Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-06-01
7ETTY THE ToM6oY.

A8tCe ~ n lOuIIH daughter, VINO
was at that time between Is and l6.
The schooiroom door was ajar. Het-
Us voice clear and a triae impatient,
hoated out 10 me as l stood, arrested
by surprise, in the passage
Old-fasLioned, Dear, dear me, why
was s-.., in my sos. | looked upon
myself as quite an up-to-date sort of
person aud | did not feel in the least
Init old-fashioned or passa. was
oiten inclined to pinch myself to
make myself believe that | was real
II the mother OF nearly grownup
daughters, for | still felt as young as
ever, and ii seemed as if It were, aft
e ALL only yesterday that Dick and |
walked across certain gorse COW
efed common in springtime and he
said to NE, in that quick, boyish way
taat covered nervous tremors:-
4 say, darling, do you think you
could marry me-"
What l answered to that abrupt
question this series of stories makes
obvious but | wish to make it plain
that | really felt very little older than
on that afternoon nearly 20 years be,
fore and it was quite a shock to me
TO hear Hetty call me old-fashioned.
And also such a womanly woman.
Bless my soul" thought, what
is the child talking about or driving
; at?" and | chuckled little when l
told Dick the story in the evening
though at The same time sighed as
l realized for the millionth time what
difficult creatures girls were to COM
prehend, or, as our gardener used to
say, Ito get up sides with, and how
many stumbling blocks lay in the
path of mother of six daughters.
Dick laughed when asked him
what line he advised me to take with
Hetty-laughed and said that, being
a woman myself | was naturally the
Test Judge of what girls were made
Of. and should be easily able to bring
hetty to her senses.
Hetty was a frank and outspoken
person, with many of the character
istics of a boy, and | resolved to go
straight to the root of the matter
with her.
Next morning, therefore, when, aft
er breakfast, she came to my tiny
babyhoow she had preferred boys to
wanted to take to school with her /
said quietly:
'Het, dear, I like to be good chum
with my girls; will you tell me why
You think am old-fashioned and over
womanly?"
She threw back her bright name of
hair and the color ran over her dear,
freckled face.
Did you hear, mummy" she asked
note of regret in her voice; "of
course, l didn't mean to say anything
[ hurt YOU" she added. ranocsecuI'y.
did not smile, though the child's
acst maternal fear of having hurt
my feelings was really very funny
Il happened to oyerhoar what you
said to the others, answered: but
Il didn't hurt me, dear simply want
10 thresh it out with you What
makes you think that womanly
woman is a poor sort of 4 creature?"
She looked at me frankly out of her
Viz DiOW IL eyes.
You see, mummy, its uch a sil,",
rettv sort of thing. sitting at needle
wort and always having to order
& .rer every day. and doing all the
5uar tiresome woman sort OF
tnings. 1t was because you said [
couldn't go to play hockey with the
boys that made me think of it," she
ended, desperately.
smiled them really could not
lp it, Murder will out, and | must
confess that Hetty was a most out.
r,geous tomboy. From her earliest
byhood she had preferred boys to
rs. and boys games and occupa
ms to the tanner amusements Of her
own sex; and that not In any coquet
fish and foolish spirit. but simply be-
cause she vas simply al heart three
parts a boy.
Her grave request to be allowed to
20 and play hockey on the public
green near our own house with some
rl our boy neighbors had met with
decided refusal from me and point
pd out that she was growing too old
70 rush and scramble and jostle with
boys, and must be content now to
play games with those of her own sex.
"Hetty, my dear, I said. after the
long pause that succeeded her last
remark. you are going 10 be WON
an-not from choice but # necessity
Wouldn't it, perhaps. be more ration
al to decide to make the best Of
had iob?"
But. I don't see" said the child.
why the woman should have to do
all the stupid. stay-at-home, dull kind
Of things Why can't a woman go
out and knock about in the world like
man, just as | want 70 90 and play
hockey with the boys ?"
OH eternal question Of the modern
woman, how had you evolved your.
self In my Hetty's breast.