The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-21
NEAR-SIGHTED.
SOPHIE MAY.


came SO near drowning in that canoe
summer before last that they took
great dislike TO the water, and have
| hardly gone near it since, except to
drink. So last summer they thought
thew would make a journey by land as
far as their money would go; and, 70
exc it out, they took one OF Baecher
works and book of Dio Lewis to sell
on the way. Phil can talk and he told
the people in the little out-of-the-wdy
towns that Beecher was quite popular
writer. as good as Mrs. Southworth,
with rather a moral tone. So he sold
off his books and sent for more, while
Ben was clearing the frog out OF his
throat.
They had capital times, stopping to
| see elephants and things, till by and-by
| they came to town in Iowa Its so
/ large that don't dare to tell the name
of it-and there they stayed a DAY on two Two
with a friend OF Ben ) ana, as Iheir
/ money was low, they decided to call
/ that the end of their journey. Itseemed
/ to be very lucky that they should have
| happened along just at that time, for
| there was two young ladies in the
family, who had been teaching drawing
/ and music in an academy, and wanted
to 90 back to their homes in the east;
and "could they go in company with
the young men? o, how nice 1t would
be !"
Let's see ; Phil was eighteen that
June, not fresh any mere, but almost
cut and dried into a sOph. o, Phil, L
/ 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
] -
things as we girls can; near-si GIFTED to
begin with, and won't wear spectacles.
And that state of things does place
body at the mercy of an unfeeling world.
His objection to spectacles Is, that
they would make him look like pro
lessor of Greek. You see he thinks ne
looks as old as anybody, and feels older
yet.
Well. these young ladies were named
Ann Shotwell and Fanny Hit. Miss
| Hit was a 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 gaz-d at her wheIGshe came into
the cars.
I couldn't make out 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- cali ems sewed on the skirt,
with a tassel to it, hitched on some
where, and some fzzy-my-jigs around
| the head lots of hummy-diddle tackled
to her somehow"
All he could describe nationally was
her boots.
"French kids, all lowered off, and
fitted like ducks foot in mud pud-
die"
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
we'll was a plsyed-out coquette, and
"fioured her face, and streaked on
/ 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 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 a sudden.
! Just fancy that boy She was a
/ dozen years older than he was, If she
was 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 hirt
| 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 b91es operate.
Bat it took Phil right off his feet.
Did you ever? ?" said he to Ben.
IF she sings like that now, what'll
she do by-and-by?"
Why, how old do you call her =? "
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 alb
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-Phil, and
the ancient-sitting together in the
cars smiling at nothing Phil strok-
ing his chin, where the " underfringe"
ought to be popping to find ancient's |
old handkerchief, or open the window, |
or shut it saying twill you allow |
pe ?" when she can't fasten her old |
&oves.
When 1 can't fasten my gloves, its |
''why don't you take your boot-but- |
toner, Kate. Thatll fetch it." But |
this is g another, not sister," as the |
song says 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.
these hirts. Not that [ would act SO
myself 1t would be more excusable
in little girl like me; but, young as /
I'm, I'd scorn such silly behavior.
Phil runs his finger through his hair,
and leaned forward in the most insin-
uating manner to hear her talk, with
the cars going rattlety bang. And there
are Ben and the other one looking on
laughing in their sleeves.
JeThey 90 by the Canada route, and
stop at Niagara Falls and the night
before they get there they travel little
III the evening, anu rSacn Niagara ABOUT
ten o'clock. Now, here is where the
jokes comes in.
It was lovely evening. Diana
that the moon-was daintily picking
her way through the white clouds over
head, and Phil and Miss Ann Tiquity
sat looking at hsr with a very moon
struck expression. They had talked
themselves all out and that boy, I pre-
sumo, was conjugating Latin verbs to
himself that's what he does when he's
trying to think up something to say.
Miss Ann was sitting by the window, a
few inches nearer the moon than he was,
and more sentimental, if anything.
Why can't somebody sing?" said
she. eve must have music by noon
light"
She was such a gushing little thing,
you know? Never stopped to think
here was anybody else in tie car but
heir party, and struck, care lo'e
lear. with the very top notes of her
hroat. Everybody sat stock still and
as if nightingale had flown g
L and was giving solo.
But all in a second, lust as the last {