The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-04-27
AN APRIL FOOL.


Helen was our beauty; there is no
contIadicting that. A naughty, high
spirited beauty, almost dark enough for
an Asian;' but so perfectly made, with
such glow on the olive oval, such q
ruddy ripeness on the full lip, such q
luster in the great dark eye. And, like
most beauties, she felt as il the world
was made for Caesar.
OF course, none of us in the little vii
lage group ever thought of denying her
supremacy. In fact, we all admired her
too much for that, although doubt if
any of us loved her. But we all took a
certain pleasure in seeing her arrayed
to suit her beauty; and many was the
scarf and ribbon and rose given her,
like timid offerings at shrine, from
CLARA and me, and, for the matter of
that, from Maria and Emily, and all the
rest of our girls except perhaps Jane,
who had not so much to give and
who never indulged herself in fineries-
q little Quaker-like body in her gray
gown, with her light hair put back
smoothly from her white forehead not
pretty in most eyes at all, but always so
fair and pure to me. Helen, however,
looked at Jane with lofty disdain
which Jane appeared to think all right
and natural, for little Jane shared our
Z IA oling that Helens movements
Nd something to.dQ. with keeping the
earth in equipoise. And. in fact, have
often noticed since that anybody with
some one trait of pronounced mental or
physical superiority, well sustained by
a bad temper behind it, can rule all the
world within reach, just as Helen did.
We were, the most of us, better Off,
as the phrase goes, than Helen, so far
as money was concerned for she was
only Mrs. Knowles companion, and,
except little Jane, who was an orphan,
and had inst enough income to dress
herself meagerly and pay her board at
Aunt Elroy's we all had our happy
homes, Jane had set out to fit herself
for teaching. She played rather won
derfully, and she could have spoken to
you in one or two different languages, if
she had not been always so shamefaced.
As for Clara and me, we We're the hoi-
dens OF the village. Maria was the flirt
and Emily was the religieuse. She and
Mrs. Knowles used TO have the most
marvellous mornings together, talking of
abs and chasubles and altar pieces and
candlesticks, which somehow made
Emily rather interesting to the rest of
MS, although Cousin Stanhope laughed
3at us about it, if he didn't laugh at her.
Cousin Stanhope, be it understood,
lwas the light of our eyes in that noun
lain hamlet, so far as connection with
the outside world went. He was, in one
degree or another, the cousin of almost
I'LL of us, for we were all more or less
INSTANTLY related. He had o position in
the state department at Washington
THAT allowed him some leisure and, as
we were not great way from his head
IQuarters, he often ran up for Sunday
land brought us news of that great world,
Ind occasionally brought some one of
the people figuring on its scenes-now
hnd then an attaehe OF one Of the lega-
Itions once in while a travelling for
ieigner; once, indeed, South Sea island
Achief, who boldly asked Helen to go
fback with him to Otaheite. A primitive
savage Stanhope called him but, il
that were true, the primitive savage was
avery calm and noble gentleman.
81 don't know how you can say so, "
4 Helen remarked, as we were talking him
over on Aunt Elroys piazza, our usual
place of congregation, one bright spring
morning, April FOOLS day, as we had
learned, to our cost, in series of Stan
hope's jests through the mail. A great,
swarthy barbarian suppose it issbe-
cause / am SO dark myself; but have
no affinity with your dusky-skinne5
people"
L saw DIR. Malatestata lower his book
from his own dusky face and look al
her curiously moment.
"Being a blackamoor myself" contin.
ued Helen, "what / admire is my
antipodes."
Little Jane, for instance" said I.
"No, indeed. That colorless NOR.
sell A yellow-haired Morse, some de-
scendant of one of the old Cimbrb g
blue-eyed and red-haired Spanish
grandee. He would like me, too" said
Helen, laughing and putting up a great
dropping curl, " on the same principle
1 expect to fall in with him yet"
"Or fall out with him" said /.
Nothing less than Spanish hidal
90, with a string of titles as long as hi
rent-roll."
"Then suppose poor, swarth,
Roman doctor need never hope to fin
favor with those Of your way Of think