The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-06-27
" JUST SO.o

hated Aunt Margery's parrot. It's
screaming, croaking voice, its gurgling
asides crooned as it sat on its perch,
stirred up something in me evil and vim
dictive. Perhaps l had no natural in
clination to pets. Often when | had
been over-wearied at the old home farm
house, the sight of mothers hens
scratch-scratching for living had irri-
tated me with a sense of overwork. But
they at least came honestly by their liv-
ing. | respected them; but this PAM
pered, overfed thing made my flesh
crawl as it chung ogling to its perch, or
dropped lazily down to pick up bit of
cracker, nibbling thereat with an I'M
canny chatter. No; did not like pets
Aunt Margery did. This ugly foreign
favorite had absorbed all her affections,
L thought TO myself bitterly, as
watched it that morning. She caress-
ed the creature; she spoke to it endear-
ingly5 but for, her own kith and kin she
had nothing but everlasting fault-tinding
and ceaseless exactions.
A few tears dropped down upon my
hands as | sat there. The parrot, blink
ing down upon me, drew up one skinny
claw, scratched its emerald head, and
screamed "Just SOFA pet phrase
which served it to express the most
subtle meaning, and with which it SEEM
ed to jeer at my emotion.
This was the third morning | had
waited for news of Dick-pOOr Dick,
light-hearted, high-spirited Dick who
htd taken up his cap and iest after his
last word-baUtle with Aunt Marcery.
This blow had taken the sunshine too
utterly out of my life, and there, as
sat at the window, l mentally shook my
fist at this gibbering thing, so sheltered
and favored while he was adrift-where?
What would become of Dick? oh, what
would become of Dick? The lad had al
WAYS had some business in the city that
sat lightly upon him, coming and going
at his leisure; but now for three whole
days his face had notlighted the gloomy
house. The longing TO know his well
fare, the yearning TO see him, had grown
intense and intolerable. And now,
rendered irritable and distraught by my
anxiety, / had quarreled with Aunt
Margery myself TO whom her invalid
state had hitherto excused so much, who
had been her patient nurse so long, and
the acknowledged peace maker between
herself and the outspokcn, impolite
Dick. had fallen from my high yes-
tate; l was an outcaSt from favor-not
wolth 50 much in Aunt Margery'S eyes
as this leering old parrot.
Well, need sacrifice myself no long,
er. | was free to go away Oh, how
useless, how mean aud degrading, SEEM
4 Ill Il 4 a
ed It could benefit Dick no more, and,
in his absence, dropped its splendid APP
parel of self-sacritice, and revealed itself
a beggarly and sor6id tsmeness of spir-
It, ~
Outside of this narrow groove where
/ had grubbed and vegetated there was
a thrilling, splendid reality of existence.
A sort OF winged feeling took posses
sion of me as contemplated the possi-I
blities- of TIE fnture. The parFot- put
up his elm claw, blinked at me
from the corner of his eye,
and cried, "Just SOL" as he
Topped back into his open cage. From
the window where that cage was hung l
could see the glowing gardens and pleas
ant lawns stretching below, and in the
wistful hay distance the city seemed to-
shadow through-the bright busy city,
where every one was astir' and at work.
Dick was there too somewhere. Dick
did tsbusiness'' easily and irresponsibly
as a bird. Why should not I do bust
ness? began TO take account of stock
to make a mental estimate of myself.
It is surprising, in this. commercial Val=
uation of ones self, how Percentages
shrink. A little hazy knowledge of his
tory, little nebUlous acquaintance with
general literature, light touch upon
the piano --ah these things look painful
" hreadbare on examination, likestsge
properties seen by daylight. | could