American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-11-01

I
the evenings he smoked his cigar Cd the
back porch, and listened with u2on-
cealed pleasure, in spite of his siSer''
glowering, to the pretty bfunette's Skill-
full playing on the piano, with an ecca-
sional dash at the banjo, which she
managed with equal skill, and to Shicl
she often sang--negro melodies.
" Actually negro meiodies!'i ex.
claimed Philomela, when they first
forced themselves upon her ear.
"And why not?" asked her brSther
g Nilsson sang them
| "Then Nilsson ought to have been
ashamed of herself" said the ladJ.
And often parties We're given h the
house in the other street, and Miss
Thomasina could be seen darling bout,
apparently the life of the whole ssem-
blage, or dancing with wonderfd ease
and grace with sundry well dessetl
men. Popiniay.i" was the tern Mr..
Gherkcn applied to these young men,
especially when the dance happeh bed to
be waltz; although why popiijay he
alone knew. And merry laughtG, and
gay music, and sounds of clinkingplates
and glasses, would float acrossito the
home of the Gherkens.
And Orlando began to wish more
heartily than ever that his mali Zen sis
ter did not feel it her duty to rsside in
his house and take such devotedcare of
him, and to doubt that his dyink moth
er, as Philomela declared, ever fquest-
ed her to do so; for his mother had
been the antipodes of Miss Gherken,
and he had been getting alopg very
nicely with Mary, his Widowed sister,
until Philomela arrived, and Mary,
sweet-tempcred as she was, Unable to
bear her tyranny, departed
Great heavens, if | could ouy sum-
mon strength of mind enough I'd request
her to seek another home! Her in
comes nearly as large as mine. and she
lives here to save it, as much as any
thing else,'' soliloquized Mr.. Eherken
one day in the privacy of his own apart
ment. 1t was just after Philo1ela had
called Miss Somerset 81 forward young
hussy' because she had climbed over
the fence after her Youngest broth
er's ball. Payn never said a
truer thing than when he said
that s'relations, however near, who
could not rub on well together. had bet
ter separate and love each Other dearly
through the penny-post." B1 he could
not summon up strength of mimi enough,
and the second week of September, 1879,
found Miss Gherken still rue r of her
brothers house, as she had 9een since
the second week of September, 1876.
But the first day of the third feek came
a note from one of the old crpnies, who
lived hundred odd miles away, en-
treating Philomela to come t what the
writer believed to be her dying bedside,
and receive the silver forks Ind spoons
and other articles of like nature long
promised to the faithful friend if she sur
vived her. This was an appeal Miss
Gherken could not withstand In fact,
she made no attempt to withBtand it, for
she knew if she failed Miss Gundrum,
there were other faithful frieids DESTROYS
of accommodating portable property who
would hasten like stvultues - Miss
Philomela's word, not mi e) to the
stricken one. So, reluctantly, it must
be admitted, she resolved I'd 90, and met
her brother with that resolution when he
returned from business that evening.
4" don't know what you will do with
out me-" she said, drawing down the
corners of her mouth (OAando could
not prevent the corners pf his from
turning up), "though suppose Mary
how selfish it is of her to bt paying her
board to her husbands relations, when
she might be paying it heIe to her own
flesh and blood will be willing to come
for a week q sha'n't stay longer), and
look after things. Not that she'll be
much good she has too many of your
peculiar tastes to be anF thing of a
housekeeper, and I've no doubt [ shall
find the place in nice mess when l do
get back
And Mary was summoned, and ar
rived early the next morning, just as her
fathers eldest daughter vas departing
with wrinkled brow and many ominous
shakes of the head. And, after waiting
two hours, to be sure hat she had
reached the Jersey shore, Mr.. Gherken,
who had resolved to take. Il holiday on
this suspicious occasion, threw open all
the window blinds and let m the sunshine,
babe the giggling maid @he had begun
to giggle rs soon as her mistress was
gomez take the brown covers off the par
lor furniture, opened the long-closed
piano, and announced his intention of
giving party.
at will be in your honor, Mary he
said-sly fellow-to the little widow,
who was gazing at him with wide
opened, astonished eyes "The day af-
ter tomorrow will be yar birthday"
"What will Philomela say?" gasped
sister Mary.
"Tll wager she'll never know any
thing about it," said her brother "No
one would dare to tell her. And, if she
should find it out, it may serve to bring
matters to crisis. However, I'm 90
ing to give aparty. I've always had an
idea that if left entirely to myself, |
should make a capital host, but until
now l have never had chance to try.
So put on your prettiest walking dress,
Molly dear, and we'll call on the neigh
bors at once. Idon't know one of them,
though we've lived here since last May