The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-09-08

Alex merely looked at me with
amusement when I told him, with an
air Of quizzical condescension, as It
were.
But Jane slapped me on the back and
whispered in my ear:
Good for you! and stick to it. if it
breaks your back"
1 had not thought of my back before
in the matter. Her remark worried me
just a tride on that account. But
otherwise the speech was full of en-
couragement and worthy of the sis
ter of my Laura. s~s<u - Il
The next morning went TO work.
1 do not like to receive visitors when
l am engaged in my professional duties.
1t will be seen that I regard wood
saving as a profession. 1t is. It. is
too hard for work. But the public and
my friends did not consider my wishes
in the matter.
Alex and his wife came over and took
seats on the grass to watch me at my
work. The former brought his pipe
and the latter some fancy work. They
were prepared to stay all day. I felt
like asking them if they had brought
their lunch with them, but I soon found
that l had no breath to waste on words.
Aunt Alice came over, had a chair
brought, produced her knitting, and
told me how men used to saw wood
when she was young.
Mr.. Dickson strolled up soon after.
and the author of the MONOGRAPH
watched from the window whenever
she could get an excuse to look out.
1t was nice little wood-sawing party.
| wish could have made it progress
sive wood-sawing party. Perhaps Alex
and Mr.. Dickson would not have
grinned so much. They would have h;@
to take their turn.
But there were others. The neigh
bors strolled over to see the sport, and
leaned on the front fence, while their
children took turns in parties of ST.
swinging on the gate.
1t takes but little to draw a crowd.
BY noon half of the town was watch.
ing the strange sight of a man saw
ing wood. They were an orderly crowd,
and stood there in breathless silence.
They did not attempt to guy me, as I
expected they would. They seemed to
be merely dazed at the unusual sight,
AS time wore on, and they grew tired
OF standing, more and more of them
leaned upon the fence, until at last it
went down, carrying the gate and all
souls aboard with it. The wreck was
complete, but there was no loss of life.
Tor which was thankful. It was nv
fault, OF course, being the owner of
the fence, that it was not strong enough
to support the weight of three human
beings to the linear foot, and if anyone
had been seriously hurt 1 would have
been sued for damages.
II you have never sawed wood. don't
try. 1t is the hardest professional al
work in the world. AS an exercise it is
to be commended, but as work, it is
to be avoided, stunned, cast off, given
to the poor. There is no muscle that it
does not tire, no bone that it, does not
break. In half an hour I was so weak
1 could have dropped.
"Stick to it, whispered Jane.
Don't give it up" said Laura.
These two sisters were Spartans re.
lncarnated-at least, for that day.
They did not know the torture to which
they were subjecting me. It was aw-
full. --~.- =
IF could only do something else"
1 thought, as bent my tired back over
the saw and worked it with almost pal
sled arms, "just for little while every
now and then, I believe 1 could pull
through the day"
L looked appealingly at Alex. He
merely glanced back with a sardonic
smile.
The Spartan sisters noticed my ac-
ton.
"stick to it, whispered Jane, again.
Don't give it up" repeated Laura.
1t was the author of the monograph
who saved my life that day. In some
way or other she knew and understood.
Perhaps she had learned to saw wood at
Vassar. AT any rate, just as was about
to collapse, Cicely dropped a wash
basin from her kitchen window with a
little shrek.
Don't go after it, Mr.. Wilson," she
crieo, I'll run downstairs and get it,
But she did not start to run. On the
contrary, she remained in the window
and winked most prodigiously. Isaw
the point, and started for the basin.
shouting:
"Never mind! I'll get it for you, and
bring it up-I know you're tired.'
But Alex jumped up also.
LET me get it," he said, springing
toward the basin. Pm no: sls tired as
either of you. I'll take it up to her."
"Oh, no." I answered.; cpl do it. You
must be awfully tired fron, sitting on
the grass in that awkward position.''
Not at-all,'' he answered. II insist.''
$50. do I~insist;" replied
''But you can't climb the stairs or
even work the elevator. with that cramp
in your back, and that dull, tired, stiff
feeling in your arms and legs" he went
on. ~
II am as fresh as daisy" re Piled.
BY this time we were both grasping
the pan and struggling for the posses
sion of it. He was bound to see his joke
through and make me stick at the
wood-sawing until dropped from sheer
exhaustion, I was determined not to
give him that opportunity to use it. He
stood with the weight of his body rest
ing on one foot and the other advanced
carelessly. I stepped in. caught the