The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-06-26
A Scientific
Abstraction.
BY Mrs. w. a. Owens.
Copyrighted by Daily story Pub Coz

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TT takes revolutions to develop wom-
ans heroism, and persecution will
make her strong in love.
Lena Raymond had always been
iust heart high to Francis Rowland
son. In their juvenile days they had
swung on the same grapevine, and
then fought over the fruit robbed
birds nests of eggs as well as the
helpless young, and then sobbed re-
pentance in a mutual embrace after
a parental chastisementD
As time passed they grew in stat
ure, and disfavor with the communi-
ty. "The neighborhood scourge" was
q sample epithet bestowed upon the
pair. destroying angels" was the
best which even their respective par
ents could endear them. Unbeliev-
able were some of their antics. Lean
ing over uncovered and abandoned
wells lust to see how far without
da..,ing in; riding, circus style, two
horses at the time (Which horses
they had led out of neighbor's un-
guarded stable without so much as
shy your leave"); climbing telegraph
poles and touching the wire with the
tip of their noses to see If the wire
were "alive," were some of their
calmer diversions.
Never had Lena sound garment
or Francis whole skin. These tri-
fling incidents happened before the
girl was IA Francis lived next door
to the Raymonds. Youthful ameni-
ties and dissensions were stopped
without warning one summers day
when the girl walked out on the lawn
braided neatly and looped up with a
blue ribbon. 'I'm getting big girl
now, Frank. You kids can continue
to play marbles in my back yard and
spin your top on the side hall floor
And that finished it. There was more
in the delivery than the phraseology.
Frank stared and swallowed his rap
idly enlarging Adams apple and
dropped on the grass. One expletive
escaped as he took it in that clearly
reached Lena's accustomed compre-
hension: "Well, I'll be durned!" He
felt estranged from his old comrade,
alienated from the object of his boy
ish devotion, expatriated from home
and country!
Then he braced up. He took sud
denly to long trousers, thought deep,
ly in necl<wear lore, passed into a
heavy voice with embarrassing inde'
cision between tenor and bass, and
ultimately left for college. The two
following vacations found Lena alb
sent from home. The third brought
him home from his military schoo
with shoulder straps and his final ses
sion left him covered with more hon
ors than he honestly came by" ac
cording to Lena's verdict
That young miss had arrived at the
diary-keeping age. Here is an ex
tract. She had views about this
young fellow whom she had always
bullied but secretly feared:
"June 30,-Old Frank is home now
Man. Good enough to look at, some
thing better to talk to, but as diff
cult to lasso as a Texas broncho. Al
ne bade me good night he leaned
over and told me / was still jus
heart high to him. I'm glad l stopped
there, for he has taken on six fee
now (not literally, but by measure
ment), and / don't aspire to his man
prerogative."
Francis sat in his room reading
love story and scribbling Lena" ol
the margin as he romanced out of it
text. The next page or so found thi
marginal note: "Pretty enough t.
make man throw brickbats at hi
wife, is Lena" One other: "As ur
certain as game of pigs in tn
clover" His thoughts were ruI
ming back over his 20 summers, nike
with all his escapades and escapes
He recalled how his mother ha
sighed over his incorrigible boyhoot
and lamented his dead fathers guit
ance and control Then how DR.. IohI
son had come on the scene and d'
clared that he was beyond father
that it was stepfather he needed
He recalled the lack of ceremony wit
which he collared the "beginning
take notice" widower, DR.. johnson
and forthwith kicked him out of th
house, lad though he was. AS h
unused he colored with rage at til
monotony of the occasion. His mott
er had gone to ''where there
peace" but DR.. Johnson was sti
above the daisies. Between his life
retrospection, scribbling rando
thoughts of Lena and persistent mel
tai vision of Dr. Johnson, the evenin
passed. The summer was spent
running over the "ifs" and lands"
the several professions. He choi
medicine. His patrimony was acc
mulated and banked, and he depar
ed for New York. In due course
time he returned to his native sout
ern home and opened an office. 7
was magnificently equipped in lear
ing but shy on Office fixtures and /
struments. And then DR.. Johnso
came on the scene again. He WI
Jealous of his young professional ]
val, and began an organized persec