Litchfield enquirer., 1881-03-17
Humors of the Census.

s
 The census taker in the Highlands of Scot land, the parish school master, gives in CHdna- bers' Journal incidents in his experience. and we copy one of them:
 They are three maiden ladies-sisters. It seems the one would not trust the other,to see the census paper filled up; so they agreed to bring it to me to fill it in. .,~-s -fael De-
 Would you kindly fill in this census pa- per for us ?" said Miss MFarlane. My sis- ters will look over, and give you their particu- lars by and by." '.5 -9.
 Now, Miss M'Farlane is a very nice lady though Mrs. Cameron tells me she has been calling very often at the manse since the min ister lost his wife. Be that as it may, said to her that would be happy to i'll up the paper and asked her in the meantime to give me her own particulars. When it came to /the age column, she played with her boot on the carpet, and drew the black ribbons of her silk bag through her fingers, and whispered "You can say four -and-thirty. MT. MLauch- lin." .All right, ma'am, i" says 1 {; for knew she was four-and- thirty at any rate. Then Miss Susan came over--that's the second sis ter-really handsome young creature, with hne ringlets and curls, though she is little tender eyed and wears spectacles We'll, when we came to the age column, Miss Susan play ed with one of her ringlets, and looked in my face sweetly, and said: ''Mr.' fMLauchlin, what did Miss M'Farlane say? My sister, you know, is considerably older than am there was brother between us"
 Quite so, my dear Miss Susan," sad I; ''but you see the bargain was that each of you was to state your own age"
 "Well." said Miss Susan, still playing with her ringlets, .you can say-age, thirty-four years, Mir. MLauchlin."
 In little while the youngest sister came in. g cold dcho For the census paper"
 70 no, my dear," says I j; Il cannot part with the paper"
 ''WelI, then," said she, "just enter my name too. Mir. M'Lauchhn."
 Quite so. But tell me, Miss Robina, why did Miss M'Farlane not fill up the paper her self f?-for Miss Robina and were always on very confidential terms.
 'Oh, she replied, 'there was dispute over particulars; and Miss M'Farlane would not let my other sister see how old she was and Miss Susan refused to state her age to Miss M'Farlane; and so, to end the quarrel, we agreed to ask you to be so kind as to hll in the paper"
 Yes, yes. Miss Robina," said I; '.that's quite satisfactory; and 0, I'll fill in your name now, if you please"
 ''Yes," she uttered with sigh. When we came to the age column-"Is it absolutely necessary" said she ''to fill in the age? Don't you think it most impertinent question to ask, Mir. M'Lauchln?
 ''Tuts, it may be so to some folk but to a sweet young creature like you, it cannot mat. ter button."
 ''Well," said Miss Robina. "But, now, Mir. MLauchlin. I'm to tell you great se- cret ;" and she blusbed as she slowly contin- ued "The minister comes some times to see us"
 ''I have noticed him rather more attentive in his visitations in your quarter of late, than usual, Miss Robina."
 ''Very well, Mir. M'Lauchlin; but you must not tease me just now. You know Miss M'Farlane is of opinion that he is in love with her while Miss Susan thinks her taste for literature and her knowledge of geology, es- pecially her pamphlet on the Old Red Sand stone and it's fossils as confirming the Mosaic record, are all matters of great interest to Mir. Fraser, and she fancies that he cones SO fre- quently for the privilege of conversing with her. But, exclaims Miss Robina with look of triumph, "look at that !'-and she held in her hand beautiful gold ring. "I have got that from the minister this very day!"
 congratulated her. She had been a favor ite pupil of mine, and was rather pleased with what had happened. But what" asked her, ''has all this to do with the cen sus?
 ''Oh, just this. ," continued Miss Robina. 'I had no reason to conceal my age, as Mr. Fraser knows it exactly, since hebaptized me; He was young creature then, only three and twenty; 90 that's just the difference between us."
 Nothing at all, Mss Robina," said l. nothing at all; not worth mentioning
 ''ln this changeful and passing world," said Mis- Robina, three. snd-twenty years are not much, after all, Mir. MLauchlin ?" ,
 ''Muchi" said L "Tuts my dear, it's noth- ing-just indeed what shou Id be-
 Il was just thirty-four last birthday, MT. M'Lauchlin," said Miss Robina; "and the minister said the last time he called that no young lady should take the cares and respon- abilities of household upon herself till she was-well, eight and twenty; and he added that thirty -four was late enough"
 The minister. my dear, said I, lis man ef sense" F &
 So thus were the Miss M'Farlanes' census schedules filled up; and if ever some on in search of the Curioslties of the Census should come across it, he may think it strange enough, for he will find that the three sisters M'Farlane are all ae year's 6Gfrns!