The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-21

knew how they ought to be conducted.
"I wouldn't look that way" said,
soothingly; g try the other window"
81 did," said Mrs. Blyster, "but my
eyes would go that way somehow
everything shows so plain from here.
There was black alpaca, as good as
new. | see her out in it the very day l
come here to take care of you. She
took sick the very next day, reckon,
| for see her curtain was down and the
doctor there, and now | think she's
dead, and there's that alpaca dress a
remindin' thensn' And Mrs. Blyster
sobbed again. ,tnf Is4 cd so
I had been sitting up for some time.
"I'n lie down now, Mrs. Blyster," i
said, hoping to divert the good creature
from her sorrowful reflections. And in
arranging my bed and getting the cher
ubs and gillyfowers set in order for my
tea she forgot the alpaca dress and its
departed owner. ''
But only temporarily, for, two or
three days, after, sitting solemnly and
almost tearfully again at the window,
she began in the tone which people use
when they are telling the "particn-
lars" H'01
"You jest orter see them, miss''-for
l had utterly refused to glance in the
direction of the grief-stricken house
"it's so touchin' like. He's a-siftin the
the ashes now, miss. She done it that
first day we come. She had on an old
caliker-they give it to the woman next
door afterward and then she slicked up
her kitchen and put on the alpaca and
went out a-callin or somethin'. She
seemed to think lot of her neighbors
and they of her. Isee they had a house.
full at the funeral" .rsf.,. 49,
"Mercy!" l exclaimed, quite out of
patience with Sarah Blyster's prying
disposition. "You shouldn't be looking
in at their windows, Mrs. Blyster; it
isn't polite"
"Humph!" said the good soul, with
some spirit, 81 amt a-lookin' in at
their windows. 1 see it all without
lookin' can't help seein', they're so
close and low like; and I've seen sight
o. trouble and death, and it amt to me
as it is to giddy young thing like you, "
and with this " crusher'' Mrs. Blyster
went out to take my tray.
The next day the Doctor sent her out
to take walk and she came in radiant.
I" went by the front o. that little
house, you know, where she died fort
nit ago. Jest as clean, you never see!
Them two men must a. scrubbed the
steps and front themselves. AM such a
nice rag carpet on the front-room floor,
an the clock a tickin' on the mantel-
shelf. My! it must be awful lonesome
without her!" And Mrs. Blyster
drew her face down dolefuny.ua -.
All, la! Mrs. Blyster's heart was get
ting enlisted. The dear old house, if it
was only hospital, was not going to be
without its romance after all.
"He goes to his shop every mornin', :"
said Mrs. Blyster, irrelevantly, as she
frightened up the fire day or two later.
"He? WhoP" l asked, stupidity.
Mrs. Blyster started like child caught
at the cookies. -a. A'tA.rr.
81 jest see that man over there" and
she nodded in the direction of the back
window. 81 see him splittin' some
kin Tins an then goin' off to his work.
L rayther guess he's a carpenter, but
mebbe its a mason, or mebbe its shoe
maker.' r.seas,,- .,t-f,l b.
"Sure enough!'' I rejoined. 'sBut
what difference does it make to you,
Mrs. Blyster?''
"Law!" said Mrs. Blyster, bridling;
"you haven't no interest in your fellow
bein's. Now here's poor man, as
likely man as I've seen this many a
long day, gone and a-lost his wife-the
dearest creetur to him prob,ly in the
world" And Mrs. Blyster's voice
choked up. "And you haven't no more
sympathy with him than nothin' in the
world" l''-'
There was an eloquence of reproach
in this which quite silenced mccullough
l feebly protested my innocence-and
the subject was dropped. ..,..I-t.
Sunday, however, was the grand day
for Mrs. Blyster's observation, for then
the &c inexpensive he ''--it was real
trial to her that she did not know his
name-was at home all day. She spec
ulated on his name great deal. az
"There's bearin' about his mien,"
said that lady with some sentiment,
"that seems to sorter show he hain't got
no common name; now | know he
hain't got no common name; now [
know he amt got no name like Smith. -
"I'm afraid we never shall know"
| said, soberly; "I'm getting well very
fast, Mrs. Blyster.' n t,
Yes you bel" said the good soul,
giving me an affectionate hug. &C Yes
you be; an I'm glad enough if it do
put me out of a job. But likely the
doctor ii get me here again.
"Oh, yes!'' said; "but what do
you think that mans name is nowp"
Mrs. Blyster returned to the subject
with evident alacrity.
"Likely faint nothin' like PerkinsPn
she said interrogatively. The Per-
kinses were great family, who lived
near by in grand mansion.
"You know | haven't seen him.
said, half ashamed of drawing out the
dear, old creature just for my own
amusement. Perhaps 1t might be
Crippen. The Crippens lived further
down the street and, though not so aris-
tocratic as the Perkinses, had still claims
to consideration. tNt en-
"That just about suits him. said
good Mrs. Blyster, with some enthusi-
asm. "Mr. Crippen That sounds
quite like him. l declare I'm
ashamed at my age, but rainy as
it's could really almost put on nv