Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-02-08
The Broadening
of the Jackets.
BY MARY E. MITCHELL.

Guess you're right, 'Melia," said
Mr.. Hackett, laying down his knife
and fork, preparatory to long draft
| of fragrant coffee; "but l don't see
| how I can manage it, noways, this
| years. I've got my last instalment to
pay on the meadow lot next week, and
it will take every cent I can spare.
Well have to put off being improved
| till another time
Amelia Strengthened up with an air
| of conscious capabllity, which brought
a faint tinge of pink into her usually
pale cheeks The children gazed at
her respectfully, all but Bobby, who
was naturally irreverent and who Sc
cretly held all school teachers cheap,
not even excepting his own sister.
81 will see to the expense, father"
| she replied. 'The school board pays
my way and I am going with the Far
mington, teachers by train. You can
| drive over in the three-seater and that
will save car fares. Then mother can
| put up a lunch, so that all the cost
will be admission tickets, and / have
saved enough to pay for those. 1t
does seem like too great an oppor-
tunity to be neglected"
well, then, dear heart, SO it does!"
responded Mrs. Hackett, taking Tot
| tvs plump first out of the mug which
1t was rapturously churning the milk.
Its real smart of you to lay by ali
that, and never a word. I'm proud
of you 'Melia!"
| Ameha's face deepened into rose
red. It was pleasant to have her eff
forts appreciated. She did not be-
| grudge the money. 1t never shtrld
| be said that she instructed other peO-
| pies children, and neglected her own
| family's intellectual welfare. Never
| theless, her salary as village school
| teacher was meagre, and this had
been little in the nature of a sacri-
| fee.
| II suppose We can leave Totty at
Lefty Richs for the day." continued
| Mrs. Hackett. The prospect of filling
| a big lunch basket which would be
| equal to the demands Of the hungry
| Hacketts, and of caring for restless
family during hours of sightseeing,
did not just then appeal to her. But
her life being built, like that of most
mothers, on the plan of self-forgetful-
ness, she said nothing of the kind.
| There is to be a model kindergar-
| ten for children answered her
daughter. Il should like Totty 10
| have the advantage OF it,
| well, if we're going to take a day
| off," remarked Mr.. Hackett, pushing
his chair away from the table, /
| guess we've got to do bit of hustling
now. Robert, you can GO at the on
ions, and if they aren't done better
| than the beet bed you loafed over yes
terday, not step Will you go tomor-
| row."
1t was vacation time, and when
| Amelie had dutifully helped her
mother with the mornings work, she
wandered out of doors, to the edge of
| the orchard slope and sat down on
the soft grass. The world spread out
before her, broad and beautiful, but
1t was the world of the country, and
Amelia's soul longed for more.
! Wetson was lonely little village,
apparently overlooked by anything
which limited of progress. Even the
railroad made detour, as if to ig-
more it, and established the nearest
station at Pennington, four miles
away.
| 1t was at the Harrington Academy
| that Amelia had been reused to long
| for Culture-that elusive ideal al
ways, in her mind, to be spelled with
a capital. She had tried to awaken
| the same interest in her family; but
while they were proud of her, they re-
manned sadly content with the simple,
humdrum life, which included no lit.
erary or artistic aspirations.
Amelia, smiling under the apple
trees, shook her head dolefully as she
thought of some Of her endeavors and
their subsequent failures. The very
Christmas before she had given her
mother a prettily bound book Of es-
says, which was warmly received. 1t
now occupied a proud position on the
center table, its leaves uncut.
Her gift to her father had been
| photograph of Botticelli Madonna.
| Mr.. Hackett thanked his daughter
with what heartiness he could sum-
mon, and confided to his wife that it
seemed kind of heathenish and TN
natural into the bargain AS for
him, he didn't want any prettier pic
| ture than that" waving his hand to-
ward the window framed view of roll.