The Red Cloud chief., 1875-12-30

or tail OF each others remarks. Be-
Miss Mehit8Jie always preferred bel
friends should please themselves rather
than her; SO she sat peacefully by, iiesrd
what she could, ans. lie. the rest 60
II IVES not till the circle of those who
attempted proper enuncia'ion had
thinned down TO the very s:rong-winded
ones, and Miss Nehitabieis replies to
| their remarks sometimes fitted abont az
well as If she had put her v bonnet
on Phenix's head by mistake, that oue
of the bravest OF them ventured a sus.
gestion.
Would il not seem a little strange il
all her friends had lost their voices at
oncei Might it not be possible that her
hearing had lost a triAe Of its a%cuteness!
The suggestion wa repudiated with
only the least ~perceptible sharpening OF
Miss Mehi,able's usual gentleness, but
when Phenix brought home from the
city q day a delicate offering, an ear
trumpet, new in design, graceful and
light, she rose to her feet and famed
into such a blaze Of ~indignatian As all
the rest of her gentle life could hardly
sum up.
San ar-trumpet! Was she to be the
scape-goat for everybody's carelessness,
and wear this crooked horn as a badge
of it, Deaf2 How could she be deaf
| any more than he was, when their birth
days were the samel Would he have
the great kindness, to carry that iDstru-
ment into his OWN room and keep il
| there, since waste was sinful, until she
should ask fer it?"
It did not seem to Phenix that Pam
phylis could say anything this time, but
as he passed between her and Miss Me-
hitable, her face frightened. "Still,"
she whispered, "it's a comfort TO think
you've increased the regular SALE"
The grapes had purpled and been
gathered five times since then; to-mor-
row would be Christmas Day once more,
and the ~ear-trumpet lay on the piano in
Phenix's room, shining and bright as On
the frat day it had been banished there.
turkey" of course" said Phenix, as
they sat round tie fire after tea, letting
the lights and shadows give lessons in
blind mans buff in advance. Couldn't
there be anything else for a change!
This will be my fifty fifth in annual reg
ularity."
"And my fiftieth; u real old maid"
laughed Miss Pamphylia, softly.
Nonsense" began Phenix, with a
glance ut her bright brown eyes and
chestnut hair; but Miss Mehitablc turned
gently from the fire.
"Oh, yes, dear; they often live 10 a
great age. l remember u allowed to
wander in your fathers field that was
over a hundred. At least the inscription
on its back said so. l suppose it is be-
cause they are so slow about every.
thing"
"Not turtle turkeys" shouted Pho.
nix. "DindonS for dinner tomorrow
"But please don't speak so loud,
BROTHER" said Miss Mchitable. II like
~distinctness, that is all. Though I am
surprised at your thinking of dandelions,
SO altogether out of season; and, be.
sides, cranberry u is Latin for roast
turkey, always" Aud Miss Mehitable
laid her hands on the folded handker.
chief with a peaceful smile.
This was what drew the despairing
look from PheniX, and sent Miss Pam
phylia to take refuge in rejecting tina,
Hetty "could have the trumpet" No,
that they cared in the least on their OWL
account; it was only the thought OF
tomorrow, when there would be com
pany. They were SO proud of Hetty,
and couldn't bear to have her make her.
self ridiculous.
Nothing seemed less probable, rs
Miss Mehitable took her seat at the table
the next day, faultlessly dressed, and
smiling bcnignly upon every one, with
Cousin John, a clergyman of the Meth.
odist persuasion, on her right hand, and
q distinguished professor of elocutiou
on her left.
Pretty strong outposts, and Hetty
always does look WE'LL" thought Phenix
with a sigh of relief, as he took up the
bali she had gracefully set rolling, ano
ersqueted it among his neighbors. 1,
fitted about for awhile in a velvety way
most soothing to his fears, when sudden.
ly, just as his anxiety began to subdue
there was q crash at Miss Mehitable'.
end of the table, reverbersting like 9
clap of thunder. She had set out on 9
series OF "reminiscences with Cousin
John, who had just returned after &
twenty years absence, and he wa:
inquiring at the extreme OF his pulpit
tones:
"Where 10 the Judge nowi"
Miss Mehitable nodded and smiled
as she always did when she felt pretty
sure, but not quite, that ooh, yes" wa:
the right answer. This wouldn't do, 70,
every one had started at the crash, and
was listening; so Cousin John tried
again: