The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-11-04
A FLAG
RAISING
By JAMES BUCKHAM
Copyright, 1901. by James Buckham

LIS little WHITE mousse OF the Rdr-
fridge girls" lay basking in the sum-
mer sunshine. 1t seemed the very en-
bodiment Of orderly thrift and domes-
tic peace The bit of green yard was
as clean and tidy as If 1t had been
swept and then every separate grass
blade busted and set in orderly array.
The two glistening paths that led one
up to the front door and the other
along the side of the house to the
Kitchen stoop" were inclosed by slen-
der round posts, through which ran
single strand of wire The posts and
their connecting wire were painted a
fresh. lustrous green. There were also
six green posts along the sidewalk In
front of the house, strung together by
green WIRE and at each corner of
the two paths stood large white
washed stone, so dazzling white that /.
made the eyes ache like new fallen
snow. The entire premises had look
Of immaculate neatness lat made
them seem sacred, like some fame or
little temple, and indeed they were
sacred to the Partridge sisters, who
had descended from long line of old
fashioned New England worshipers at
the shrine of home.
Inside the place was as neat as out
side. Nobody ever found the Partridge
girls In a muss. Even when they
cleaned house they did 1t so stealthily
and with such amazing rapidity and
precision that no one room was suf-
fered to be out Of apple pie order for
more than ten consecutive minutes.
1t was a marvellous little home this
Of the Partridge sisters. The minister
once said that 1t was composite of
Puritan conscience and New England
sentiment, and that there was only one
thing more impressive than its sever
ity, and that was its sweetness.
In such a home as this, it would
SEEM one might retire and be at rest
from all the cares and strifes and trou-
bles of the uneasy world. There were
not a few who envied the Partridge
sisters their little patrimony and their
little home, the one just equal to the
other, with an exactness beautiful to
contemplate in this world of exasper-
ating misflts.
Yet there Is no corner of old earth.
however remote and peaceful, where
some trouble does not find it's way
The skeleton In this quiet closet was
chronic difference of opinion between
the sisters. trouble that is almost
sure to rise between two persons of
the same blood and sex who are COM
PEELED to spend most of their time in
one another's company. With the Par
fridge sisters this mental divergence
seemed to have no root In divergence
of principle. 1t made practically no
difference what the opinion was. So
long as 1t was held strongly by either
sister the other felt bound to disagree
with 1t. Jane and Ellen could be of
one mind ON but one matter. and that
was purely congenital-the passion for
neatness
The June sunshine rested like ben
ediction ON the Partridge cottage. The
roses in the front yard and the sweet
peas In the back yard were IN bloom.
A golden robin was singing in an elm
across the street, and the Partridge
sisters canary was vying with him
from his cage In the open window.
Jane and Ellen We're out In the yard
wedding their flower beds and roam
Ing hither and thither after the man
ner of hens to pick up inflnitesimal
bits of litter between the grass blades.
Suddenly Miss Ellen Strengthened up
and gaZed curiously at something that
1fxarr 10 s,&x. -
1t was an ordinary lumber wagon, with
the box removed, and far In the rear
an extra axle and pair of wheels.
Something long and white and taper
ing was stretched from the forward
axle of the wagon to the extra axle
and wheels trailing behind.
What in the world can that be COM
ing?" asked Miss Ellen.
Il presume it's our new fiagpole," re
piled Miss Jane, the elder spinster.
Our new fagpoleY cried her sister
shrilly. what do you mean, Jane
Partridge? Who said we were going
to have flagpoleT
Il said So" answered Jane. Il or
dered it, and it's coming. l didn't say
anything to you about it because 1
knew you would object beforehand,
and l thought you might as well do
your objecting afterward; 'twould save
time. | wanted to have the pole here
In time for the Fourth of July. I've
been thinking for some time that we
ought to be more patriotic than we
are, and l couldn't think of any better
way for two lone women to show their
patriotism than by owning flag and
f1agpole. We can't go to war, we can't
vote, we can't speak in town meeting
and we can't fire a gun on Independ-
ence day, but a woman has just as
much right to fly the stars and stripes
as man, and you and are going to
do It, and we are going to do it for the
first time on next Fourth of July"
Miss Ellen Partridge listened to this
long explanation from her sister with
set face. "Old maids have no call to
be patriotic!' she snapped when Miss
Jane concluded. st amt their prov
ince; It's no woman's province won't
have fiagpole In this yard, Jane Par
fridge. and you may as well under
stand that first as last. They shan't
bring that thing In here If have to
fight 'em with a broom and scalding
water. A fiagpole's dangerous thing
to have around a house to begin with.
The first big wind 1t may snap Off and
smash the roof In, Just as the college
hagpole broke off and smashed the
fountain over to Chester. It's more
dangerous than a big tree because it
hasn't any roots. Patriotism! Huh.
guess we show patriotism enough,
considering our privileges, by paying
our taxesP'
By this time the long flagpole, at
tended by a crowd of boys and village
loafers, had arrived opposite the little
cottage. and the four men who were
perched on its trunk dismounted and
proceeded to unfasten the chains that
bound 1t to the wagon. Miss Ellen
strobe out to them. 'You are not to
bring that thing in here" she said
firmly.
The man In charge Of the f1agpole
turned with a grin; but, seeing the ex-
preston of Miss Ellen's face, his grin
died away in look of astonished per-
plexity.
"What in tunket am to do with it,
thenT he demanded. ~ was told to
bring it here"
Il don't care what you do with it,"
retorted Miss Ellen. "All know is
It isn't coming In here"
IT'S paid for" protested the man as
a final shot.
At this juncture Miss Jane Partridge
came stalking majestically down the
little side path. She had borne with
her sisters petulance-evena as she used
to when they were children just long
enough to be assured that it was Of the