The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-10-24
"ANNA !"
A Story by q
HENRIETTA PLASTER

THE following original story Is by
an Oskaloosa girl, who is attracting
attention by her excellent articles,
and who has had stories accepted by
several leading magazines.l:
Pm tired of this" Anna Metcalf
said with a toss of her head, as she
deposited the last plate on the large
: pile of dishes she had just washed.
"If were in the city I'd have chance
but ere
Anna! Anna! DO hurry. want
to go to town this afternoon, and
can't leave Tommy until you come"
The girl spread her hands depre-
cately at the sound of her mothers
voice. YES" she answered. "Tll be
theresjust as soon as | can, but I'm
no slave, and"
The family carriage drove up to
the door and her father jumped out.
His heavy tread upon the walk drown
ed her words, and in a moment he
stood before her, frown upon his
face.
"Aint you done them dishes yet?"
Your mother never gets started any
where because you never get your
work done in time. YOU"
Anna. with tears in her eyes, left
the room and walked swiftly into the
parlor to watch her little brother
while her mother prepared for the trip
to town. ...s
Come, Mother, we are waiting
called her father, five minutes later,
as Mrs. Metcalf tarried to secure an
umbrella and give Anna some instrnc'
tons. As she babe her goodbye, the
girl happened to glance at a newspa-
per which lay on the table. There in
large. bold, black type, ran the fol-
lowing: .s.- ..., .-...:
"Stenographers Wanted. - We
can use five more good stenog-
raphers. Pay $1,000 a week, as a
starter. CRANKY Lumber Co."
Her heart beat rapidly; she read
tie advertisement again and again.
Then with a sudden resolve, she de-
termincd that she would learn to oper-
ate Il typewriter; that she would go
to the city. where there were oppor-
tunities. With these thoughts she oc.
cupied herself, until
Here We are at last, mother" She
jumped up, her face flushed, and met
her parents at the front door. Get.
ting into the buggy with her father,
Anna laid her hand upon his arm,
and, as he drove toward the barn she
preached the subject of her desires
TO him-a course in business college.
He listened intently for a moment,
then exploded: What! Business
college You'd better stay home,
young lady. and tend to your work
here" He jumped out of the rig and
commenced to unnitch the horses,
muttering to himself about the use
lessness of college education for wo-
men. The girl returned to the house,
with tears in her eyes, only to hea
the reproaches of her mother, be-
cause she had neglected her work
, tLat afternoon.
, "Oh, Dear! It's always work, work,
work, all day long" she thought I'm
not oging to live this way. Ill.
But she checked herself as she
, heard her mothers voice again. That
night the girl tossed restlessly. In
| tie next room she heard voices. Her
, name was mentioned; She decided to
listen.
But" her father argued, I'VE can't
let her so to the city. How will we
! get along? ] hate them schools for
my part, and no good comes OF girl
going to them"
But" her mother eXpostulated,
"She is set on going. She las been a
!, good girl, and we can afford it,
We'll wen Sec" was the reply.
: Aud Anna, listening with baited
breath, knew the battle was won. for,
when her father said, Wen see" it
meant yes"
Yes, girls, it was hard for mother
to part with me-" Anna said to some
of her friends. who sat near her IN
college, But | just couldn't bear life
on the farm. 1t is awfully monoton-
.OuS. NV OIiC W SbhI WIN, sou hN''o
and it is always work, work, work.
Jessie Corey explained that she had
always pictured farm life as grand,
but having lived in the city all her
life, she didn't know how it was.
Other girls, who had never been in
the country, expressed similar opin.
ions. -
NO" Anna continued, after they
had discussed the subject for some
time, 81 hate the farm and I'm not
going back. Pm" Just then the in
structor called the class to order, and
the sentence was never finished.
After the lessons were over, she
wrote a letter home. telling how she
enjoyed school and what progress she
had made.
At the end OF the term, Anna Sc
cured a position as stenographer for
firm in the city. Her salary was
only seven dollars week, but by
being economical she thought; ~ she
could make expenses until she got a
"raise" Then she pictured a life OF