The St. Johns herald., 1900-01-20

would be only mild exercise TOT me- such as 1 was accustomed to at col lege and before.
 Alex merely looked at me with amusement when 1 told him, wltD an air of euizzical condescension, as 1t were.
 But Jane slapped me on the back and whispered in my ear:
 Good for you! and stick to it, if 1t breaks your back"
 had not thought of my back before in the matter. Her remark worried me just triie on that account. But otherwise the speech was full of en- couragement and worthy of the sis ter of my Laura.
 The next morning went to work.
 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 1 soon found that had no breath to waste on words.
 Aunt Alice came over, had 8 chair brought, produced her knitting, and told me how men used to saw wood when she was young.
 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 six swinging on the gate.
 It 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 1 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, for which 1 was thankful. It was my 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 would have been sued for damages.
 If you have never sawed wood, don't try. It is the hardest professional work in the world. Az sn exercise it is to be commended, but as work, it is to be avoided, summed, 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 l was so weak could have dropped.
 "Stick to it," whispered Jane.
 Don't give it up," said Laura.
 These two sisters were Spartans re- incarnated-at least, for that day. They did not know the torture 10 which they were subjecting me. It was aw- full.
 If could only do something else" thought, as bent my tired back over the saw and worked it with almost pal sled arms, ''just for a little while every now and then, I believe could pull through the day."
 looked appealingly at Alex. He merely glanced back with sardonic smile.
 The Spartan sisters noticed my ac- tion.
 Stick to it," whispered Jane, again.
 Don't give it up," repeated Laura.
 It 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 8 wash basin from her kitchen window with a little shriek.
 Don't go after it, Mir. Wilson," she cried, ''I'll run downstairs and get il"
 But she did not start to run. On the contrary, she remained in the window and winked most prodigiously. saw 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. "I'm not as tired as either of you. I'll take it up to her."
 "Oh, mo-" answered; "I'll do it. You must be awfully tired from sitting on , the grass in that awkward position"
 ''Not at all" he answered. "l insist"
 ''So do insist" replied.
 'sBut 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.
 "I am as fresh as daisy" replied.
 By this time we were both grasping the pan and struggling for the posses i sion of it. He was bound to see his joke ; through and make me stick at the wood-sawing untilI dropped from sheer : exhaustion. 1 was determined not to give him that oportunity to use it. He stood with the weight of his Oody rest ing on one foot and the other advanced carelessly. 1 stepped in. caught the ankle of the leg which supported him ID the crook of my opposite foot, and. with twist, threw him backward to the ground.
 To nay shame and regret, was more successful than expected to be. Alex'f head struck the stone border of our long walk, and he was knocked sense less. Perhaps it was fortunate that the accident happened, for Ciccfy confided 10 me that she intended to set the house