The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-12-16
SISTER SCOTT'S STORY.
BY MRS. J. II. EMERY.

l am powerful fond OF music. When
was only knee-high TO q glzisshopper,
/ used to foller all the hand-organs that
come inter the plsce. And them men
that squeeze something under their
arms, and make such squoaiing, fun
ny noise, were allurs sure of Citing all
my pennies. And here am I Deacon
Scott's wife, and oughter be settled
down reading the blessed Bible, and
am ready to upset everything. and run
after the first strain of music hear, if
it is nothing but a jews-harp.
Brother Jones lives next door, and
belongs to our church. He has taken
it in his head to buy a pianner for his
girl Sarah Maria A powerful nice girl
is Sarah Maria. but awful proper;
wouldn't do anything that was bit
naughty; never had any fellows hang
ing round after her. Everybody likes
her, and 80 do l.
She has beentaking lessons on the pi-
amer from the observatory, and great
professor comes here and plays till am
eenamost carried away. But how he
does bang away on the new pianner!
think brother Jones is queer to let
him go on at such rate. He'll be go
ing just IS soft and nice, and all at
once he will hit the pianner as though
he had got mad at something.
One night l sat at my winder listen
ing; all at once L thought I'd go in and
hear all could. Iwent right in. The
professor was there, and SO was Sarah
Maria. They were very perlite-gave
me a chair-and 1 began talking to the
professor about music. Says he:
"Wnl you favor us with song, Miss
Scott, or something on the pianner?''
I says
81 did not bring my music, and
have bad cold; please exqueeze me-
He smiled and gave Sarah Maria a
very knowing look.
asked him to favor me with some
music.
(Which shall it be, vocal or instru-
mentai?''
Il will have little of both,' says I.
thought was safe in saying that.
He asked me if / was fond of oproar
music. I said l had been in so few op-
roars did not know.
Thereupon he commenced singing
about dreaming he lived in marble
halls" Then he looked straight at
Sarah Maria, and kept saying THAT he
loved her, that he loved her just the
same" thought he acted funny, but
it was oproar music, and of course l
was prepared to hear him come down
on the pianner as though he was smash
ing it all to pieces.
Sarah Maria asked me if 1 liked that?
said
''Oh, yes! 1t was splendidr'
allurs noticed that everybody praises
what they don't understand in COM
pany; and the deacon is allurs telling
me not to criticise other people.
Says the professor
"Can 1 play you anything else, Miss
Scott?''
thanked him perlitely, and told him
to keep right on; when l was tired FL
tell him to stop. Thereupon he com
menced on something else, and l COM
menced to keep time, first with one fut,
then with my hands, then with my whole
body. The music kept playing, and kept
ag Ding. Sarah Maria kept laughing,
and at last down come the professor on
the pianner, and down l went on the
sofy, more dead than alive. L thought
/ was bewitched, and after L came TO
life leetle l said
What have you done to me, profess
sor?''
1IoW uO Nou Bays Iic
81 guess l will like it when get used
to it."
He said he played "a thousand and
one nights" shouldn't you think he'd
get tired?
felt kinder played out, so thought
I'd go down inter the dining-room and
see Brother and Sister Jones. There
they sot, he reading one of them lying
newspapers, she darning stockings.
He read about three men breaking a
bank. Jest as if three men could break
one of them great big stone buildings!
1t would take more II three score TO
break one of them houses to pieces.
Then he read of a man with six wives,
when we know it is hard these DAYS TO
take care of one. All lies, I'm ashamed
of Brother Jones to pay two cents every
day to buy a paper that is full of such
stories; he had better put his cents in
the poor box. 1t is bad enough TO have
to hear of such works without buying a
paper to read them. But such q taste
some folks have! There sat Sister
Jones looking at her lord and master,
Gas I've heard some folks say,) taking
it all in like law and gospel.
Everything that Brother Jones says,
Sister Jones will swear by. i think it's
wicked to place such trust in poor hui
man nature. l demonstrated with her
once.
.Well," said she, ''Sister Scott, when
a woman has got a nice likely man she
oughter look up to him and please him.
You know the man is the head of the
woman"
l don't want to make folks think that
Sister Jones is out of her head, but she
is y leetle shaller, just leetle, OF she