Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-27
HER FIRST DAY IN NEW YORK.

Springfield Republican.-Henriett;
came from Jenkins Corners. jenkins
Corners doesn't approve Of New York
Henrietta's mother o. that as Ions
as she can have the bay mare three
| afternoons in the week and fol
church on Sundays, she don't wan
no automobiles nor elevated cars MOI
| subways, thanks be! Squire Shan
mons wife says she'd rather trade
with Dan Wheeler at the Center thar
W: tn all the miIlionaires in New York
If she gets cheated, she has a chance
to jaw; and Mrs. Shannon prefers
jawing to eating. Besides which-she
ought to knOW-her husbands cOus
ms Wife's sister went to New York
to buy her wedding clothes. Deacon
Wright declares New York is an alb.
ominatiOn unto Heaven, and he
wrestles with the Lord in prayer
that he will not measure out punish,
ment upon that wicked city accord,
ing to the iniquities Of her theaters
and horse shows, and four hundreds,
He also reminds him that the right
eous ones at the Corners are booked
for harps and crowns in the world to
come.
Not so Henrietta! She had been
born with a stubborn thumb, and
early in life she had made a secret
VOW, daring and adventurous, that she
would see New York, if she had to
drive the old nag all the way To that
end she treasured stray clippings
describing the glories of her Mecca
from the Christian Recorder and the
Farmers F'riend-the periodicals sub
scribed to by the elite of the Corners
and knew them as the tourist knows
his Baedeker Henrietta would have
been willing to trade off her interest
in harps and crowns and golden
streets for glimpse of Central park.
When Henrietta went TO the Cen
ter to work in her Aunt Lucindas
millinery parlors, she was declared
real tasty, and was promised a rec
Ommend to milliner at Rowland s
Falls after she'd learned the trade.
That summer Karma sent Minnie
Allen to board at the Center She
was from New York and worked in
the millinery department at Macy's.
In two weeks she and Henrietta de,
VeIoped a lifelong friendship, and
she promised to get Henrietta a job
if she could She was then keep
ing company with a young man who
sold silk dress Innings. In the fall she
wrote to Henrietta Of her approach
ing marriage and offered her the
place
While her family ana friends
prayed for light Henrietta e. hered
together her clothes. Father said he
didn't want a daughter of his getting
killed in an automobile Mother said
she couldn't see for the life of her
why Henrietta didn't marry AIRY
Elder and settle down like Sister
Liz" AIRY" took her buggy riding he.
hind his new trotter and declared he'd
never marry any one but her: but
Henrietta knew that the Adams girls
had him already marked for their
own. Deacon Wright came over and
besought the Lord to turn her from
her vain desire. All of which fired
Henr;etta's spunk. Backed by Aunt
LuCinda-she had promised to send
her ideas and help her beat that up
start milIirer from the Mills-she
packed the family vaIise and took
the train.
No sooner had the conductor called
New York next" than a car-full be-
gan to play stage coach. All the
passengers rose, turned round shook
themselves, buttoned up coats. and
put on gloves. The One Hundred and
Twenty-ffth street station flew
past: the last row of Harlem flats
disappeared: roundhouses, freight
yards. signal stations, doomed up TO
vanish. The crowd damned closer and
closer against the door. Breathing
room was at a premium. Henrietta
held her own against a sharp-elbowed
woman with two restless children.
and a commercial traveller who vowed
he'd get out first if it took a leg.
A polite gentleman Of color in a red
and blue suit viii &c. c. A, 1863 on
his cap. asked if he might carry her
bag Her valiSe was heavy. but she
thanked him kindly and declined.
The precedent at he Corner was
aga INST picking up acquaintance, and
Henrietta would not so soon desert the
training of her youth. She struggled
on bravelv W tn her bag. her big cot
ton umbrella. and her long skirt-the
Corners considered short skirts on
grown women indecent.
At the street. Henrietta stopped 10
get her breath AMI bearings. About
+ y. rose the unceasing cry of cab,
cab, cab,-'Here, Iadv-cab." like
the cack2e Of Uncle sis" ever noisy
geese. Above her the L Numbered
in is Md chase. The dazzling ne.
work of surface cas- threatened mo,
mentarv collisions NewsbOys thrust
. tras "ell about the explosion II
the subway" into her unwilling hands
The huge subway cranes loaded with
rock made their unsteady progress