The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1883-06-21
A SLIGHT MISTAKE.

which had been impending for some
days had broken at last, in a wild
whirlwind of snow and tempest; and
Mrs--Ahraham Ackley had just put the
tea-kettle on for the evening meal,
with Abigail, her daughter, stirring a
saucepanful of mush on the stove, and
Maria, her niece, hard at work, stitch.
ing theupper parts of cheap cloth shoes
for a manufacturer in the neighbor-
hood. For the Ackleys we're thrifty
family. Nothing was lost, nothing
wasted, not even that slippery commod-
ity-time.
The Ackleys were feminine house
hold that night, for Abraham himself,
the grizzled head of the family, had
gone to the city, to put in claim for
pension, which, according to his ideas
ought to have been paid half century
back, to some old Revolutionary ances-
tor or other.
81 amt to be done," said Abraham,
winking his watery blue eyes, mot
even by the United States government
itselfv'
So it had happened that Abigail
had foddered the cattle, fed the fowls,
and locked the barn door, coming in,
all powdered over with snow, her mid
dle-aged nose blue with cold.
"Never mind, girls said Mrs. Ack-
ley, with a subdued chuckle, "when
we inherit your Cousin Jones proper
ty we shan't none of us have to work
no more. We can be ladies, and set
up in sage-green dresses, playin' with
peacock-feather fans. Did you get the
best chamber ready, Marier?"
"Marier" gave grunt in the affirm
ative, as she bit off the end of her
thread.
=, 81 didn't light the fire yet" said
Ehshe. Thought it warn't no use burn:
in up good hickory logs, uneEw
fknowed we was goin' to want EN-"
Scarcely was the sentence well out
of her mouth, when tattoo sounded
loudly on the warped panels of the un-
painted front door.
Lands sake alive!" said Abigail,
dropping the wooden spoon into the
mush-pot, while Maria Strengthened
herself up with a jerk, "it's Cousin
Jones already"
''Quickv' said Mrs. Ackley, in
shrill stage whisper. "Put the mush
in the closet, and fetch out the cold
chicken and raspberry preserves; and
the best cups, Abigail, and the three
tined forks, and the table cloth with
the border of daisies"
And she turned to the door, with
faring, home-dipped candle in her
band.
'Is this Mrs. Abe Ackley's?' de-
manded a shrill voice. II was told
she lived halfway up Pine Crags."
"Ain't this Mrs. Jones?' said Mrs.
Ackley, in her softest accents.
"That's the ticket~ said the
stranger. "Do open the door and let
me in. I amt no burglar, nor yet a
sneak-thief."
- "I'm delighted to see you," said Mrs.
Ackley. do pray walk in, and let the
girls take your things. Marier, Abb
gail, this is Mrs. Jones, as you've
heard so much of. Your room will be
warm d'reckly. We've set great
store by your comm, l do assure YOU"
"You're very kind" said Mrs. Jones,
shaking the snow off her shabby
shawl and pinched silk bonnet. 81
amt no beggar; calc'late to pay my
own way"
The three women smiled obsequious-
ly. They had been given to under
stand that Cousin Jones from New
York city was very eccentric-that
she particularly disliked any allusion
to her relationship, and that there was
no accounting for her various peculiar
tiles.
"Of course" said Mrs. Ackley,
"that must be as you please"
II don't choose to be beholden to
any one" stiffly added the new-found
relative.
"Of course not" said Maria, help
ing her off with her rubbers. Uncle
Abraham will be so sorry that he isn't
here to welcome yol."
81 can stand it, if he can," said the
old lady, warming her gaunt hands
before the cheerful blaze, "Eh, doyou
live as high as this every day. as she
saw the liberal preparations for supper.
eve are economical people" said
Mrs. Ackley. apologetically; "we raise
our own poultry, and Abigail picked
the raspberries last summer on the
mountain, and changed off eggs for the
sugar, at Martins grocery store at the