The Monitor-register., 1896-10-09
GLEANINGs.
The Schonset Girls.
BY FAYE

what a queer idea! Where did Won
pick it up?" you
on' IL grew up slowly. You know T
nave not been away, ever for a d.n ..,-
year. could not go with Aunt Fannie
@nu .ne girls to the seashore, because
Ao't'e was away, and 1 thought 1 did not
oare ABOUT going anywhere else. Rnt
no" that Lottie is at home and 7 can
ie"ve as well as not, they are all urging
me to take a five days off for a rest. and
'ue other day Mrs. Lewis stopped over a
Train on her way to the camp and urged
me TO Join her there. She said I oould
JUST as we'll bring a friend and have a
.oom IN ner cottage. There you have the
history of the birth and the develonment
OF the idea which you characterize as
queer 1t would give us a nice little
outir g."
But, Laura, think of the doses of
temperance we would have to swallowp'
MOT necessarily. 1 do not DIDO
tnere is a compulsory attendance law as
IN the public schools. Besides, I am that
near ~stagnation, growing out of the
monotony of my existence, that even a
temperance lecture, delivered by a man
or woman of brains, would be a relief!'
w do need something to stir us up;
it is dreadfully dull here. 1 finished the
years Chautauqua readings last month,
and nave INDUCED in a few novels since.
out l am tired of waking up every morn.
ing to the same old wall paper! 1 would
like to do something, and perhaps your
scheme is the best we cap do"
The weekly prayer meeting, held in the
one church of the little village, was about
the only social advantage which the
place afforded, and the two friends, May
Landers and Laura Clifford, we're taking
the long around ON their walk home from
n of these gatherings.
Even our prayer meetings, where
there ought to be life if there was any
where, seem very lifeless," said Laura.
II wish We could somehow put some
vitality into the atmosphere of the village,
but failing in that, let's get out of it for
a week or two"
Reaching Mays home. they sat on the
doorstep and planned their trip to Clair
moHt Camp. Their arrangements were
quickly perfected, and in two days later
the girls found themselves established in
a balcony room in a pretty summer cot
tage. May took along a supply of novels,
but Laura declared lone for her. The g.
L.. s. G. work and other reading had
exhausted her brain powers. SO she told
the people at home, and she assured them
she did not expect to make literary effort
enough to write ev co a letter; daily postal
cards would be the extent of her COM
munications, aud unless something very
important happened she would be quite
satisfied with postal cards in return. She
said:
sit isn't literary stirring up that l want;
l want to see new faces and hear new
voices. I mean to engage everybody l
meet in a confab over the weather or
over what we had for breakfast!'
1t was the afternoon of the second day.
May Landers in a hammock and Laura
in a rocker, they looked the picture Of
Incidence, though they named it ''rest."
Presently Mrs. Lewis called from the
piazza below:
"Girls, are you not going to the Audi
forum this afternoon ?"
Laura reused herself sufficiently to
look over the balcony railing as she
asked:
"What's going on ?"
"Why, dear child, l thought everybody
knew that Mrs. PARTIAL was to speak this
%afternoon!'
81 think we won't 60, thank you, said
Laura, and Mrs. Lewis moved away with
reluctant step, wondering what those
girls expected to do if they did not
attend any of the lectures. And l am
afraid she felt a little contempt for any
one who would willingly miss such q
speaker.
"Where are your young ladies ?' asked
a young woman whom she met near the
Auditorium.
"Lounging on tie balcony! Oh,
Madge, folks do tire me! They are lovely
girls and really quite intellectual
belong to the G. L. s. q. and all that,
but they are either afraid of temperance
or else they imagine there are no speakers
on u platform worth their while to
listen to-"
SIT is too bad, and Mrs. PARTIAL, tool'
swell, l told them, and ask ID them to
come; if they choose to throw away their
chances I can't help it."
Mrs. Lewis passed on to join some
friends, but Madge Canton stood irreso-
lutte. Only for a moment, then she said
with a spirit of determination, SIT is
worth trying for, anyway" and she
turned her steps in the direction of the
Lewis cottage.
Meantime, May was saying. There,
Laura, what did l tell you 1 knew we
would be pestered to death over temper
ance lectures!"
"But, May, she could not help inviting
us; we would not have liked it il she had
not, and you must nave noticed that she
did not urge the matter"
"1f it were anything but temperance !"
'fNow really, when did either of us
ever listen to a temperance lecture ?"
"Dear me, 1 don't remember as 1 ever
heard one. 1 I'M opposed to cranks on
general principles"
"Who is this Mrs. Partbal!' asked
Laura.
II am sure l don't know; I suppose she
is just one of them! I never heard Of
her. But my, don't cry that aloud.
Mrs. Lewis evidently thinks it a piece of
heatheuism not to know all about these
temperance men and women"
Laura's chair ceased its swinging
motion and she said with a slight increase
of energy in her voice.
"Say, May, it isn't just pleasant to
appear ignorant, even upon subjects in
which we have no interest, when we come
into contact with people who are
interested and who will talk about the
things that they know about aud we
don't know about!"
"That is So" returned May with a
thoughtful air. "We ought not to have
come; it is placing ourselves in a false
position. But now that we are here we
will have in self defence to turn investi-
gators. We will tell Mrs. Lewis that we
have taken q day or two of rest and after