The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-05-06
A HYSSOP CENTIPEDE.

"A lie has hundred legs, the truth but one I"
-HdtiGH PrOUer6.
Mrs. Green opened her eyes, and thought it
was daylight: the bed-head was turned toward
the window, so she could not see fully how
bright il was out-of-doors, but having been
restless al night from the heat, she was glad
20 perceive morning; so she got up and went
to draw aside the curtain, and just as she did
so, the church clock struck two, and she saw
that Il was q ciOudless night now, though 1t
had rained heavily the past evening" and the
full moon rode high in a solitary heaven.
The night was fresh and fragrant; its dewy
GOODNESS sUothed her hot head and tired eyes
so she shut the outer blinds, turned the Stats
straight. and sat down to enjoy the calm and
rcfrc,hncL- OF the hour.
Right opposite was the village bank, and as
she looked across at it, and wondered if John
Hackett was not sometimes afraid TO sleep
there alone. She saw two women come quickly
and silently Gown the street, steal up to the
window Of Tie bank. and tap on the shutters.
Her breath came quick; here was an adven-
ture. Immaculate John Hackett, indeed! And
there was bis head put out, and the women
talking earnestly with him; then they all three
laughed. and John withdrew his head, shut and
locked the viudow-she could hear the fasten-
ing snap in that stiffness; but still the women
fingered talking softly to each other, with now
and then an irTcpressible little laugh, and in
few minutes John emerged from the front
door, locked it behindslim, put the key in his
pocket, and walked off with companion on
either arm.
Mrs, Green fairly gasped: Here, indeed,
was food for gossip Here was veritable
scandal. John Hackett was a youth supposed
TO beas good as d boy in Sunday-schooi book
Nobody in hyssop had bad word to say about
him, except the wild youths who called him
Miss Nancy, and laughed at his disgust for
drink and tobacco. As for anything bad or
vicious about him, evenin Hyssop people would
how Of
John. He was teller in the bank, slept in it
always by way Of guarding it, and was fully
trusted in al his business relations.
Mrs. Green meant to be a good woman, but
she did like TO discover and relate other peO-
pies faults and follies rather too well-partly
on the old principle that
Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do
partly because her life was dull, and she longed
for excitement as some people do for drink.
She had no fixed home; her husband was a
physician of the specialist tribe, and went about
the country from place to place to heal peO-
pies ewes ana ears--Or at least pretend to
and having no children to tie her to domestic
life, she went about with the doctor. Hyssop
was her native place. and she felt more at
home there than elsewhere, so she sometimes
staid at the HyssOp House, and let her hus-
band travel on his rounds, while she enjoyed
herself among her friends. Tonight, after
she had seen John Hackett go away, she left
the window. and sat down in her rocking
chair to think the matter over. John she was
sure of, but who could the women be! She
thought and rocked in vain, and after an hour
of fruitleSs speculation, felt so cool and sleepy
that she went back TO bed, and never even
dreamed Of the matter.
Early next morning, after breakfast was
through, she repaired TO the dress-maker's
over the way. who was an old acquaintance,
there to Uuburden her mind, and lay the affair
before an expert. Bristling with Importance
and full Of tidings, she proceeded to tell her
tale, but was interrupted by the entrance of
Mrs. Parle, lady well known and highly re-
spected in Hyssop, a widow, and the mother of
two or three. children, one of whom, a boy of
sixteen, was in the bank with John Hackett |
as errand-boy and general runner and dOer,
hoping 10 be promoted i'm due time and pick |
ing up a knowledge of the business to that end !
Mrs. Green did not like TO go on with her
tale before Mrs. Parke; ii would prOba bly, go
back TO Mr.. Hackett at once if she did so; so
she pursed up her mouth, and waited for Lu-
celia Pratt, the dress-maker, TO fit Mrs. Parke's
dress, measure her skirt decide upon trim |
mings, and make elaborate calculations as to |
the yards and inches of lace and velvet; for |
this was to be a gown of state, and figure at |
Lucy Parke's wedding. She found no time to |
finish the detail Of her story that morning; be- |
fore Mrs. Parke left, other customers came in, |
and the tale had to bS left half told. Only |
reached the ears of Jenny Peters, a Young girl |
who worked for Miss Pratt, and sat near enough |
TO the sewiug-rOom door to hear how two /
women knocked a. the bank window, and |
called out John Hackett at two O'Clock i'm the |
morning This was enough to set her silly |
mind agape, and she revolved the precious |
mOrSel under her tongue till il grew and flour |
ished out of its original size, and developed |
locomotive powers that worked any amount of |
trouble to various people.
1t was great pity that Mrs. Parlle was quite |
so much respected in Hyssop If Mrs. Green
had been a little less afraid Of her and gone |
on with her history, my own story would never
have been told, nor any centipede crawled
about the little village over John Hackett's |
character and happiness; but $50 it was''
Some weeks after the aforesaid eyent-Mrs.
Green having, by-the-way, been suddenly called
TO join her husband at Chicago that same day,
and SO never finding an opportunity to further
enlighten Miss Pratt-JennY Peters went to
dance al the village hail. where the clerk of the
Hyssop House was her partner in the first CO.
tillOn. John Hackett danced in the same set
and was 30 occupied with his own partner that
he merely nodded at Jenny
Now degrees in society are all unknown in
Hyssop; everybody is just as good as every
body else. if not little better; the butcher
and baker and candlestick-maker dwell togeth-
er in unity with the doctor, the minister and
the LAWYER; their wives wear as good Clothes
their children infest the same schools, they
practice socially that democracy which is else
where theOretiC; and John Hackett had not the
least idea of dcspising Jenny Peters because
she earned her living by sewing for Miss Pratt,
and he earned his by writing and CipheTing for
The bank. They sat side by side in the choir
on SUNDAY; ihey had learned their lessons on
The same bench, going 10 the district school,
years ago; but tonight he only nodded to her,
being absorbed in the pleasant talk and sweet
lace of Miss Deane. a young lady from Dart
lord, who was boarding for the summer at the
Hyssop House with her father
Alonzo Filley, the clerk had himself meant
10 dance with Miss Deane; but she who had
always lived in the city, had no idea of so de-
meaning herself, and made him understand it
he too had a grievance. and
when Jane expressed her contempt for John
dackettS 4" stuck-up WAYS AlonzO chimed
N, and they said a good many disagreeable
ittle things about these unconscious sinners,
i'll at last, getting more and more exasperated
Is she watched Miss Deane's graceful figure
md stylish dress. and John Hackett's evident
devotion, Jane burst out with:
"Wel. l must say John is real airy tonight,
md that city girl seems dreadful taken up
With him: maybe il she knew all know about
lis COINS on She wouldn't be so sweet"
- Norn she'd seen what see, not hundred
ears ago smiled the injured AlOnZo.
You don't saw 500 'TWan't of a moonlight
light, was it - giggled Jane
You better believe il was returned AlOn-
20, wiIha sudden fash Of snappiSh intelligence
n his little green ewes. Just then the figure
vas called. aud as II ended, somebody recalled
he Hyssop House clerk to his duties-a party
II eXcursionists had just arrived-so nothing
more was said between him and Jane; but the :