Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-01-31
The Proving
of Polly
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Polly Adams sat by the easement
window in the livi1g-room of an old
colonial house beaming over an open
letter.
"Oh. Mother" she exclaimed, wav.
Ing a check before the eyes Of ner
stepmother, fragile looking woman
who was lying on couch, isn't Mar.
ion simply dear? l am the luckiest
girl! Now can"
The sentence was never finished be-
cause just then four boys rushed into
the room and fell upon Polly with
confused shouts of:
ooh, Polly, Mr.. Scott has invited us
to go with him to his camp in the
Adirondacks-"
And to stay whole week be-
sides"
"And we're going to be soldiers in
camp
with uniforms and everything"
What do you mean, boys? de-
manded Polly of her brothers. "You
surely don't expect to go camping in
the dead of Winter?"
- Sam, the eldest boy of Ia, ex-
planned: "Mr Scott says his shack
is very comfortable, with a big open
fireplace, and with hemlock branches
for beds and lots of blankets we'll
be all right"
And he says that If we do get a
taste Of hardship, it will teach us to
remember the soldiers at Valley
Forge"
When they were fighting for our
rights against the British" chimed in
Billy, who, with his twin, Bobby, was.
to quote old silas, the man of all
work. jest risin' twelve"
Little Jack, who was "half-past
eight" added solemnly, "Mr. Scott
says it's perfectly scandlous that the
boys in this town don't seem to know
a thing bout the History of their
country"
"Polly's eyes kindled with the sud
den excitement. She was an ardent
little patriot, immensely proud of the
fact that she numbered signer OF
the Declaration of independence
among her ancestors. 1t had always
been grief to her that she had been
unable to inspire her brothers with
the same patriotic spirit. Polly, be-
ing near the boys own age, saw things
from their point of view, and she
realized that even children, in this
generation, were learning to regard
the acquisition of wealth as the one
means of attaining all that makes life
desirable.
1t was consequently a delightful
surprise to her to learn that the new
teacher, Mr.. Scott, realized the neces-
sity of interesting the rising genera
ton In the History of brave men who
had sacrificed wealth and life itself to
patriotism.
you see. Polly" Sam went on
more definitely, while the twins fes
TONED themselves over Polly's chair
and Jack lay on the floor at her
feet, "Mr. Scott has asked twenty Of
the boys to go. and he has a lot Of
British and Continental uniforms
which were bought for private theat
ricals In his old school-and we're tc
have sham battles and enact Wash
4ngton crossing the Delaware, and
all sorts of things"
Then Jack lifted to his sister pair
Of honest blue eyes: "And, say, Pol
~. we fellows thought it would be 9
good plan for you to ask Dad if we
could go; 'cause:our railroad fare will
be five dollars apiece"
The others laughed rather shame.
facedly, but they knew that the
surest way to obtain a favor OF
their father was to present il
through his little helper and conf
dant. The more Polly heard of this
method of teaching history without
tears" the more enchanted she was
and, without pausing for reflection,
she exclaimed, "Of course, I'll ask
him this very minute. Wait here
boys. till / come back"
AS she crossed the wide hall lead
ing to the doctors office, she suddenly
stopped short. How could her father
possibly spare the $40 required? Only
last night. as they stood by the win
dow, watching an old farmer bump
out Of the yard in his mud-encrusted
wagon while the boys tugged into the
cellar sacks of potatoes left in pay.
ment Of long unpaid account the
doctor had said in his whimsical way:
II declare. Puss, we've farm prod
: uce enough to ration the Mikado's