McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-12-06

bins, and they don't roost up in tree
to sing, but stand on the ground, witt
lilies CROWN round their feet, may be
up to their knees, or on the gold stone
in the street, an play on their harp
to 70 with the singin'.."
The other sister gave scared, awet
look at her. ssLor, don't talk that way
sister, said she. 'sWhat has got tut,
you latelyp You make me crawl al
o err, talkin' much about dyin'. Yo,
feel well, don't you?"
'.Lor, yes" replied the other, laugh
ing, and picking up elothes-pin fol
her pillow-case; 81 feel well enough
an don't know what has got me tt
talkin' 80 much about dyin' lately, o.
thinkin about it. guess it's the spring
weather. P'raps flowers GROWN make
anybody think of wings sproutin' kinder
materially. / won't talk so mucn about
it if it bothers you, an | don't know
but its sorter material it should. Die
you get the potatoes before we came
out, rp"-with an awkward and
kindly effort TO change the subject.
"No," replied the other, STOPPING
over the clothes-basket. There was
such film of tears in her dull blue
eyes that she could not distinguish one
article from another.
"Well, / guess you had better 90 in
an get 'em, then; they amt worth any
thing, this time of year, unless they
soak awhile, an I'll finish hangin' out
the clothes while you do it,
swell, p'r'aps I'D BETTER" the other
woman replied, Strengthening herself
up from the clothes-basket. Then she
went into the house without another
word; but down in the deep cellar, q
minute later, she sobbed over the pota-
to barrel as if her heart would break.
Her sisters remarks had filled her with
a vague apprehension and grief which
she could not throw off. And there was
something little singular about it.
Both these women had always been of
a deeply religious cast of mind. They
had studied the Bible faithfully, if not
Understandings, and their religion had
tinctured their daily life. They
knew almost rs much about the Old
Testament prophets as they did about
their neighbors; and that was saying a
good deal of two single women in a
New England country town. Still this
religious element in their natures could
hardly have been termed spirituality.
1t deviated from that as much as any
thing of religion-which is in one way
spirituality itself-could.
Both sisters were eminently practical
in all affairs of life, down to their very
dreams, and Priscilla especially so. She
had dealt in religion with the bare facts
Of sin and repentance, future punish
ment and reward. She had dwelt very
little, probably, upon the poetic SPLEEN
lors of the Eternal City and talked
about them still less. Indeed, she had
always. been reticent about her relig-
Gus convictions, and lad said very lit
lie about them even to her sister.
The two women, with God in their
thoughts every moment, seldom had
spoken His name to each other. For
Priscilla to talk in the strain that she
had to-day, and for d week or two pre-
nous, off and on, was, from its extreme
deviation from her usual custom, GER
ainly startling.
Poor Mary, sobbing over the potato
,arrel, thought it was sign of APP
preaching death. She had a few super
titious-like gratis upon her practical,
character.
She wiped her eyes finally, and went
lp-stlirs with her tin basin of potatoes,
which were carefully washed and put to
oak by the time her sister came in with
he empty basket.
At twelve exactly the two sat down
0 dinner IN the clean kitchen, which
vas one of the two rooms the cottage
'oasted. The narrow entry ran from
he front door to the back. On one
ide was the kitchen and living room;
N the other, the room where the sis
ers slept. There were two small I'M
inished lofts overheard, reached by a.
tep-ladder through little scuttle in
he entry ceiling, and that was all be-
ides. The sisters had earned the cot
age and paid for it years before, by
working as tailoresses. They had quite |
snug sum in the bank besides, which |
hey had saved out of their hard earn
ngs. There was no need for Priscilla |
nd Mary to work so hard, people said,
ut work hard they did, and work hard
hey would as long as they lived. The
aere habit of work had become as nee
ssart to them as breathing.
just as soon as they mad finished
heir meal and cleared away the dishes
hey nut on some clean starched purple
rints, which were their afternoon
resses, and seated themselves at the
wo front windows with their work the
ouse faced southwest, so the sunlight
! !lt through both; 1t I was very
ows were open. In the yard outside
reat clumps of lilac stood close to
9th. They grew on the other side of
le front door, too; a little later the
~,rr ooktn.~o would 1ooJ- t,,1f I,,,.:,l I