Oxford Democrat., 1921-07-05


10 raise i've dollars for foreign missions
By doing something thst voold m no
way Interfere with the daily household
or personal expsnsss- bad nsvef doee
anything In the vsy Of earning special
money, and ! puzzled over the show"
and the "vhatr more than svee did
Of eoarss I could ak "hubby" for the
money and he vould smIlingfy hand 1t
over, - ID the way With ''hubbiea" But
that was not the idea. was suppoeed
70 earn that money, and my blood uas
stirred by the thought thas some sscti-
fee must accompany this earning. Pride,
also, In achieving . desired end, and
giory In doing creditably What come
other member of the fifteen might not
do. A good deal Of egotism and SELF
approbation entered into my resolution
TO do or die.
But how? Came . neighbor one even-
ing, and In our talk my husband made .
remark: There's lots Of money being
made ous of green peas this year"
Stupid / thought Why Of course there
ts NV chance all planned ont; all have
20 do il the actual work Of picking the
peas, carry them from house to house.
get the money and come home happy
Funny / hadn't thought OF that!
We we're suburbanites With sfev acres
which We rented to Q truck gardener.
ve taking half Of sll that Was grown.
The yield of Telephone peas this sum-
mer was vonderful-fax exceeding our
expectations. We ate them three times
. day; punished our neighbors and reia
tives The same way (oot BY eating them
and after the huckster bad taken oil be
wanted, We still had peas. Seemed - ii
those vines stayed awake nights to see
how many peas they could crowd into a
pod.
Early next morning We denuded the
vines, and my share lay there, far, green
and shiny-enough for . regiment, j
rhougbt-apd ready for their great s'-
venture In helping TO CtristisuiEr fh'
heather. Carefully I sorted and pactef
them in quart boxes.
"Now, shall charge fifteen or tweut'
cents PEI 81 queried. swell, seeing ]
Am . green one at peddling, / guess fl
teen will do" With all that ! coule
carry, though, would be short my fst
dollars. "Never mind" thought, ST.
folks like me and my wares, I'll start ir
on the carrot bed"
Nov, I might - we'll 'fess up. ]
dreaded that venture. Ringing door
bell, and soliciting strange people With
cold, unfriendly eyes: People wb'-
looked you over, appraising you from
head to toes, thinking you An impostor,
freak, or something that ought to be
Gagged. It came to me how unceremo
niously had treated Just such peddlers
Who had tried to show their wares, and
I had . fellow-feelipg for those l had
turned away, often unkindly, / am
afraid. Anyway I would not bide my
peas, but frankly show at once my rea
son for ringing. Ought l 70 &C.
to the from, side or back door? What
ia it Oliver Wendell Holmes says aboui
"sidedoor acquaintances"? Something
not very complimentary, II / remember
II was hot and close. almost prayed
for . thunder storm to keep me home
until another time. / certainl!
must take . peep at the morning mail.
and new magazine and thei
on my way =.
On the cool and screened veranda !
settled down for . moment. The quiet
ness and lovelin sss OF . perfect summer
day was too soothing, and was sooD
aslsep-pulling door bells, and green
peas, became q shadowless thing In no
an's-land.
"Yes, yes, yes MUST go 10
town with those peas-p-e-a-s"
kept ringing in my sleepy, hah-awate
senses Who spoke? Surely
some one was moving around the verap-
da! Some one came near. A bot vino
was on my face! A cool. wet, raspy
something was licking my hand! Will
. start to consciousness / turned in the
porch swing. Good Lord! A big, blacl
bear was calmly stretched on the floor
by my sidel suppose fear will galva
nizs a. we'll az paralyzs, for / vaulteo
clear over the animal and out the screef
duor, fastening it on the outside. Evi
IDENTIFY Bruiu was sleepy also, for ht
(sbe) paid no attention to me. Nerve
lees, I picked up the morning paper
which was lying on the steps and began
10 fan myself. An item In big head
lines caught my eye:
"Tame bear escapes from John Ball
Park Iast night. Don't shoot him. IS 90
reward"
Snow, Mr.. Bear, I've got you and you
haven't got me-"
knew all the doors were locked Oh
the inside and was wondering how t.
get into the house to use the telephone
when heard distant rumble and knew
the huckster would soon be back.
could have kissed the hem OF bis
garments when be jumped ont Of the old
jitney. BE was greatly excited when j
told him my story and ! could hardly
persuade him TO stand guard while
telephoned, be was so anxious to shoot,
or kill Bruin with . piichfork.
Truth compels me TO say this old
grandma bear folio v ed ber keepers away
- meek ~ . lamb. When they paid my
reward, one said: "Lor miss, she would
not hurt you If she played round here
month. She hasn't tooth In her bead,
We have to feed her pap"
Need I say Ne bad green peas to give
away again?-A..J. D.