Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-01-30
Bohemia.
At Seventeen.

from 4 NalleN mile away. Inc
house faces the incline and back OF
it, up and up, the grade rises until
less than u mile away the tops Of the
green pines toss their brushes against
the sky. Right and left close hills
hedge in the house and on each side is
n touch of the primoval forest, Back
of the house on the incline is a flower
garden, kitchen garden, straw
berry, Il strip OF green corn and field
Of yellow grain.
In corner OF the garden beyond the
beds of vegetables and rows Of thyme,
rosemary and sweet marjoram grape
trellis and clump of currant bushes,
where ripe fruit hangs like lunches of
coral, there is a chestnut tree and un-
der its shade is Janet Townsend's fay
orttc retreat.
Janet is II. Her black hair is
braided, to her waist and beyond that
falls in n silIen bush that touches the
grass as she sits with her hands
clasped around her knees, her body
leaning forward. Her eyes are dark
and have in them that wistful inquir-
ing look you sometimes see in the
eyes of the young
Janet is dreaming of the future,
waiting for the kingdom to come to
her, and it is so much nearer than she
dreams.
Overhead songbird rustles among
the leaves and fits upward from limb
to limb until the topmost boueh is
reached. He pipes two or three short,
inquiring notes, turns his head this
way and that to see if he is to be un-
disturbed, and then he balances for
ward, while the rich round notes of
his wild song seem to fairly tumble
from his throat.
Janet, Janet, n voice Is calling.
Janet, your father wants you." The
girls hands unclasp, she throws out
her arms, numbcd by the tension OF
the clasp about her knees, and then
she lightly runs down the path to the
house.
"Fathcr wants you, Janet one OF
the sAildrcn repeats as shc bounds up
on the front ste Cp,"
what is II, daddy
She sits down on the step and looks
up at the man so like herself. His
dark eyes have retained their fullncss
and softness OF youth the cheeks are
thin and dark with sun tan, but his
forehead is bread and white,
Were you busy, Janet?"
Tin never busy, dad"
The man looks at the girl half re-
gretfully. u am afraid you don't like
work, Janet. Work Is good thing.
yes, ! know work Is good thing
the right kind of work"
There was silence for few minutes
and then she said, reaching out for
the paper he held in his hand, DO
you want me to read the rest of that
continued story? They had just
reached the trial in the last chapter"
No not just now. Mother and |
have been sort Of talking things over
and we have decided that we will use
the honey money each year for the
children's education. Now, you are
the oldest, Janet, and mother thinks
you ought to have chance, because
you have always had to kind of take
care of the younger ones. saw
Zekial Hale in town today and he
tells me Elizabeth is going TO a bust
ness college in the city, Mother and
/ concluded we'd have you 70 with
her. Elizabeth's a good girl"
What would | do with a business
education. dad"
"Oh, lots OF girls are learning to be
bookkeepers and stenographers and 80
on. DO you wan. to go'"
Not to be bookkeeper, dad
why"
II have got book learning enough
but If you will let me go and study
drawing" The girl goes behind her
father ard puts her arms close around
his neck. u can draw well now, Mr.
Muncte says ! can learn no mere from
him. | want to be All artist"
The mans face is thoughtful Il
don't know about that, Janet. I'm
AFRAID mother won't agree, but III ask
her. Children nowadays do learn diff
ferent thrgs from what they used to"
Dear old dad" and the arms hug
closer. And will live In Bohemia"
He didn't say anything more. He ia
very proud OF this bright, dark girl;
he has an innate feeling that she
really would not make q bookkeeper
DR. an Office girl; she Is 30 different
from the other children.
The matter Is finally settled that she
IS going away. Away from the cottage
LII woodbine covered, the sweet damp
woods, the birds that sing in the tree
ops. Away from the deep. clear
creek and the favorite spot
where the eddy is formed by a Jutting
rank and the speckled trout skins the /
water and leaps at the wide winged