The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-03-16
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}. THE COUNTRY COUSIN.

- ."Iolfrc sure you've gnt the key 10
the little br1wincarpet bag, Elkaniah,
and ths;ereen umbrella, und the paper
ofgingcr cookies?aiIspS uie9 af itd
+ Ycs, mother--all right. -, q. r.
'i'tAnd the bag of gillifower apples!
them'll be- a renl treat To- your city
cousins There ant many just such
apple trees as ourn!' 81 ~ - o -
srrThey're under the wagon scat,
mothe- Good hye!" 5-z-=f 1--.111 Z
Eikaniah Carey bent his tail figure
to leave cordial kiss on the brown,
wrinkled cheek of the old lady who
stood there her cap-strings blowing
back in the chill November wind, and
her. neat white apron. fluttering like
the sails of frigate. And, six footer
though he was, there was q dewy
moisture in his eyes as he droye brisk
ly. away in the directio of the car de-
pot. Elkaniah had been looking for
ward to this visit for weeks; yet when
the moment of parting came, the big,
warm-hearted fellows, heart yearned
tenderly toward the kind cid mother,
who was left behindi
- t"'It's Kind o hard 10 have, Elkani
ah CO." thought Mrs. Carey, turning
back to her cheerful ireside. as. fhe
rattle of wheels over The frozen road
died away; .'but to be sure he'll enjoy
himself in : York Cousin Jacob
Payne's folks have been here a. many.
summer, and We han't never had no
chance 10 return. their visits yet. I
wonder if FRANKS as pretty as she
used to bel That was the reason Elka-
hiah bought that ncw spotted neck
handk ercher 81 d the velvet vesti" ,ad-
ded the old lady with an internal
chuckle. HE always did have a kind
o. sncakin' fancy for Frank Payne
and no wonder z tn s7ah'i ".Tls
81 And Mrs. Carey, gazing dreamily
into the blaziug fire of hickory logs.
saw, not the reddening embers, but
the outlines ola dark gipsy lace over
arched by jetty broWs, and cheeks
whose crimson hloom came and went
at every breath. yGq ,i- saaEs ID.
2ht.And no :uonderi" repeated Mrs.
Carey &c herself. bas .ii:s 1s:s .zs., q 5 ..
5E It was quite dark when Elkaniah.
Carey walked up the handsome, broad
street on which Jacob Payne's man.
sion was situated-the blind, pitchy
darkness of a November night, with
white gusts of snow eddying across
the lines of light that streamed from
inn4merabie gas lampe, and melan-
choiy wind murmuring softly round
the brick-and-mortar angles. -;
.Nine o'clock" said EIkaniah, con-
sulting his huge silver watch under
one of the brilliant gas jets; ''ifs very
late. I hope they wont all be gone.
to bed. They'll be glad to see me any
way, and that's something when a man
has travelled all dayp -i s
But Elkaniah Carey might have.
spared his anxiety on the subject of
the Payne family having "gone; to
bed" The house was in a blaze of
light and the street was full of car
fiages.i Between the translucent pur-
pie silk curtains Elkaniah's astonish7
ed eyes caught here and there the fash
of prism-loadedo chandeliers and the
glow of hOt-house flowers. - *
s5 "Pm In luck. !" thought honest Ell
kaniahs with a proud consciousness OF
tie spotted neckerchief and the wine
colored velvet vest. They've got
COMPANY, s-.as-Taz e., -, ,s;1 y
And Elkaniah. confident Of well
come, boldly ascended the steps and
rang the door bell ,@- ~
'I'ye come to see Cousin Payne
folks" he said to the sable servitor,.
who, bowing low, flung the doors
= Frank Payne stood in the midst of
her guests, like a little Oriental queen,
her floating dress Of diaphanous pink,
creps giving additional glow to her,
dark rich beauty, and long trails of
sdorous njessamine dropping among
her jet black cufls, while the velvet
and deeper, Ike the fich color in the
heart Of a newly blessomed rose: but
the; curve of her lips scarcely betoken-