isa-normaladvance-1914-00201

Description:	THE NORMAL ADVANCE201Gflfje Carttortgfjtsr Circus By NONA NOELMISS SOPHRONIE SMITH stood at the front window of her neat little cottage, casting anxious glanches up and down the street. She shielded her near-sighted eyes from the bright sunlight with one hand, while, with the other, she held back the stiff, white muslin curtain. The glaring sunshine and a discon¬ tented feeling made the wrinkles in Miss Sophronies sallow face deeper than they usual¬ ly were. Her iron-gray hair was twisted into a tight defiant knot on the top of her head. Who, looking at this wrinkled spinster, would imagine that she still entertained in her heart the tenderest passion known to mankind?It aint no use, she sighed softly, dropping her hand from her eyes, its too late for him to come past now. Here Ive been lookin for him ever afternoon for a month and he aint been in sight! He used to always pass here every day and stop sometimes, but I guess hes takin up with some one else, now that Ive waited all these years. Just like a man! Have a woman to wait until all the men her age have married, and then they hunt up a girl young enough to be their daughter. Of course, Silas aint never ask me to wait, and I aint had to refuse any other offers, but then Ive waited just the same. . What did he send me that hand- painted vase, when he was in India, ten years ago, for, if he didnt want me to wait? she suddenly demanded in a savage indignant voice, but there was no one to answer her ques¬ tion.Just then, she caught sight of the three Cartwright children, sitting on the front porch of their home, dressed in their good clothes. The Cartwrights lived next door to Miss Sophronie.Well, she snorted, finding something new upon which to vent her indignation, I sup¬pose Mrs. Cartwright intends to take them youngins to see that circus this afternoon. Id think a woman of her age would have more sense than to take her children to see such tom¬ foolery. It seems to me that Cartwrights are extravagant enough havin their house painted by a painter, when Mr. Cartwright might just as well be doin it hisself without them going and spendin money to take them children to the circus. I never was to a circus in my life, my mother had more sense. Heaven only knows whatll become of children after while, their mothers dont know how to raise em. With this, Miss Sophronie turned in disgust from the window.The Cartwright children, little suspecting that their neighbor was criticising them, sat primly in their small chairs, waiting for their mother to get ready. Bob, the watch-dog, lay at the feet of Archibald, the youngest little Cartwright, whose face shone as a direct result of the application of soap and water. Martha, next to Archibald in age, held her head very erect lest she disturb the two braids that stood out stiffly at each side of her head. Philip showed clearly that he was the oldest of the three by trying to assume an air of dignity and superiority.For many minutes after Miss Sophronie had left her window, the children continued to wait patiently but when moment after moment lag¬ ged by and their mother did not appear, they grew tired. Philip and Martha squirmed about in their chairs. Archibald slipped down to the floor and began to play with Bob. Just then, the painter, whom Miss Sophronie had men¬ tioned, passed on his way to get some material which he had left back of the house. It was at this point that Philip conceived a brilliant idea
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/32665
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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