Year: 1878

10 lne Otner-iesI oy any cnance the
bread might be out


Her gowns for spring were always
bought and made in midwinter; her to-
matOes were started in the kitchen so
early in the season that they were two
foot spindlings when she set them out,
and rarely survived their transplanting;
in short, she was almost worse off than
the woman who is always too late, by
being herself always too early.


You oughter be called Mis- Smart,
Sary,' her husband often said, Jake
way don't fit. There never was one O
the name got breakfast over night SOS 20
be sure ont. Our folks took it easy, time
out o mind"


1T don't make no odds what you call
me, Jehiel; but p'raps if the Jakeways
had been smarter | shouldn't ha' needed
to be SO smart, his wife answered; and
to that answer there was no rejoinder.


Still, the worthy man felt that his life
would run much smoother on the Jake
way principle, and ne could not help
Ienjoying any lnishap which befen mis-
Smart in consequence of her over.
anxiety and constant hurry.
This good couple were blessed with
one daughter, Florence Amanda, who
was their sole idol. They strained every
nerve, pinchedspared saved and labored,
to give her thorough education that
she might become teacher.


To teach school, is, in certain parts
of New England, social distinction
which compensates, in many minds, for
the hard work and poor pay attached to
that vocation. 1t would have been in
definitely better for Miss Florence
Amanda to have gone out to service in
some respectable family, where good
wages, proper food, and light, wholesome
work would have made Life easy to her.


But pride, naughty pride" as the
hymn book for children says, forbade
such degradation. Whether it is deg
radiation remains still an open question.
Of the two, 1 should much prefer it to
semi-starvaton and teaching; and /
should prefer it for my daughter; and
Jehiel and Sary Jakeway did not.


Their dear girl had been from one
public school to another, till she had en-
tered normal school, where she was
fast wearing out the last remains of her
strength and health. One day her ad
miring parents we're invited to attend
some sort of exhibition at that institu-
ton.


1t was necessary to go on the early
train to reach Rockfeld in time; so Mis-
Smart" as usual, prepared for an early
breakfast.


This morning she had it ready at half
past four; for the Rockford train ran
from a station three miles from Dover
where they lived, and Jehiel had moi
only to drive over there, but to put up
his horse at the nearest house, a mile
away-for it was only flag station, and
no houses near-and walk back.


1t was six o'clock of cold April day
by Jehiels big silver watch, when they
lighted down" at the platform-for to-
day it was merely PLATFORM sudden
gust of wind the day before having tilted
the rickety shed backward into a neal
field.


The morning was foggy and dull
But Mis- Smart" forgot to take the UNI
brella out of the wagon and before Jehie
got back with it the fog had condensed
to fine rain, and, by the time the carr
came, his wife was soaking wet.


She came back from the exhibition in
a chill-for wet clothes are not condu-
sive to warmth or health, and long at
tack of lung fever was the result of hel
Exposure. She laid it to her forgetting
the umbrella; but Jehiel said it wa,
owing to their being too early by almos
an hour.


/ In July Florence Amanda came home
"a pale, delicate, bright-eyed young
person subject to headaches, with veal
spine, and a very small waist. There
was pad in the left shoulder of the bach
of all her dresses; and she didn't really
care to eat anything but cake and pie
so cake and pie were provided.


But what of all this, so long as she had
graduated with high honor, had fatter
ing certificates, and could play on the
piano most amazingly" as her father
said?


Indeed. it was amazing that she could
play at ali, when you considered that she
knew everything else in creation. II
was great pity she enjoyed such poor
health, her mother reluctantly owned
but she felt secret pride even in the ill
health that resulted from over study.


1t was relief, too, to think she would
not have to keep school; for she was al
ready engaged to be married to a fel
low-student at Rockfeld.


Of course the marriage could not take
place directly. Mr.. Simonds WAS going
to Germany, to study methods of edu-
cation for two years-he had means" OF
his own to do so-and then there was a
place to get as principal OF professor
somewhere after he got back


1t was rather long prospect for Flor
ence Amanda, but her home was ready
and glad to receive her. She passed the
later fall months in that quiet retreat
being petted and waited on, forgetting
her mental labors and enduring her
physical ills as best she could.


When the end Of October came, she
went to make visit in Rockfeld, and
was there taken i'll with low fever and
her mother had TO be sent for.


With many misgivings Mrs Jakeway
started for the distant station as early az
usual, and spent miserable hour on the
platform waiting for the train.


She would not let Mr. Jakewsy leave
her till the cars came, the place was 50
lonely, and when she was gone he logged
along homeBard at his own pace-to
lind, on arriving in Dover, a telegram to
the effect that his daughter was on her
way home and wanted to be met at the
Rockheld train.


If his wife had been willing to wait
even fifteen minutes later she would have
been spared her journey, and Florence