The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-07-11
@istRllan&ons Sel&Gtiuns.
FARME HILLS NEPHEW.

"Just you walk in and make your.
sell to hum whilst I call Ralph. He's
my nephew, down here from college,
rusticruiting round awhile for his
nerves. It'll do him good to drive
you over"
This was our first knowledge of
the existence of such a person as
farmer Hills nephew. And here it
will be well, perhaps, to break the
thread Of my discourse and explain
how we came to make the acquaint-
ance of farmer Hill himself. Some
six months previous, father and
mother had gone abroad for their
health, leaving Grace and myself, to-
gether with cousin Frank, to the
care of Arabella, our dignifed elder
sister. Arabella was a widow still
in her weeds, a little prini naturally,
and with an outer crust of coldness
which grief and black robes had
failed to soften, yet so true-hearted
and conscientious that our parents
felt entirely safe in entrusting us to
her during their years absence.
They had talked of taking Grace
with them, but we could not bear to
be separated, for We are twins, Grace
and 1; you would never guess it,
though, we are so unlike, Grace be-
ing short and plump, with a face
like ripe peach, and palIsh golden
hair, and the purring ways of a pet
kitten, while I am just her opposite
in looks and temperament, and far
more OF a trial, I fear, to Arabella's
patience. But Arabella's greatest
trial in those days was our cousin
Frank. Dear child, she would not
for the world have been a trial to any
one, but it was Just as impossible
for her to conform to Arabella's |
strictnotions of propriety as it would |
be for a humming- bird to put on the
stateliness of the swan. She was
nothing unless she could be herself, |
and Arabella was forever trying to
remodel her. Left an orphan before
she was ten years cd, she had been
adopted by doting aunt, who, after
doing all in her power to spoil the
girl - fortunately not one easily
spoilt-died, and left her heir to a
neat little fortune. Since then she
had been with us, and we all loved
her in spite of the fact that, wherev-
er she was, she was the center of at
traction.
We had been boarding all winter
with Arabella's mother-in-law, a styl-
ish, matronly woman, who, having
for Arabella's sake consented to take
us into her family, felt it her duty to
devote herself to our entertainment.
And a gay season had been the re-
sult-readings, receptions, and par
ties following each other in such
quick succession. that by the spring
we were heartily tired of fashionable
life.
"How pleasant it would be if we
could only go into the country for a
WHILE" said Frank, half -burying her
face in a bunch of arbutus which,
bought that morning of little flow
er girl at the door, had been whis-
pering to US all day of the far-away
woods where its home had been.
"Why not take a lodge in the
and try housekeepingr
said I, with sudden inspiration. 4
wouldn't it be splendid" cried
Frank, catching at the idea with en- i
husiasm.
"SplendidF' echoed Oracle warm i
y. t
"My dear girls, you do not know q
What you are talking about" said
in alarm. '
"Indeed we do" said Frank. 81, /
or one, am hungry for country air." /
"AndIn t
"And Ir' chimed Grace and my {
eli. /
"Butt there are so many inconven- c
ences attending country life" ex- s
,ostulated Arabella, seeing that I
frank at least was in downright /
arnest. i
'Kerosene oil, for instance" said L
he mOtherin-law aggravatingly. b
"And such swarms of mosqui- a
oes," added Arabella. t
81 am sure We have mosquitoes f
enough in town." said Frank quick t
y; "and as for kerosene oil, I'll G
gree to keep the lamps in order" '
"Leps 60" said l with growing i
zeal. v
"Lets" echoed Gracie. And so t
overwhelming were the arguments C
We brought to bear on Arabella, that
" the time the discussion ended s
he had yielded her consent; and be- e
ore a month went by, we found our g
elves actually at housekeeping in a P
picturesque cottage not far from r
Dexter Station. As for the locality
'fDeXter, 1t will not be indicated on b
he maps yet awhile, there being not u
more than six houses in the place,
IL told; but for that we liked it none o
he less, OF course there were in o
onveniences, especially for the first
wO days, when, owing to the non y
rival of our kitchen-ware and {
hina, we we're somewhat puzzled to Il
now how to furnish forth our board, d
'ut they only served to add zest to
he enterprise. P
"Jolly, isn't it?" said 1, presiding v
5 gracefully as possible at a bat s
cred peach-can in place of q teapot. C
"It is just fun" said Grace, using
Ter fingers for a fork as she helped Il
lerself to sardines. Io