Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-08-22
NEAR-SIGHTRD.
SOPHIE MAY.

j
came so near drowning in that cano
summer before last that they took
great dislike to the water, and hav
hardly gone near it since, except t
drink. So last summer they though
they would make a journey by land a
far as their money would go and, t.
exc it out, they took one Of Bsecher'
works and a book of Dio Lewis to sci
on the way. Phil can talk and he toll
the people in the little out-of-the-wa,
towns that Beecher was quite a popula
writer, as good as Mrs. Southworth
with rather a moral tone. SO he sole
off his books and sent for more, whil
Ben was clearing the frog ont of hi
throat.
They had capital times, stopping t.
see elephants and things, till by.and-bl
they came to town in Iowa its 81
large that | don't dare to tell the namt
of it-and there they stayed day or two
with a friend of Ben's and, as theil
money was low, they decided to cal
that the end of their journey. ItseemeC
to be very lucky that they should have
happened along just at that time, fol
there was two young ladies in tht
family, who had been teaching drawing
and music in an academy, and wanted
to 60 back to their homes ia. the east
and "could they go in company will
the young men? o, how nice it would
be |" =
Let's see; Phil was eighteen thai
June, not fresh any more, but almost
cut and dried into a s0ph. o, Phil, ]
didn't put ct to the end of that
Bless your old heart you are dear,
nice, gullible darling-so you are and,
though you do get "sold" sometimes,
we know your brains are sound-sound
for boy. Not that Phil can see into
things as we girls can near.sighted to
begin with, and won't wear spectacles.
And that state Of things does place q
body at the mercy OF an 1nfeeling world.
His objection to spectacles is, that
they would make him look like pro-
fessor of Greek. You see he thinks he
looks as old as anybody, and feels older
yet.
Well, these young ladies were named
Ann Shotwell and Fanny Hit. Miss
Hit was nice, friendly little thing.
Ben couldn't remember much about
her but as for the other one-Miss
Shotwell-he said she was a sumner
seemed to carry all before her and
people pazad at her when she came into
the cars.
I Icouldn't make ont what the secret
of it was. for Ben's descriptive powers
are weak.
"Was it her dress?'
= He couldn't exactly say.
. She was got up killingly. Those
what-you- call ems sewed on the skirt,
with tassel to it, hitched on some.
where, and some tizzy-my-jigs around
the head lots of fiummy-diddle tackled
to her somehow.
All he could describe nationally was
her boots.
"French kids, all fowered off, and
fitted like ducks foot in mud pud-
de-"
But if Ben can't talk he can see, and
there's where he has the advantage Of
Phil. He saw at once that Fanny Shot.
well was a played-out coquette, and
"foured her face, and streaked on a
little red" That must have been be.
fore they began travel, She wouldn't
dare be painted in the cars would she :
with dust blowing so,
She wore two long braids Hopping
down her back and Ben thought they
were "a dead sure thing for certain, "
and grew on her head. But O. gust OF
wind happened to blow under them and
he happened to see where they were
tied on
That finished him, he said but he
did not mention 1t to Phil, for Phil was
growing very gallant all of sudden.
Just fancy that boy She was a
dozen years older than he was, II she
was a day, and ought to have been sort
of a good auntie to him, and told him
when his collar was one. sided, and
helped form his manners. But instead
of that the old thing undertook. to tilrt
with him. Ben said it was fact,
When they stopped at the hotels she
played and sang straight at Phil. Her
voice was sweet, but too much IN her
throat to suit Ben. He hates operate.
But it took Phil right off his feet.
"Did you ever?" said he to Ben.
"If she sings like that now, whatll
she do by-and-by?"
"Why, how old do you call herr"
said Ben,
about Kate's age, guess" replies
Phil.
I was sixteen that month Ben
thought he should choke. Phil was
very far gone indeed, and it was hard
work getting him to bed, he was so ab-
sorbed in the moon.
Ben didn't go into particulars, and !
had to picture it out for myself; but
could almost seem to see the whole
thing: those two creatures-Phils and
the ancieut-sitting together in the
cars smiling at nothing; Phil strok-
ing his chin, where the underfringe
ought to be popping to find aneients
old handkerchief, or open the window,
or shut it saying twill you allow
me ?" when she can't fasten her old
gloves.
"why don't you take your boot-but.
toner, Kate. Thatll fetch it." But
this is another, not sister," as the
song saws and it makes all the differ
ence, you know.
Shouldn't wonder if he is quoting
poetry at her. He despises poetry
but he's learned two or three lines
hearing me say them over. Antiquity
smirks and rolls up her eyes to the bell
rope.
/ wish did know how they do it
these flirts. Not that I would act 81
myself It would be more excusabl
| in little girl like me but, young as
am, I'd scorn such silly behavior,
Phil runs his fingers through his hair
and leaned forward in the most insin
uating manner to hear her talk, wit
the cars going rattlety bang. And ther
are Ben and the other one looking o
laughing in their sleeves.
They 60 by the Canada route, an
stop at Niagara Falls; and the nigh
before they get there they travel a littl
in the evening, and reach Niagara abor
ten o'clock. Now, here is where th