The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-08-18
TAKING THE MALLORY TWINS.


Ben was called upon in due time to
take some of the neighbors' pictures.
His greatest trial, however, was with
the Mallory twins. Mrs. Mallory was
very fond and proud OF the twins--so
extravagantly fond of them that she
often said they were good enough to
eat. They were as like each other as
two peas; indeed, Ben thought they
were a good deal more alike than any
two peas he had ever seen. They were
Just one year and two months old.
Why Mrs. Mallory was so proud of the
twins, except for the fact that there
were two of them, nobody was ever
able to find out; but she was, and that
was enough for Mrs. Mallory, and, in
deed, for Mr.. Mallory, too-they were
both very proud of the twins, and the.
taking of their pictures was a great
event.
The appointed day arrived. Ben was
told to come with his instruments at
eleven o'clock precisely, for that was
the time the twins awoke from their
morning maps. He went accordingly.
He was shown into the parlor, where
the whole, family was gathered awaiting
him. Ben by this time felt quite ex-
perienced; he had taken almost every
thing else but baby, and, although it
was u bold thing to begin with twins,
Ben felt pretty sure of himself Pres
emily the twips were brought in. and
straightway there was a. chorus of adj
miring relatives: "Darlings, "'sangels,n
'.cherubs,'1' o''pets, lambs ''little
dears," etc. Ben didn't Join in the
chorus; he didn't exactly know what to
do, and so only stood ami twrled his
thumbs, and looked foolish. He knew.
very little about babies, and still less
about twins; "but, ~ as he told Sissy
privately, Tho couldn't see anything to
make fuss over; he should a great deal
rather have couple of nice rabbits.n
They were chubby babies; and they
were dressed in long white dresses, tied
up at the shoulders with pink ribbons.
They were girls, and theirnames, which
their mother had made it a point to get
as nearly alike as possible, were Eme-
line Anna and Eveline Hannah. ~ Ai o.
And nowhere was a great dispute as
to how they should. be taken. Some
thought in the cradle, some thought in
the baby4wagcn. some thought on their
mothers lap,g some thought on their
fathers lap, while their. Aunt Jane said
they looked ''too cunning for anything,
in the clothes-basket. But soon Mrs.
Mallory settled the question by emphat-
ically taking them one on each knee.
Now Ben went to work; he poir.ted his
instrument, adjusted his lens, looked
under the black cloth, and was Just
upon the point of saying the word,
when suddenly Emeline Anna set up II
cry. Three aunts at once rushed to the
rescue, which made her cry louder than
before. Mrs. Mallory then sent the
aunts away, and by. some stratagem of
| her own secured silence. In a few min
utes they were all ready to start again,
when, lunhappily,n Eveiine Hannah
| espied the ribbon on a little blue-and-
dress, and directly was seized with a
wild desire to clutch it. This ,endeavor
brought the three aurts and the father
promptly to the scene. All at once, it
hoccurred to their Aunt Jane that it
would be $50 sweet" to have them
choking up" Thereupot she went
and got the dust-pan, and, standing on
a chair behind Ben and the, camera, she
pounded it with clothes-pin. This
struck Papa Mallory as such avery
clever thing to do, that he went and got
the poker and tongs, and stood ron an
other chair and banged them together
This produced the desired effect. The
four eyes We're strained upward in a
gaze of dumb establishment. Ht'
~ - Now, quick, quick!' cried every
nody. jf -. ,..,,, ....... t......l..
Ben, in flutter, pulled off the cap.
The whole family Stood rigid with sus-
pense for several seconds. Ben, at
length, replaced the cap, crying tri-
umphantly, ''Done!" Alas! in another
moment he found that in the confusion
and excitement of getting the twins
fixed, he had forgotten TO put in the
plate, and of course there was no picture.
Up went Papa Mallory and up went
Aunt Jane on the chairs again, bang
went the poker and tongs, and fclans
went the clothes-pin ami the dust-pan.
This time, however the plan, did moi
work. Eveline Hannah suddenly tool
1t into her Il" precious little head" to pe
scared at the noise, ,apd at once set w
cry which, when Eheline Anna pres
emily joined in, became a loud and pro
longed duet. 1t was Plain that some
thing else must be tried 1t was, there
tore. decided to let Papa Mallory hol'