Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-05-27
COUSIN JOHN.

D sight to behold Land sakes!
child, where have you been all the bles-
sed morning? Here, We have most
done dinner, and there amt nothing
fit to cat, I don't believe; we have just
ate up the last Of them berry-pies.
But my sakes! child, you look as if
you'd had berries enough for one spell
mouth and hands is black all
over with 'em new"
Aunt Myra's tongue, if possible Il
more untiring member than even her
ver-busy hands, might have run on in
al uninterrupted flow for an hour long
or had not the current of her ideas been
checked by u turn SO startling and sud-
den that the conversational tide over
flowed its banks in one "Bless my
soul :" of such fulne>s and energy,
that it seemed to have exhausted her
well-spring Of language, and put
temporary stop to the torrent Of words.
The cause Of the interruption was
simply this. When aunt Myra first
beheId me-mud- stained and berry,
stained, heated, tired, and hungry
her motherly compassion for my con-
dition made her, for the moment, for
getful of everything but my wants ;
but following the direction OF my eyes,
her own rested upon an appartion
which filed me with dismay, and made
my cheeks blaze redder than the July
sun had done before, blushing first at
the thought of my appearance, and
then more and more with shame that |
should blush at all, till the tears fairly
started to my eyes from very vexation.
And the source of all this distur bance
was neither more or less than rather
handsome and very we'll dressed young
man, who sat at the dinner-table calm
ly finishing the last piece of Aunt My
ra's lamentcd berry-pie, and between
the mcuthfuls taking cool and Impair
tial survey of myself, and, il | might
Judge from the half smile that lurked
in the corners Of his eyes, forming a
not too favorable estimate Of my per-
sonal attractions.
have no vanity-I feel sure Of that:
but no girl could help but feel vexed to
make her first appearance before a
person whom she had heard talked
about for the last three weeks, as | had
Mr.. Hampton | knew at a glance it
was he), looking as I did then-my
dress muddy and wet, and torn by the
briers, my hair half fallen down, my
face heated, and, worst of all, my lips
and teeth blue as indigo, from the ber-
ries l had been eating all the morning.
Cousin John stood looking on, silent
as usual, but l believe in his heart not
sorry to see me looking my ugliest be-
fore the stranger. However, 1 felt
grateful to him for putting an end to
the embarrassing scene by carrying of
Mr.. Hampton with him to the marshes
AS soon as they we're gone | ran ur
to my own room and had a good cry
l had been such fool. l might have
explained how l got my dress so wet
and dirty; that in trying to take
shorter way home, 1 crossed the brook
and, slipping off one Of the stepping
stones, fell into the water. But / new
er think Of anything at the right time
and any explanation afterward only
makes one appear ridiculous. 1t was
no in lication Of vanity, certainly, thai
tried to make myself look as well as
possible; and if 1 did spend more
time than usual in persuading every
pelverse curl to stay in its proper place.
it was surely no more than was requir-
ed to remove the unfair impression Of
the morning.
I dreaded meeting them again, so
waited till tea was ready, and then qui.
city slipping into the room was intro.
duced as We sat down to the table
There was nothing in Mr.. Hampton's
manner to revive my annoyance, bu
cousin John gave me a comical look
which made me feel vexed all the eve.
ming. Some persons looks speak sc
plainly that they seem to have no need
Of words to express themselves, anc
cousin John is evidently Of that opin.
ion, if enc may judge from his sparine
use Of the organ Of speech. At tina
time especially, I remember, for days
together it would seem to me that h
hardly spoken ten words, but sat Their
hearing every word that we said, ant
making his comments in his own mind
1t is very provoking way, and use(
to make me feel so constrained that
dare say l must have appeared yer,
silly and awkward. But Mr.. Hamp
ton never seemed to be conscious of i
all, but ratified away, sense Or nonsens'
as it might happen to be, and certainl,
made himself very agreeable. l use1
to wonder, when cousin John had sal,
so much to me Of Mr.. Hampton being
his friend at college, and such goo
fellow, that he did not seem to enjo,
his visit more. 1t could not be envy
for though Mr.. Hampton was certainl,
more elegant in dress and some it'll
matters, no one could ever be more
true gentleman than was cousin John
even in his overalls and farm boots
beside, Of course, he must be glad tina
we all liked his friend. Whateye
might have been the cause, the fact wa
that all the time Mr.. Hampton staid a
the farm, cousin. John had taken {
VOW of silence; and just from common
civility l was obliged to exert mysel
to supply the Deficiencies as far as
could, and do all in my power to en-
terrain his guest, which was not by an,
means a difficult task, for I never saw
anv one more inclined to he nlnosed