The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-05-12
THE LAST SISTER.

TIE LAST SISTER.
Towards the end Of November, abou
two years ago. I received the followin,
curt note from my brother Donald. VIII,
like myself is q sheep farmer In soutl
Australia:
Ny Dear Je,7V Lizzie sends her love
and hopes to see you when your shear
ing is over as usual. LII you'll say wha
day I'll fetch you from Ballarat. Yours
affectionately. Don GARDINER.
N. B.Just begun to wash wool. Liz
zie says she has seen my apparatus q
Connolly i, tttt + dot't think it. tBt
Conolly.
Conoily was q neighbor OF mine. ant
he chancod to have brought mo Don's
letter, and to be lighting his pipe at my
elbow while read 1t.
"Conolly." said !. ''do you know an,
OF Mrs. Gardiner's eisters2 She has an
unlimited number, believe. for have
met fresh sometimes two fresh
ones-every Christmas for about half a
dozen years. and here ia still another /
never heard Of. She appears to be 40.
equaintod with you and this neighbor-
E1ood.,
20 yes; that's Cinderella" inter
Erupted Conolly. as he abstraoted bun
do OF newspapers from our joint post
bag and began to rip the wrapping from
'1laem. Haven't you seen Cinderella? ?
slthe was never out OF Tasmania, sup
pose, until last spring, when she was
sssaTing up here with the Maodonalds.
'R'he Macdonald girls called her Cinde-
mFella because she had always been the
one to, stay. ut home and keep house
while the others went about. Her pro-
he broke out suddenly, laughing in
what seemed to me very offensive
manner lmy proper name, may men,
tion. being derald), "your sister In law
Lizzie will be too many for you. She
won't lot You escape this time She
has kept Rachel as her last card"
IF ever l marry q woman with such
~ name as that hope shall be a hen
peoked husband for the rest OF my
Iife," retorted angrily. seizing pa
per-knife and beginning to tear away at
the AMstrdlasinn. 80 as to drown fur
ther conversation upon what was very
sore subject.
My brother Donald's wife, Lizzie, was
as good and kind o little woman as ever
breathed. but like many young wives
In happy circumstances she was a
matchmaker. And being impusive,
etfusive and not quite-what shall call
itP don't like to say she WAS not quite
lady, but that would suggest my
meaning she did not pursue her call
ing with that tact and judgment which
it's delicate nature required. need not
say any more. except that she had a
number OF spinster sisters, and one
only bachelor relative. who lived all by
himself In single blessedness on his
own lne and thriving property, and
that / WAS that male victim. | beg
pardon Of all tho Misses Lindsay for
using such term; / was not victim
rs far as they were concerned. But |
did feel 1t hard that should be laughed
at wherever went as the captive knight
or half n dozen fair ones, when / never
had the choosing Of one of them
When / received the above letter /
had just seen my last wool bale packed
on the last bullock dray and started on
its slow journey TO Melbourne, and the
day after / set off myself on my yearly
visit to Don. He was less fortunate Ia
respect OF sheep-shearing than /. for
living in an exceptionally cool district.
where an exceptionally wet and wintry
spring had kept everything behind
come. l thought of that as ! buttoned
myself into my Ulster. which | was glad
Of that coid morning, though Christmas
was only n month off, and l reflected
that should be the only unemployed
man at the disposal OF the household
until the shearing was over, and fore
saw, as / thought, the consequences.
made up my mind, however, that /
would. defy Lizzie's Vaccinations In a
more systematic manner than hereto
fore. May be forgiven for 80 priggish
determination.
1t was midnight before reached Bal
larat, where Don usually met me; but
upon this occasion / found a telegram
stating that he was too busy to leave
his farm. and would send for me next
day. 80 i had one game Of pool at the
club and went to bed; and next morn
ing enjoyed an hour or two over newly
arrived English papers and periodicals,
and a solitary lunch; and then the
familiar old ramshackle buggy and the
beautiful horses Don was noted for
the last stage OF my journey. When /
arrived at my destination it was dark
and raining heavily; and the groom
who opened the stable gate told me
that my brother had not long come up
from the wash place and was interview
ing shearers at the hut. | was wet and
muddy, go / went straight to my room
without even asking for my sister-in-
law, who was usually In her nursery at
that hour, and proceeded to make my
self respectable for dinner. Iresently
/ heard Don about. the rassH@ s(the
house was 'weatherboarf ua :ftu par
titions extremely thfnD ag lae SER
vant- Yhere / vas: ana .-.a Is --.s,a
l 9