The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-10-31
A PARKWAY MELODY.
by MARY T.. WILKINS,

Inc clOtlcS-nne was wound securely
around the trunks of four gnarled,
crooked old apple-trees which stood pro
miscuously about the yard back of the
cottage. 1t was ree-blossoming time,
but these were too aged and sapless to
blossom freely, and there was only q
white bough here and there shaking
itself triumphantly from amongst the
rest, which had only their new green
leaves. There was branch occasionally
which had not even these, but pierced
the tender green and fossy white in
hard gray nakedness. All over the
yard the grass was young and green
and short, and had not yet gotten any
fcathery heads. Once in willie there
was dandelion set closely down
amongst it.
The cottage was low, of dark red
color, with wl':te facings around the
windows, which had no blinds, only
green paper curtains.
The back door was in the centre Of the
house, and opened directly into the
green yard, with hardly prctense of o
step, only flat oval stone before it.
Through this door, stepping cautions.
y on the stone, cane presently two tall
lank women in chocolate. colored gowns,
with q basket of clothes between the m.
They set the basket underneath the line
OH the grass, with n little clothes pin
bag beside it, and then proceeded me-
thodically to hang out the clothes Every
thing Of kind went together, and the
best things on the outside line, which
could be seen from the street in font OF
the cottage.
The two women were curiously alike.
They were about the same height, and
moved in the same way. Even their
faces were so similar in feature and ex-
preston that it might have been diff
cult matter to distinguish between them.
All the difference, and that would have
been scarcely apparent to IN ordinary
observer, was a difference of degree, lift
might be 80 expressed. In one face the
features were both bolder and sharper
in outline, the eyes were trinc larger
and brighter, and the whole expression
more animated and decided than in the
other.
One woman's scanty drab hair was
shade darker than the others and the
negative fairness of complexion, which
generally accompanies drab hair was in
one relieved by slight tinge of warm
red ON the cheeks.
This slightly intensified woman bad
been commonly considered the more at
tractive Of the two, although in reality
there was very little to choose between
the personal appearance of these twin
sisters, Priscilla and Mary Brown.
They moved about the clothes-line, pin
ming tho sweet white linen on securely,
their thick white-stockinged ankles
showing beneath their limp calicoes as
they stepped, and their large feet in
cloth slippers fattening down the short
green grass. Their sleeves were rolled
M. displaying their long thin muscular
arms, which were sharply pointed at the
elbows.
They were homely women; they were
, fifty and over now, but they never could
have been pretty in their teens, theil
features were too irredeemably irregular
for that. No youthful freshness of com
plexion or expression could ever have
nossibly done away with the impression
hat they gave. Their plainness hat
probably only been enhanced by th'
contrast and these women to people gen
prally seemed better-looking than whei
they we're young. There was an homes
W ana patience in both faces tina
showed all the palmer for their homell
ness.
One. the sister with the darker hair
moved little quicker than the other
and lifted the wet clothes from the pas n
ket to the line more frequently. On
was the first to speak, too, after the.
had been hanging out the clothes 10
some little time in silence. She stoppe.'
as she did so, with vet pillow-case il
aer hand. and looked up rehectively !,
the towering apple boughs overhead
and the blue sky showing between
while the sweet spring wind ruffied he
; scanty hair little. :, az.
; "I wonder, Mary" she SAID, III
} wonld seem so very queer to die morl
) in like this, say. Don't you behev
there's apple branches a'hang'n oV'
, Them walls made out Of precious stone
.. like these, only there amt any dea
!. limbs @ among 'em, an they're all co
: % ra1 thick with flowers? An l wond'
il # i would seem such an awful chsnt ,s ai
10 90 from this air into the air OF IL
y New Jerusalem. y ,.,, o,,o,vho,
:, ''S Jnst then robin hidden Somewhe'
n in the trees began to sing. ,o..
ID II spose," she went on Una. .S tn'a, q,
~ angels instead Of robins, though, al q.