The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-08-12
y FLAG
RAISING
By JAMES BUcKHAM
copprioAt, 1901. bv James B,eahom

NO $500 Wy D'pb e"@
mel sunshine. 1t seemed the very en-
bodiment OF orderly thrift and domes-
tic peace. The bit Of green yard was
MS clean and tidy as if IL had been
swept and then every separate grass
blade busted and set In orderly array.
The two g%listentng paths that led n
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 q
single strand OF wire. The posts and
their connecting wire We're painted a
fresh, lustrous green. There were also
six green posts along the sidewalk In
front OF the house, strung together by
q green wire, md at each corner Of
the two paths stood n large white
washed stone, so dazzling white that 1t
made the eyes ache like new fallen
snow The entire promises had a look
Of immaculate neatness that made
them seem sacred, like some fan or
little temple, and indeed they were
sacred to the Partridge sisters, who
had descended from n long line of old
fashioned New England worshipers at
the shrine of home.
JIlsluc thc DIuCC was tS htNt 40 "
side. Nobody ever found the Partridge
girls In Il muss. Even when they
cleaned house they did 1t SO stcalthily
and with such amazing rapidity mud
precision hat no one room was SUI
fered to be out of apple pie order for
more than ten consecutive minutes.
1t was n marvellous little home this
OF the Partridge sisters. The minister
once snld that Ii was a composite OF
Puritan conscience and New England
sentiment, and that there was only II
thing more impressive than its sever
1ty, and that was it's sweetness.
In such n home as this, 1t would
seem, one might retire and be at rest
from all the cares and strifcs and trou-
bles Of the uneasy world. There were
not a few who cnvicd the Partridge
sisters their little patrlmony and their
little home, the ono just equal to tho
other, with an e%xactness beautiful to
contemplate in this world of exasper-
ntlng insists.
Yet there is no corner Of old earth,
however remote and peaceful, where
some trouble docs not find it's way.
The skeleton in this quiet closet was
CHIOIlC ulhcEcDCc VI ODiulOh wv
the sisters, Il 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 anothcr'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 rs 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
WA purely congcnital-thc passion for
ncatncss.
The June sunshine rested like n ben
ediction on the Partridge cottage. The
roses i'll 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 II Partridge
sisters canary was vying with him
from his cage In the open window.
Jane and Ellen were III In the yard
wedding their flower beds and roam
Ing hither and thither after the man
ncr of hens to pick up lnfniteslmal
bits of litter between the grass blades.
hNiSlii VIDE Iit StIulSlttI1co uD
and gaZed curiously at something that
was coming down the village street.
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
ingf" asked Miss ellen.
II presume It's new flagpole," re-
piled Miss Jane, the elder spinster.
sour new iagpoleY' cried her sister
shrilly. what do YOU mean, Jane
Partridge? Who said we were going
to have a flagpolc"
II said So" answered Jane. 81 or
dered 1t, and it's coming. 1 didn't say
anything to you about it because 1
knew YOU would object beforehand,
and l thought you might as we'll do
your Directing aftcrward; 'twould save
time. l wanted 10 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 1 couldn't think of any better
way for two lone women to show their
patriotism thar by owning n flag and
fagpole. We can't go to war, we can't
vote, we can't speak i'm town meeting
and We can't fire n gun on Independ-
ence day, but a woman has Just MS
much right to fly the stars and stripes
as a man, and YOU and / arc going to
do 1t, and we are going to do 1t for the
first time OIL next Fourth OF July"
Miss Ellen Partridge listened to this
long explanation from her sister VITA
n set face. cold maids have no call to
be patrioticf' II snapped when Miss
Jane concluded. at amt their prov.
ince; It's no woman's province. / won't
have q lagpole I'm this yard, Jane Par
fridge, and you may as well under
stand that first as last. They shan,
bring that thing In here if 1 have to
fight 'cm with n broom and scalding
water. a iagpole's a dangerous thing
to have arouLL a house to begin with.
The first big wind 1t may snap of and
smash the roof In, just as the college
aagpolc broke of and smashed the
fountain over to Chester. It's moro
dangerous than n big tree, because 1t
hasn't any roots. Patriotismi Huh!
I guess we show patriotism enough.
considering IL privileges, by paying
u taxes9'
Ivy this time the long fiagpoie, at
ended by n croxcI nj hnx-a ara rtuo-o