her own rapid
step still further quickened by the i'm
patient urging of her small charges, the
little sailor hat tilted forward over
face pretty only in its youthful curves
and happy, frank expression The post
mistress was quite right in deciding
that there was nothing revolutionary in
her appearance. Abe also was correct in
his opinion of her eyes, and James
Francis, viewing her critically, became
conscious of an alarming Indifference to
the manifold evils lurking in her per-
suasions So impressed was he by the
unfairness of his original remark that,
after investing in chocolates for which
he had no earthly use, he requested the
genial Mrs. Forbes to observe silence on
the subject, favor readily granted and
quite as cheerfully withdrawn under the
irresistible temptations of a cozy tea,
with the girl teacher as her guest.
Teaching in the country is the ordeal
through which nearly every tyro must
pass before being allowed to engage in
city service. Though not the ideal pur-
suit painted by pen artists, it is the
stepping stone from which many an
ambitious wording hopes to climb to
the heights OF fame. In her unobtrusive
way Cecilia Desmond was ambitious
She coveted college course and in
dulged in roseate dreams of future
crowned with honors won by personal
effort. As step in the right direction,
when T'le Otter Creek vacancy offered,
she prom pity packed her simple ward
robe and laid goodby to the dear ones in
her city home. 1t was the first separa-
ton, and the ache Of parting throbbing
in six hearts expressed itself in copi-
GUS shower of youthful tears, quickly
dried, however, in flash Of fun as the
strenuous efforts of the stage driver to
lash the trunk to the tailboard resulted
in the breaking of the rope, sending
him sprawling in the roadway.
After months experience of the
new life the young teacher was begin
ming to realize that fame asks much of
its vptaries. The routine of work was
wretchedly monotonous, varied only by
occasional skirmishes among the differ
ent sections of the district. The constit-
uency Of Otter Creek academy had
many subtle subdivisions based on fam
lily feuds or political and religious vari-
ance. To unite SO many elements in
even seeming harmony and at the same
time impart sufficient instruction to
satisfy the rather exacting community
was task Of gigantic proportions, and
one which the girl in her home letters
frequently asserted could be accom-
plished only by the united effort of
statesman, professor and a police Off
Ger. AS comparison is relief or a tor
ture free to all, Cecilia fell into a habit
of contrasting her fate with her sur
roundings, and thus became fully con-
scious that her lot was not as fowery
as were the meadows stretching along
the slope and TRANQUILITY monopolizing
the fertile interval.
From the meadows her thoughts re-
verified naturally to their owner, the fair
minded young farmer who had cham
pioned her cause even while condemn
ing her belief. He was one Of natures
noblemen, she admitted rather grudg-
ingly, and censured herself severely for
allowing her thoughts to dwell pleasur-
ably ON his masterful manner and Wig
orous, manly beauty. At such times,
to atone for her mental vagaries, she
locked herself in her sultry chamber,
and forcing her intellect to the contem-
plation Of some abstruse problem be-
guiled herself into the belief that she
was fairly reveling in an intellectual
IL