The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-03-03
BARBY.
! always liked Barby.


She was such jolly, laughing,
merry-eyed girl; though her great,
brown eyes were sad enough, when she
first came to live with US, after her
mother died.
Poor Barby! She was an orphan, in
deed. then; for her father died when
she was baby girl, and her mothers
love was all she had ever known. But
that love was, oh! how deep and strong
Tor the little girl, who had her fathers
eyes and ways; and it was with many
tears and prayers that she was given
into my mother S keeping. For Barby's
mother and mine were sisters.
L don't suppose every one would
think Rarby beautiful; but l did. Her
mouth, sometimes so tender and gentle,
seemed to yearn for love-thats the
way it looked when she came to us with
her black dress on Sometimes it
curved and compressed the least bit, as
if she were, like Saul, head and
shoulders above all the rest Of the
world; that's the way it looked when
ducked her kitten in the pond a minute,
just for fun. tell you her eyes shone
fire then, and | should have expected
her to pounce upon me and tear my
hair out, only Barby never makes a fuss
about anything; she Just stood and
looked at me, until | felt about as bio
as my thumb. and then picked up the
shivering little kitten and walked away
as regally as a queen. Twas thoroughly
ashamed then. an (she is my sister,
would have cried and called me every
thing horrd, and told mother, and Gre
ated general row, which would not
have been half as bad. But it was diff
ferent with Barpy.
couldn't feel quite right, somehow
that afternoon though | went fishing
and whistled merry tunes; couldn'
help thinking how good my little cousin
was to do up fingers, pick out slivers and
hep hunt my ball. ..,-....-...
remembered, too, how the day be-
fore she had helped me weed the gar
den, so l could go over and see the big
match ball game at the village; for
father never would have let me gone
with those weedsin the garden.
So along in the afternoon i found
Barby out in the wild grapevine, swing
ing and singing softly to herself;
"Home, Sweet Home" The gentle
look was on her face and, when she
saw me coming. she smiled brightly and
said: "Where have you been, Teddy,
all the afternoon? | have been awfully
lonesome. Fan is shut up in her room
with one of her heart-rendng novels
you were not to be found; and had
haifa mind to run away 2 ~ s.
been in sackcloth and ashes,n
replied, with very downcast air. She
gave me one quick look, then burst into
a merry laugh. ~ Is. =
mo such thing, you naughty boy
you've been fishing. 4 see the fish lin
in your pocket; Eand letfme add, those
sorr6wful eontortionS Of the faoe are
neither genuine nor becoming. But II
shake hands and be friends If you'll be
good boy to my kitten.'
"Irounce me with tish-pOle if ! am
notsf / said, rolling my eyes up into
my head. And then we both laughed
and went to hunt the nest the old goose
had stolen.
But what want to tell You about il
the brave way in which Barby acted
winter before last, and how she saved
my life. The river ran near our place
and it was a splendid season for skating
Oh! how Barby loved to skate! Father
had bought her pretty seal skin sacque
and she made as bright picture as any
one would wish TO see, skating as grace
fully as a bird and almost as swiftly
No one could pass Barby if she 10as {
girl; and she could make the pretty
nourishes on the ice as we'll as the best
OF us. How her eyes would shine,
those winter days.. and her brown hail
fly out behind! How the red ribbon,
would llutter at her throat! How hel
cheeks would glow until they seemed t.
make the ribbons palel never shall
forget one afternoon of that winter
every little detail seems fastened on my
memory.