Two Umbrellas
By Elsie Rogers and Elsie Stone G ~... ^
Slowly the horses plodded along the road , slowly crept the cart up every hill , the sun burned holes in my coarse cotton substance . Mow hot and dusty it w as ! The very air tasted of it ! The poor horses sweated in the heat of mid-day — and all because the sun would shine with a laughing face upon the ovenheated town .
" Of course I have a right to be indignant , for , though I ’ m not a ‘ silk-lined lady ' s umbrella ,’ I was certainly not made for the sun to blister me at his pleasure .
“ A faint sound reached my ears . Oh , no , it ’ s just the driver snoring ! I supose I have a right to sleep and I ’ m so tired holding my arms over that man . I keep the sun off him but nobody thinks of me . Rude boys jeer at the writing on me , but that ’ s not my fault ."
Then the big umbrella began to be sorry for herself and have fancies .
" Just think of all those swells that hold their heads over emperors and are all be-tasseled and fine . Wouldn ' t I like to be in their society ?” and the umbrella sighed dolefully , thinking of all her woes . “ No one has such a hard lot as 1 . If only there was some rain that I could feel cool ."
Presently the cart turned down a side street , whose shady trees stretched unselfishly across the road . The big umbrella signed mournfully again . Just then she caught sight of some children playing by the road .
" I don ' t sec what fun they ’ re having on a day like this ,” said she pettishly .
Suddenly , from the midst of the children , a black thing was thrown up in the air and fell near the cart . The umbrella stretched herself to look at it and her eyes welled up in tears .
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