Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-07-12
Wood Choppers.

' .,s,s + { IOOQ UIIOppOlS.
Ger.
) ub,n4. .h rain had fallen all day
ely befols still l"IIIns-to oampen tne
II ha 3 qrgaine spirits. The little
: htn ,chooIhouse beside the bayou
:. Ha ~. water like Noah's ark. The
gratitud ram upon tne shlngle roof and
vii aron,cou8 qUacking of ducks out
nj fba otit0usIy interfered with the rou-
as spotte 16
ar ana etine concluded that the cause
ia-haulin cation would be IN no manner
1 b vou rej if She dismissed, a little
than usual, the four small
anath, Who were her only pupils that
less ~, All the girls had stayed at
$ hurl
non til tne doorway she watched the
l1hoIeq iDted younsters go splashing
7ard with their jean trousers
aarcb !, high above the knees. Then
AZ NIL GseIf with bent head, seeming
pare mo- ln9 elements with her big
rnontb, umbrella, turned toward home.
than was Well-equipped against an
al ma T rain, so far as macintosh
Il ia tbubber shoes went, but best of
.ant hoo1 e carried a stout heart. She
0 think only of the snug fire
DWard which she was making
ri 5Orious way ankle deep in mud
inning water.
sr Ora home was nearly half a mile
'or. a poor little bit of a house,
pretty close to the road that
ent age the river. A few cabins were
whose the distance, set down in a
field that bristled with gaunt,
led cotton stalks.
ntiue let herself in at The gate.
bund the COW waiting there, and
T In, too, after making sure that
aIf was secure. Then she mount
he few wabbly steps to the gal
., where she removed her dripping
ltosh and the rubber shoes that
ssS.% been next to no protection at all.
ntine's look of anticipation, as
opened the house door and hur-
in, was suddenly turned to dis
- when she saw her mother at the
4Iaafs 3aC9 scraping together a few red
Suzifh les between the andirons, while
ssnsls 2jy, a very small colored girl, was
,l4fian 7jng on the hearth with an apron
rtseu. Of wet chips.
yards. Why mother!" the girl cried in
sh,ed inch. What are you doing with
hfeh fire on a day like this?" Do
has. want to catch your death of
table
sorld Her white-haired mother, feeble
ling and much bent, turned with
sroh Eayer that was like an apologize
'.xth peal.
the There is no wood cut, my child;
srrh .a none, none" and she continued
ain @ape the embers with the tongs.
adj. No wood cut!" echoed Leontine,
It'll. SETTING her soaking and bedraggled
rs --lon. Where's Peter? Didn't
.rsa a4 Gomez"
81 No Peter all day. sent Mandy
an aS1 the rain to hunt him up. His
tla. W says he is working over at
fiji. suns store, hauling freight. She
his !" ne told Francoi3 to come, but
uc .~ooiS has not come; no one has
liz see Francois" piped up Mandy.
ale '-colS low he amt 'bleege to do
Hi .-'aln des because Unc' Peter say
IS Sontjne hesitated moment, and
"a " slipped on her macintosh again.
Is WI through the driving rain the girl
a. 10 the wood pile.
;s- ~sontne. Leontine. come back!
j. you crazy? You are losing your
i. w. Oh, dear! dear!" cried the
i SE, |ringing her hands.
y" IN and shut the door, mother!
- me door," The door was shut,
Leontine proceeded to get the
j '~ch was under the shelter of the
i SaIIery-a stout, sharp AK.
.~7 mad sometimes chopped kind
ana bits of light wood, and she
not believe that this would be
Sr,, harder. 1t certainly looked like
NS play when Peter welded the
we selected the slimmest stick she
=, U conveniently pull into place,
arrange for action, and pretty
she was hard at work. She
Just as we'll as if she were look
INTO the house that her mother
Weeping. and that Mandy was
~~0ng with folded hands, gazing
w W, The dolefuI spectacle.
Slm! pam!" began the ak. "Bing!
=, 1t resounded, and Leontine,
swinging arms, was presently in
: every blow had counted, she
1a0 soon have had neat stack
IeWood at hand; but the trouble
~ mat the strokes, in the most IN
%I2tahle manner. never fell twice
fas same spot.