The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-01-24
PHIL DENNETT'S
"HIGHBACK."
Copyright, 1900, By John Boyd CLARKE.
BY JOHN BOYD CLARKE.

~ GIFTED over the great graz
n pralries Of upper Minneso'
y are many little communitie
49, Of implanted plank cottage
or even of "sod" houses whose lnhht
itants possess more OF the characterlS
tics OF the old time Yankee than TN
present occupants OF our New Englah'
homesteads. And the reason FOR 'hl'
is plain. These western Yankees hf'
lineal descendants of our best lurl'al
stock and In migrating to their prairlt
homes from the rugged New EnglahC
hill farms took the pccul!hrltles anC
homely virtues Of their ancestors WIN
them. Boston "culture' has been III
tered over the New England farm
steads, and the old time Yankee or the
old fashioned Yankee community Is an
imposslbiity in the east.
But these wpstcrncrs display the In
dustry and frugality Of their ancestors.
They are a Woodworking people whose
pleasures come lnboriouSly. For eight
months In the year it Is tug with no
ture for the necessities and few or
the luxurics Of life. The other four
months they are snow bound. 1t Is IN
this season, when the snow NANTES
the prairies and the ice king letters
the water courses, however, that the
Minnesota boys and girls find most Of
their pleasures.
1t is in winter that "SchOol keeps
and some Of the pupils are well grown
youths and maidcnS. There is littlc
time for education during the rest Of
the year, and the ambitious are not
ashamed to show their anxiety for
book learning" The schoolhousc, usu-
ally In tho center Of the widely scat.
tered community, IS the headquarters
for all junketingS and frolicS. If the
schoOlmastcr happens TO be unsteady
inclined, SO much the better. There Is
at once a singing school established
for one evening In the week.
Several years ago I'm II community Of
this kind known as SaSSafraS Bottoms
the young people formed a singing club
which met ut the SchoOlhousc on I'ri-
day evenings. The people OF the Bot
toms made up typical MinncSotIan
commur'ty-therc were none very rich
and few very poor. The young people
had all met each other in the common
school, that grcnt lcYcloi nF class dis
tlnctiOn, and there were few cliQues.
There was one family, Il recent ac-
QUESTION to the Bottoms, which was
rather an exception 10 this, however.
They had lived some years down st.
RAUL way in much more thckly set
tied part Of the state and were inclined
to look down little upon their new
neighhors. Especially was this true of
the son and daughter. Hiram BAH was
little spick and span fellow, with
dark complexion and eyes and hair as
black as coal. He was very gallant
with the ladies and was inclined to
snub some Of the boys In way which
they could not resent excepting III
thelr hearts. His sister Mira was a
pretty little brunette, but she, like her
brother. had such an exalted opinion
or her OWN Importance that she was
not very popular. In fact, the coming
OF the BallS to SaSSafras Bottoms was
the sowing OF discord In the social life
or the community.
The winter Of which l write began
With a good fall Of snow the day be-.
lore Thanksgiving. and at once the
Doys got out their sleighs and planned
10 take the girls to ride. There wcrc
an softs and conditions OF sleighs,
from the wood sled with a carriaec
seat affixed and the ordinary "punp" to
fhii nehnetts old fashioned high.
pack. Phil Dennett was the acknowl.
euged leader among the young fellows
or the Bottoms. and It was considered
something of an honor among tho pir,s
10 De invited to share his sleigh To and
IRON singing school. The old hirhback
huge box affair which had often hc,f
merry party Of six quite comfortably
was an institution In the bennett fam
ly. IT had belonged to Pills great
uncle and Phil patched ana painted |,
every fall with sort Of vcncration.
fhll was merry, good tempered fcl
low, ana, as l have limited, the girls n,
MS acquaintance were glad TO q,
sielghihg with him. But for two OF
three winters past there had been few
er 1rolics in the old highback. Phil ha(
seemed to prefer taking one vouno
ady ut time, and that Fortunate nor,
son was always the same-tho dooto..s
daughter, Myrtle Kemp. Othor a,r,a
who may have secretly "sct thc,r onn., o."
at the big, good natured young forpo,
had to turn their eyes elsewhoro nv.
force. pei
Hiram Ball happened to poss -,
bennett place the morning after IN
first snowfall and saw Phirs box sle,o
in the yard.
Hello, Dennettw he exclaime,
"Where'd you get that ark?"
Don't you like the looks Of It.
queried Phil coolly.
ut looks like q relic Of the noun
builders" said HI, with q laugh.
-"Don't s'pose your sister would cal
to go sieighing with me, eh /" respon,
ed Phil.
"Well, hardly--in that thing"
"All right, shan't ask her, then"
"Sny, you don't really mean to 60