Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-01

Can anybody blame?
She is a teasing pet, but, still,
I love her all the same.
New York Globe
JEANS WATERLOO.
Jean and Donald were twins, al
thugh Jean was good deal larger.
This was because she had always
been healthy, while Donald had found
it hard work to live. so many dangers
had beset his path. Donald was will
ing to endure the pain that went with
measles and chickenpox and diph-
iberia, but always to be defeated by
Jean was too much for his spirit.
Jean was a regular fiy.up-the-creek.
fitting from one thing to another
never apparently trying to do thing,
but in some remarkable manner al
ways succeeding. She had talked be-
fore Donald was still lisping Dada"
could read the newspaper while Don
aid was still struggling with See the
rat"
In spite of jeans clsverness, Don
aid and she were MOST loving to one
another. When they wrote their
Christmas letter to Santa Claus their
lists were found to be exactly alike.
Jeans was short and sweet. 1t read:
Dear Santa-Bring me everything
just like Donald's, except sled. One
will do for both, for of course, we'll
always coast together"
Down In Jeans heart she felt that
she would be first to master the "fex-
ible flyer" and visions of coasting
down Simmons hill steering Donald,
rose before her self-satisf1ed eyes.
OF course. santa Claus brought the
flexible flyer" In mis- mind, as in
jeans one seemed enough, for but
one splendid sled gladdened the WIS.,
ion Of both children on Christmas
morning.
How hard 1t was to wait for the
first snow, with a flexible flyer just
aching to be tried. Luckily splen-
did snowfall did occur few days aft
er Christmas, and Donald and Jean
were wild with excitement. Mother
could scarcely keep them still long
enough to put on their warm wraps,
so eager were they to join their little
friends in the delightful sport. What
pleasure does equal coasting anyway.
When the air is bright and clear, the
ground covered with crisp, sparkling
snow, the sleds flying down hill like
birds-can any one help being happy?
Jean took the lead, as usual, plac-
ing Donald behind her. She thought,
of course. she could steer the new
sled. At first everything went all
right, when. suddenly the sled whirl-
ed around. and before Jean knew
what had happened Donald and she
were buried in d snowdrift, while the
sled was madly speeding down the
hill by itself. Time and time again
did Jean try to guide 1t, but with no
better results. No matter how many
things this young lady could do, she
now had to face the unpleasant fact
that she could not steer flexible
flyer
Donald pleaded to be allowed to try,
but Jean would not even listen to
such thing. IF can't do it, Donald
Keith. how in the world can you?
Don't always beat you at every
thing?"
Donald admitted that she did, but
timidly added: mo one can tell what
he can do until he tries; I've never
tried steering flexible fyer!" Jean
had to agree that his reasoning was
sound. Realizing that she was fail.
ure, and at the same time that the
coasting was getting better each mo-
ment, Jean finally allowed the timid
Donald to try his skill. Whether the
instinct that makes boys boys came
to Donald just at that moment or
whether the fates thought it time for
him to show that he was no longer
going to be kept in the background
by mis- clever sister, no one can tell.
but down went the flyer in the most
approved fashion. 1t never swerved
from the path except as Donald's
hand babe it. 1t obeyed him perfect
~, and the sensation was SO novel
that the boy seemed beside himself
with joy. At first Jean refused to
ride with MIN, saying size was not
ready to be killed, but after Donald
had made two or three successful
trips the little girls ugliness gave
way. and she jumped on the sled back
Of Donald. The sensation OF being
beaten by him was at first unpleas-
ant. but the sport was so delightful,
the shouts OF the children SO cheering,
that before Jean knew it she was
laughing and shrieking as merrily as
any Of them.
AS for Donald, he was happy be-
yond words. When he told mother
of mis- success she patted his curly
head and looked as pleased as he did.
Mother said it was good for all people
to meet defeat once in while, and
to make her lesson clearer, told Jean
and Donald the story of Napoleon.
How this general, after the great
est successes the world had ever
known, finally met his defeat on the
battlefield Of Waterloo. Donald liked
the story very much. He declared he
would name his new sled Napoleon.
Father agreed to paint this name on
one side of the sled, but suggested
that it would be good idea to paint
Waterloo on the other. AS he said
this, he looked at Jean, who already
had applied mothers story to herself.
She was generous enough, however,
to forget her own failure in steering
the flyer, when Donald became the