The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-23
PHIL DENNETT'S
"~HIGHBACK."
BY JOHN BOYD CLARKE.
Copyright, 1900, by Joha Boyd Clarke.


~ GIFTED over the great grain
prairies Of upper Minnesota
are many little communities
49, Of implanted plank cottages
or even of sod" houses whose inhab-
itants possess more of the c~haracteris-
tics of the old time Yankee than the
present occupants of our New England
homesteads And the reason for this
lie plain. These western Yankees are
Hneal descendants OF our best Puritan
stock and In migrating to their prairie
homes from the rugged New England
hill farms took the peculiarities and
homely virtues Of their ancestors with
them. Boston Couture" has been FL
tered over the New England farm
steads, and the old time Yankee or the
old fashioned Yankee community Is an
im~posslbility in the east.
But these wcsterners display the in
dustry and frugality of their ancestors.
They are q Woodworking people whose
pleasures come laboriously. For eight
months In the year it Is a tug with na-
ture for the necessities and q few Of
the luxuries 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 maidens. There is little
time for education during the rest of
the year, and the ambitious are not
ashamed to show their anxiety for
book learning" The s~choolhouse, usu-
ally In the center of the widely scat
tered community, Is the headquarters
for all junketings and frolics. If the
schoolmaster happens to be unsteady
Inclined, SO much the better. There is
at once n singing school established
for one evening in the week.
Several years ago In n community of
this kind known as Sassafras Bottoms
the young people formed a singing club
which met at the schoolhouse on Fri
day evenings. The people Of the Bot
toms made up n typical Minnesotlan
community-there were none very rich
n few very poor. The young people
q all met each other In the common
school, that great lcveler OF class dis
tinction, and there were few cliques.
There was one family, q recent ac-
QUESTION to the Bottoms, which was
rather an exception TO this, however.
They had lived some years down st.
Paul way In a much more thickly set
tied part of the state and were inclined
to look down a little upon their new
neighbors. Especially was his true of
the son and daughter. Hiram Ball was
a little spick and span fellow, with
dark complexion and eyes and hair as
black as GAL. He was very gallant
with the ladies and was inclined to
snub some OF the boys in a way which
they could not resent excepting In
their hearts. His sister Mira was q
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
Of the community.
The winter OF which / write began
with a good fall Of snow the day be-
rore thanksgiving, and at once the
boys got out their sleighs and planned
TO take the girls to ride. There were
all sorts and conditions of sleighs.
from the wood sled with q carriage
seat affixed and the ordinary "pung'' to
Phli benefits old fashioned 'high-
Dack." Phil Dennctt was the acknowl-
edged leader among the young fellows
OF the bottoms, and 1t was considered
something OF an honor among the girls
TO De invited to share his sleigh to and
from singing school. The old hiphback.
u huge box affair which had often held
u merry party OF six quite comfortably.
was an institution In the bennett fam
lily. 1t had belonged to Phil's great
uncle, and Phil patched and painted II
every rail- with q sort of Ycncration.
fhil was a merry, good tempered fel.
low, and, as | nave limited, the girls of
MS acquaintance were glad to 20
sleighlng with him. But for two or
three winters past there had been few.
er frolics In the old highback. Phil had
seemed to prefer taking one young
lady at n time, and hat fortunate per.
son was always the same-the doctors
daughter, Myrtle Kemp. Other girls
who may have secretly set their caps'
at the big, good natured young farmer
had to turn their eyes elsewhere per-
force.
Hiram Ball happened to pass the
bennett place the morning after the
"Hu " Ill y Dox slelgD
In the yard.
Hello, Dennett!" he exclaimed.
"Where'd you get that ark 2"
Don't you like the looks of it?,
queried Phil coolly.
. 1T looks like a relic Of the mound
builders" said III, with n laugh.
Don't s'pose you sister would caro-
to go sleighing with me, ELI 2" respond.
ed Phil.
well, hardly-in that thing"
All right; l shan't ask her, then"
"Say, you don't really mean to oo1