The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-06-30
A FEMININE FENIAN.
what! Another fenianw

Waal, wouldn't go ez fur ez calm
her tibet, James Francis OF course,
bein' Methody, er Baptis', either hard
er soft, kinder sots 'spicion on her in
Otter erik, but fenianv' The worthy
postmistress shook her head in charita-
BILE doubt. II wouldn't prefer SIGH a
ser'us charge. She's pleasant spoken
young critter an not tall revlooshanry
lOOkin'."
''Kelly Wuz fenian," asserted a vet
eran farmer, deity balancing a demi-
john of molasses against the sundry
contents of huge bandanna handi1er-
chief. ''Pears ez eff this deestric' is jes'
runnin' riot after SIGH frebrands."
Kelly was the late incumbent of Otter
Creek, 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 fggers Of the answer
you're nigh enough"
'She hes smilin' eyes, irrelevantly
remarked an imprudent youth sorting
out hand ralles in the corner
Hit already, Abe," sneered the vet
eran. "Smilin' eyes be bowed! Fer
a sarviceable schoolmarm give me
savage lookin' gal. HoWdy s'pose this
I'm 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 a fair trial, even though she
does turn the boss head on the wrong
road to meetin'."
'Taint the boss head alone at I'll
be turned the wrong way" scoffed the
grumbler; 'every durn young fool in
Otter erik is ready ter foller suit.
Smilin' eyes, indeed! I don't b'lieve
she kin fgger through fraxions, an
fust chance I git I'm goin' ter stick her
on the contents of them logs out'n the
school yard. I don't b'lieve in wim1nin
teachers anyway; but eff the erik can't
hire master for $75 a term an board,
why then it orter look out fer the
homeless lookin' female at could he
hired fer money. Enythin' at all
pass'ble makes fair idjits of you young
fellers.'
And grimly ':hefting' his burden the
veteran departed, followed by a re-
spectful "cantanker'u 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,
pleasant smile lighting up her comely
face. 1T do beat all how a great
groWed gal, an a 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
a face pretty only in it's youthful
curves and happy, frank expression.
The postmistress was quite right in de-
Gliding that there was nothing revolu-
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, a favor readily granted and
quite as cheerfully withdrawn under
the irresistible temptations Of a COW
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
stepp1ng-stone from which many an
ambitious wording hopes to climb to
the heights of fame. In her unobtru-
siyc way Cecilia Desmond was ambi-
tio'ls. She coveted 4 college course
aud INDUCED roseate dreams Of
future crowned with honors, won by
personal effort. AS a step in the right
dire ton, when the Otter Creek va
cancy offered she promptly packed her
simple wardrobe and said good-by to
the dear ones in her city home. 1t
WIS 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 the
breaking Of the rope, sending him
spraWling in the roadway
After q months experience of the
new life the young teacher was be-
ginning to realize that fame asks much
Of it's votaries The routine Of work
WAS WIeCcueuly HOMOGENEOUS, varied
only by occasional skirmishes among
the different sections Of the district.
The constituency of Otter Creek acad-
envy had many subtle subdivisions
based on family feuds or political and
religious variance. TO unite so many
elements in even seeming harmony,
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, a
professor and a police officer AS COM
parison is a relief or a torture free to
all, Cecilia fell into the habit of con-
trasting her fate with her surround
ings. and thus became fully conscious
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
championed her cause even while con-
dominic ha. Hn v1oc opo ~