Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-05-09
"Oh, no, my DEAR" says |; 81 cannot

''Oh, no, my dear" says | ); 81 cannot
part with the census paper
"Well, then," said she, ':just enter
my name too, MIR. M'Lauchlin.
"Quite so. But tell me, Miss Robina,
why did Miss M'Farlane not fill up the
paper herself ?''-for Miss Robina and
[ were always on very confidential terms.
"Oh." she replied, 'there was dis
pute over particulars and Miss Mar
lane would not let my other sister see
how old she was; and Miss Susan re-
fused 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 fill in the
paper"
"Yes, yes, Miss Robina," said 1;
"that's quite satisfactory; and so, I'll
ell in your name now, if you please" ;"
"Yes." she uttered with sigh. When
we came to the age column-"ls it alb
solutely necessary" said she, "to fill in
the age? Don't you think it is a most
impertinent question to ask, Mr..
M'Lauchlin %
"Tuts, it may be to some folk; but
to sweet young creature like you, it
cannot matter button -
"Well," said Miss Robina. ''But
now, Mr.. M'Lauchlin, I'm to tell you a
great secret ;" and she blushed as she
slowly continued: "The minister comes
to see u.s.
81 have noticed him rather more at
tentive in his visitations in your quarter
of late, than usual, Miss Robina."
Every well, Mr.. M 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, especially her
pamphlet on the old red sandstone and
its fossils as confirming the Mosaic rec
ord. are all matters of great interest to
Mr.. Fraser, and she fancies that he
comes so frequently for the privilege of
conversing with her. But" exclaims
Miss Robina with look of triumph,
'look at that !'' and she held in her
hand a beautiful gold ring al have
got that from the minister this very
day.
congratulated her. She had been a
favorite pupil of mine, and l was rather
pleased with what happened. "But
what" | asked her, "has all this to dc
with the census ?''
"Oh, just this" continued Miss Ro.
bina. II had no reason to conceal my
age, as Mr.. Fraser knows it exactly
since he baptised me! He was a young
creature then only three-and-twenty; sc
that's just the difference between u.s."
Nothing at all, Miss Robina," said
I-"nothiDg at all; not worth mention
ing"
"In this changeful and passing world,
said Miss Robina, "three-and-twenty
years are not much after all, Mr.
M'Lauchlin 2"
Much !'' said |. "Tuts, my dear, it
nothing-just indeed what should be-"
Il was just thirty-four last birthday
Mr.. MLauchlin, said Miss Robina
"and the minister said the last time h,
called that no young lady should taxi
the cares and responsibilities of house
, hold upon herself till she was-well
eight-and-twenty; and he added tina
thirty-four was late enough"
, "The minister, my DEAR" said |, 81
a man of sense"
So thus were the Miss M'Farlanes
census schedules filled up; and if eve
some one in search of the curiosities o
the census should come across it, h
may think it strange enough. for he will
$ find that the three sisters M'Farlane ar
, all de gears BARNS!