The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-07-04
THAT TERRIBLE CHILD.

THAT TERRIBLE CHILD,
Celestina Maria,n said the Widow
Wilkins, az want you to behave yer,
well this afternoon"
"What for, map"
because expect Mr.. WorthiHgtoI
to tea. p You know Mr.. Worthington
don't you?"
eyes, ma; he's the man with tn,
long nose" -
"Celestina Maria, 1 am shocked t.
hear you speak so improperly"
Saint it true, ma? Ineyer seed sucl
a long nose in my ife."
Tr't You will oblige me by making NJ
remarks about his nose. Even if hi
nose is little long it may not prevent
his being a good man."
g anyway wouldn't want to marry
such long-nosed man; would you
ma?n
"Hush, my child; it is improper fol
you to speak of getting married. And
one thing more, you muse be very care.
full what YOU say when Mr.. Worthing-
ton is here. If you won't say any thing
about his nose, I'll give you, let me see,
some of that cake you like SO much"
VIII you, ma? That'n be jolly"
"But you must behave well Celestina
Maria"
40, yes, I'll behave"
And the child went dancing out of the
room, exulting in the anticipation of the
cake, of which she was particular ly
fond.
The Widow wilkins had been a widow
for three years, which she very natural
" thought was quite long enough, and
she had now set her cap for Mr.. Worth
ington, a bachelor in the neighborhood.
Mr.. Worthington was very well to do,
and was considered a very good
match. He was however avery diffident
man, which may account for his not
having been taken captive before. To
this task Mrs. Wilkins had addressed
herself, and being widow and mis-
tress of the wiles which the elder Mr..
Weller ascribes to widows as a class,
she didnot despair of bringing him to
the point. 1t was quite triumph when
he accepted an invitation to take tea at
her house, as generally he was shy of
such invitations, and had been accus-
toned to refuse them.
But there was one thing that Mrs.
wilkins was afraid Of Celestina Maria,
her only daughter, precocious, and not
over-mannered child of 9, was what the
French call terrible child, being in the
habit of disclosing just what her mother
particularly desired kept secret, and
asking the most embarrassing questions,
which often put her mother in a cold
SILVER, and made her dreaded by all the
widows callers. In particular, if any
visitor had physical popularity Miss
Celestina Maria was pretty sure to make
some remark about it, For instance,
there was a young lady in the neighbor-
hood, much esteemed, who was unfor-
tunate enough to have hump on her
back which was to her the source
of much secret modification.
One day the Ladies' Sewing Circle
met at the widows, and, among those
present, q. was, this young lady.
Celestina, having made the tour of the
room, finally brought up in front of
Miss Graves, and, fixing her sharp eyes
upon her, said in very audible voice.
"Miss Graves, what makes that big
thing grow on your backP Don't it
hurt you any p" +
Of course Celestina Maria was sent
from the room in disgrace, and there
was painful and embarrassing silence !;
the face of poor Miss Graves being dyed
with crimson.
Now the Widow was afraid that after
she had successfully angled for Mr..
Worthington, and brought him to the
house, her daughter night, by some
malapropos remark, spoil all her plans,
and send him away, never to return.
She would very willingly have dispensed
with the child's society. Indeed she
thought of having her confined to her
chamber by some imaginary indisposi-
ton, but then it is doubtful if the little
girl would have acquiesced without a
great deal of fuss, and moreover it
might be considered indiscreet to have
no third person present. So she made
up her mind to make the best of it and
do what she could to insure silence and
correct conduct on the part of the SEN
FAINT terrible"
Mr.. Worthington arrived about half
past four. His nose certsinly was long
one. Speaking within bounds it was
about so per cent. longer than noses in
general, and being very thin besides,
its length was the more prominent and
remarkable. As soon as he entered the
room, Celestina Maria, as if fascinated,
fixed her eyes upon the remarkable or
gan. Perhaps Mr.. Worthington felt
the gaze, for he raised bis handkerchief
three or four times, ostensibly to wipe
his face, but really to conceal his nose
temporarily, or so Mrs. Wilkins
thought.
"Drat the child" she said to herself,
50 wish she would have the sense to
look somewhere else than at Mr..
Worthington's nose. She is the most
perverse child"
1t would not be interesting to narrate
the conversation, commencing with the
state of the weather, which passed be-
tween the widow and her guest during
the first half hour AT 5 O'Clock
the widow, feeling solicitous about
the supper, left the room to give direc-
tons about it, fearing the servant might
not quite understand what was re-
quired. With some misgiyings she left
Celestina Maria to entertain her visitor.
That young lady, not being bashful,
edged up to the bachelor, who, feeling