The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-05-31
A FEMININE FENIAN.
What! Another fcnian"


her tibet, James Francis. OF course,
bein' Methody, cr Baptis', either hard
er soft kinder SOts 'spicion on her in
Otter erik, but fenian" The worthy
poStmiStress shook her head in charita-
BILE doubt. II wouldn't prefer SIGH Il
Ser'us charge. She's pleasant spoken
young critter an not tall rev'looshanry
looSin."
Kelly WIZ fenian," asserted vet
eran farmer, deity balancing demi-
john of mOlaSSeS against the Sundry
contents of 4 huge bandanna handker-
chief. Pears ez eff this deeStric is JeS'
runnin' riot after sich tirebrandS."
Kelly was the late incumbent of Otter
Greek, discharged by the Selectmen on
three counts; age, subscription to in
cendiary literature and Indifference to
arithmetical accuracy, as proved by
his favorite formula, If you come
within three tiggers of the answer
you're nigh enough"
'She hes Smilin' eyes," irrelevantly
remarked an imprudent youth sorting
out hand rakeS in the corner.
Hit already. Abe" Sneered the vet
erau. "Smilin' eyes be bowed! Fer
Il Sarviceable Schoolmarm give me Il
savage lookin' gal. Howdy s'pose this
un ill raSSle 18th the mill gang?'
Il don't favor her persuasion" can
didly admitted the stalwart James
Francis, but for all that I'm for Civ
ing her fair trial, even though she
does turn the boss head on the wrong
road to meetin'."
faint the boss head alone at II
be turned the wrong way" Scoffed the
grumbler; every durn young fool in
Otter erik is ready ter fOller suit.
Smiln' eyes, indeed. | don't blieve
she kin tigger through fraXions. an
fust chance l git I'm goin' ter stick her
on the contents of them logs out'n the
school yard. l don't b'licve in wimmin
teachers anyway; but eff the erik can't
hire a master for $50 term an board,
why then it Orter look out fer the
homeless lOokin' female at could be
hired fer money. Enythin' at all
pass bic makes fair idjits of you young
feller$.'
And grimly netting" his burden the
veteran departed. followed by a re-
Spectful "rantanker'uS, meddlin' old
cuSS," from the enamOred Abe.
Here she comes now, a-caperin
down the hill with them Tucker chill
dren." remarked the postmistress, a
pleasant smile lighting up her comely
face. 1t do beat all how great
growed gal, an schOolma'am at tibet,
kin friSk along ez giddy an friv lus ez
eny of her scholars"
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 pOStmiStreSS was quite right in de-
Gliding that there was nothing reyOlu-
tionary in her appearance; Abe also
was also 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 persuasion. So i'm
pressed was he by the unfairneSs of
his original remark that, after invest
ing in chocolates for which he had no
earthly use, he requested the genial
Mrs. Forbes to observe silence on the
subject. Il favor readily granted and
quite as chocrfully withdrawn under
the irresistible temptations Of 4 coy
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
pursuit 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 unObtru-
sive way Cecilia Desmond was ambi-
tiOus. She coveted Il college course,
and INDUCED roseate dreams of a
future crowned with hOnOrs, won by
personal effort AS a step in the right
direction, when the Otter Greek va
cancy offered she promptly packed her
simple wardrobe and said good-by to
the dear ones in her city home. 1t
was the first separation, and the ache
of parting thrObbing in six hearts ex-
pressed itself in a cOpious shower of
youthful tears. quickly dried, however,
in a flash Of fun as the strenuous
efforts Of the stage driver to lash the
trunk to the tailboard resulted in tho
breaking Of the rope, sending him
sprawling in the roadway.
After a months experience Of the
new life the young teacher was be-
ginning to realize that fame asks much
Of it's yOtariCs. The routine of work
was wretChedly mOnOtOnOus, varied
only by occasional skirmishes among
the different sections of the district
The constituency of Otter Greek acad-
envy had many subtle subdivisions
based on family feuds or political and
religious variance. To unite so many
H.,
and at the same time impart sufficient
instruction to satisfy the rather eX,
acting community, was a task of gigan,
tic proportions, and one which the
girl in her home letters frequently as
serted could be accomplished only by
the united efforts of a statesman, q
professor and a police officer. AS com
harrison is a relief or a torture free tC
all. Cecilia fell into the habit of con
Trusting her fate with her surround
ings, and thus became fully conscious
that her lot was not as flowery 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 haC
championed her cause even while con
demning her belief. He was one OF
natures noblemen, she admitted rather
grudgingly, and censured herself Sc
verely for allowing her thoughts tC
dwell pleasurably on his masterfu
manner and vigorous, manly beauty
At such times, to atone for her mental
vagaries, she locked herself in her sui
try chamber, and, forcing her intellect
IN tho contamination of some abStruS(
problem, beguiled herself into the be
lief that she was fairly reVelipg in al
intellectual Elysum.
Notwithstanding this severe, self-in
flicted discipline, youth at times raj
riot and urged Cecilia to the commits
sion Of many acts not at all compatible
with the dignity of her position, or he
lofty intellectual pretensions. The or
chards, berry patches and sweet smell
ing hay fields We're responsible TO
oP ha,, 6ov;ofiono from tho aOI