The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-11-05

Usually every community has a few
Individuals that can DO called originals,
and l. ti;e:r originality attain a classic
al fame, AID among several sach char.
acters l rc:2cmher Old Fla Maord and
the pro- ,,viaI letter carrier, Johannes
IsakSS1u.
Fla Mucrd had her little history ard
her proud re"ollections i'll spite Of her
humble station in life. Ever since she
was a child, and long after she had at
tanned the gTaCefulneSs in figure of q
barrel, she had been i'll the service Of
the barons of Svanaholm, and when the
old baron departed this life, like all
other barons, and his son, the young
honorable, succeeded his father, feeling
his aesthetic mind suffer from daily
behOldiug old Fia's corpulence, Fla
was penSiOnod off and given Il little cot
tage on the estate and enough pasture
ground to support IL comfort the female
IF the bull-in other words, u COW Of
the regulation pattern and size. Old
Fla had il most comfortable in her old
age. Not a party, wedding. christening
or funeral took place for miles around
but that old Fla must be there and
cook, and as Fla was not by any means
bashful, her lardcr was constantly pro-
vided with the choicest Of Satables and
d~rinkables.
Old Fla was certainly not Il beauty.
She spOrted a pair Of mu>taches that
were the envy of the young men in tho
village. Her form partook more Of the
resemblance Of a Dutch cheese than a
sylph, aud to behold Fla sailing down
the village street, like a galley under
full sail. was "a sight for the gods. OF
course Fla was not to blame for her APP
pearance-that was accepted as a freak
of the CreatOr-but Fla was of such ex-
tremely moral temperament that as soon
as she discovered that any young man
and woman in her neighborhood were
spooning, or an engagement reported,
Fla did her best to break or hinder il,
claiming it was all frivolity and the
work of the evil one. OF course Fla
claimed TO be prompted only by the
best intentions, but this little streak Of
virtue IN old Fla was not appreciated
by the young people, and Fla was con
sidered a good, lawful subject for all
the pranks that the dcpraved minds Of
the young village people were capable Of.
and young peoples minds in our mod
ern times are very elastic.
Imagine, then, the glorious rumOr that
spread that old Fla herself had been
made subject for the lance of the evil
one and that the object Of her tender,
maidenly love was the old letter carrier,
Johannes. And to think Of the cOnse
queBces Of letting love loose in such a
big body as Fia's! Tho result might we'll
be considered serious, and the villagers
were on the tiptoe Of expectation.
Old Johannes had, early in life, been
steward CT a big estate and associated
with city people, and even met foreign
ers, and acquired a high toned language
and manner which, all combined, had
conquered old Tia's maiden reserve.
One day Johannes had called at Fia's
cottage to deliver a letter, and as this
was something 50 extraordinary, AN event
in Fia's life, Johannes must perforce
remain and read the communication. II
turned ont to be Il notification that Fla
had inherited the respectable sum Of
1000 rix dollars from q member Of the
noble family of Svanaholm, and Fla
had, therefore, the attraction Of an heir
ess for Johannes.
Fla, on her part, considered Johannes
as a great man. Was not his language
like what she sometimes had heard at
Svanaholm: And did he not represent
his majesty the kings postoffice depart
ment: The best of everything from Fia's
larder was placed before Johannes, and
he was Toasted like a king. The satisfac,
ton was mutual, for as Johannes said
one day :''Mamselle Fla, it is SO pleas,
urable TO visit here, when one has as
suetuded with edificated persons, and
again converse with an equivoke and
>cynic female"
Old Fla just sat there, the picture of
astonishment at the big words, Of which
she did not understand the meaning, but
it charmed the old girl, and Johannes
learning was rewarded with pancakes
and frequent glasses Of something Fla
claimed kept rheumatism out of the
bones.
Johannes would have been made OF
stone if suc!, attention had not touched
his heart or his stomach. Whether Fla OF
Johannes first made the proposition t
visit the village pastor and request tina
the banns he published between then
will forever remain a mystery. (Il
Sweden it is the custom for the pastor I,
read the names from the pulpit afte
service on Sunday of these that intend &
marry, and this is done for three Sun
days i'll succezFion.)
Both Fla and Johannes knew that j
their intention became known to the vii
Layers they would be exposed to mucI
unpleasantness from the young people
and they decided Oh a plan that the
thought was very clever. This was fo
Johannes and Fla to start, dressed i
their ordinary everyday dress, by sepa