The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-04

up cannot go--not one STEP"
~ sob, MOTHER said
Sarah Maria, pleadingly.
81 don't see why you want to pest
er me SO, Sarah Maria. l know IL
isn't fit weather for skating; Why 1t IS
regular thaw. Only yesterday noon
those Simmons boys were skating on
the river and at two o'clock it was all
open, running water. Now l don't
want to hear another word about 1t
as Sarah Maria opened her mouth.
..Sit down in the keeping room and
study your arithmetic lesson like
good girl, and pretty soon you can
have a nice hot fried dried-apple turn
over"
Sarah Maria went slowly out OF the
room. Her head was bent down;
her fine light hair, like thistle down,
was braided tightly in a little braid
which stuck out stiffiy as she walked
away; she jerked her elbows and
twitched her shoulders in her red
and black plaid dress.
Sarah Maria's round, freckled face
was all twisted and knotted up in
the effort she was making not to cry.
She was "spunky" little girl.
Sarah Maria was not very pretty
child, and red was not her color, she
was SO pink herself; and today she
looked pinker than usual, in her
emotion. Even the parting OF her
hair was pink.
"Shut the door," called her mother,
$50 the smell of the fat won't go all
over the house"
Sarah Maria did not quite dare to
bang the door, but she shut it in a
very decided manner.
After Abby Lote and the others had
come and gone, Sarah Maria sat
down by the window and listlessly
began to study her arithmetic lesson;
but she did more looking out of the
window than studying.
Mother didn't say l couldn't go
and look on" said Sarah Maria to
herself, presently. II guess I'll go
just for little while"
So she put on her hat and coat, and
went very quietly out of the front
door. She knew very we'll that she
was not doing right. She did not
take her skates.
"Oh, goody! so you've come, after
ALL" called Abby Lote.
"I've only come to look on a min
ute," said Sarah Maria.
"Oh, come on, it's such fun; the
ice is lovely Ben-doughnuts.'"
81 haven't got my skates"
mo matter; Carrie Mays just 60
ing home. She'll let you take hers"
mo, guess not" said Sarah Ma
ria. 81 can't stay only few minutes.
I'll watch the rest"
The ice was very soft and Timber"
bending up and down, but not break
ing, as the children skated rapidly
over it. Such "bendy" ice they al
ways called "Ben-doughnuts."
Poor Sarah Maria! She felt that
she must go Oh, and the children
kept teasing her "to try it just once
across and back"
"Pooh" at last said one boy, "you
don't darst to; you are 'fraid cat,
that's what you are. l stump you to
go across five times"
This was too much for Sarah Maria,
she never could take stump" In
a twinkling she had put on Carrie
Mays skates and had dashed out
upon the Pond hole.
"'Pears to me, Tidy" said Grand
ma to Sarah Maria's mother, "you are
just a leetle hard on Sary. Why
couldn't you have let her go to look
on, or skate just leetle mite?"
"Now, Ma, " said Mrs. Brown as she
quickly filled and folded over a dried
apple turnover, 81 can't have you
spelling that child. 1t was not safe
for her to go; and know it is the
best thing for her to stay in the
house, and she must learn when l
say no, mean it. Just see how still
she is"
Just as still as a mouse" said
Grandma, with sigh.