Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-04-20
MY APRIL FOOL.

From the Springfield Republican.
On one of the moist disssreeabie davs Of
last March, 1 walked two miles to the post.
office not that l expected anything especial,
then n must &C somewhere. To nv
surprise l found a letter. 1t was from nv
old school friend, Mary Ann Bromley, now
Mrs. Richsrd Remington of New York.
This is what she wrote
"My Dear Martha Bates Perry:-Yon
know as well as l do, that your birthday
comes on the Ides of March. / like to "a.
fer to it in that way. 1t sounds classical
On that day you are to receive your legacy
from your great Aunt Perry if you ask forit.
according to instructions. Ii follows dix
you must come to New York, and being in
New York, you must come to me. To
contide to you a secret. I do not find life
in New York perfectly delectable, with a
husband who is oblivious of nv existence
l8 hours out of "a. But then, there are
eompensations. l shall present to YOU,
Scipio Africanus, a prince in exile who
amuses me intensely. Moreover he cooks
me toothsome dinners and drives me out.
Rick will take time to look up from his
briefs long enough to assure you, that he
is very glad to see you,"-which will be
the truth. Do not fail to write me lust
when sto expect you, that we may meet
you-the prince and myself. the prince
wall be on the box. You know you were
always such II goose, dear, but always the
dearest OF dears, to your friend
MARIA A. REMINGTON"
l read this letter sitting on the settee
behind the molasses cask in the post-of.
fee. put it in my pocket, tied down nv
veil, drew on my WOODEN mittens, anti
cfartoH hny3n in fhofaatt, ~ L. ,,zsllH-.
in about as dazed a condition as l had ever
been in my life, | could not even trust nv
self to think till | had found Nell. Nell
was my next youngest sister. Tom came
between US. Tom was 10, Nell was Ii and
though four years younger than l, she was
wonderfully clever. and could see daylight.
through a perplexity, while l was adjusting
my glasses. l found Nell in the kitchen,
trying to make the dish-wiper describe an
exact horizontal with the line, behind the
stove. She deliberately wiped her hands.
and gave the little sheet a hurried glance un
and down (but in that one glance she took
it all in), then handed it back with a decid-
ed nod of approval.
"Patty-I'd offer you my hand i'll was
sure of its being clean.'
"What would you do, Nell, ifyou were in
my placer"
III | were in your place, you tempte.,,
why don't you ask me what / would not
do?"
THAT is ii, Nell, you can see your way to
the end of everything, before 1 accomplish
the first steps,"
well then your first steps lie in the d.
Eection Of the post-otfce, with an accept
ance of your friends invitation"
"Nell-you know I've never been &C
miles from home in my life-you know
that fold legacy, is it worth going after?-l
no idea it is anything but a few mo b
eaten stuff dresses"
Patty, never mind the legacy,-very
Likely it isn't worth the price OF a new pail
oe shoes, but what Of that its the going to
New York, and the visit with Marian, and
the prince on the b~ox-and-"
"Oh," I cried-hotly "he's a humbu,,
anyway l have nc faith IN him, and 1 shall
tell Marian SO when l write her; she was al.
ways taking up with humbugs,-and that's
shy she took up with me-"
Tell her what you please, only write
her, said Nell, putting over the potatoes for
dinner.
After dinner I wrote my letter, Nell in.
sisted that I should go that very week. ut
isn't but a minute now to your birthday gay
way, and you want to make the most and
the best of your visit
"But Nell, where is the money to come
from?"
Never mind the money we can manage
that! potatoes sell for 81 a bushel now and
I heard Tom say there were 80 bushels over
in the cellar"
But the going is only the beginning"
cried l, throwing myself into the old chintz
r~ocking-chair by the snnth widow
what am Ito do, when I get there?"
"Its all very we'll for you, who have seen
something of folks and of places-yau'va
had two quarters schooling in Brown Acad-
envy, and you know something to begin
With; while I have digged and delved in this
kitchen all my life you know l have!" She
over to me quickly, but I hadn't had
my say yet" 'sIts been pinch here, and
pinch there with all of US, and the only &C.
complishment / possess Of my c%hildhood's
furnishing is old Meb's war-whoop."
Il would do it then, now, if 1 wanted to-
said Nell smiling; "You WON'T Then you
listen" She sat down and put her
arm around me. "Do you suppose brave
heart that Tom and l ard all the rest of
US, beginning with father, and ending with
Tot, do you suppose that we don't know
that you have kept us, body and soul?
You have been mother I" (she stopped a mo-
ment, with q little choks) you have been
sister, and counselor and friend, bread and
butter, and sunshine, and life to us ell, and
while you have been all this, what have
you done for yoursel7 Talk about furnish
ing-Falk about accomplishment! Pat
" you're q walking encyclopedia and you
It'll MOL won't stop. You have
not lived on the top of the cars to be sure,
you can repeat more Shakespeare"
I'll pu my hand over her mouth. "What
good will Shakespeare do me! 1t is you
gho ought to go in my place, and you
shall.' cried l. springing up. ".As if I
could! Is my name Martha -Rates Perry7
Was / the first born, named from my Great
Aunt Bates, legally appointed her successor,
10 goto New York on my 21st birthday, and
in due form whatever there
be-as you've very well known all
your life7" finished Nell, sprlnsing up and
spreading out her hands.
And 50, as the situation seemed to be
forced upon me, I couldn't do any better
than to prepare for 1t. I mended my black
dress, and sent for a pint of ammon-
10 to cleanse my old hlack proadcloth cloak.