Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-12-25
THE COUNTRY COUSIN

THE COUNTRY COUSIN.
"Wal, good-by, now, Edwinyl Try
and not get lonesome, an mebby me or
Uncle Pete will give you call fore long
--som'ers about Christmas or New
Years.
Good-natured Abner Overcup was es-
corting his pretty cousin, Edwina Alden,
to the station, where she was to take the
Iron Mountain accommodation train for
ST. Louis.
ssOh, do, Abnerm cried Edwina,
brightly, as her cousin lifted her out of
the wagon, and tied Bally and Dobbin,
the two sleek chestnuts, to the hitching-
ing post under q big elm tree. ''Do
come New Years day, if you can, Cousin
Abner. I've heard Eva and Ermengarde
tell what a nice time they have then re-
ceiving calls. They have table of re-
freshments, with ham and chicken salad,
and coffee, and all sort of confectionery,
iced pound cake, you know, and choco-
late cream, and-oh, everything nice
Come then, won't you, Cousin Abner2''
Cousin Abner smiled indulgently,
showing row of not very ornamental
teeth, wide expanse of mouth, and a
butternut- -hued mustache.
''rll try, Edwiny," he promised,
obligingly. 'If Uncle Pete don't git his
head sot on coming hisself. If he does,
of courseI KANT, you know"
And after helping his cousin find seat
in the car, and depositing her satchel,
basket. etc., ather side, Mr.. Abner Over
cup wended his way to the village store
to get supply of coffee and sugar in ex-
change for the box of fresh-laid eggs he
had brought down.
Edwina, meanwhile, sped rapidly
along on her way to St. Louis, whittier
she was going on a visit to her cousins,
Eva and Ermengarde, who. finding it
convenient to spend their summers at the
old Alden farmhouse, had invited her,
with show Of cordiality, to pass the
winter with them in the city.
''Of course she'll never come, though. >
they assured themselves, cheerfully.
And now here she was, and what to dc
with her was the question. For Edwina
was quite too pretty with her yellow
tresses and Hebe like complexion to be
introduced among the eligibles of their
set.
The Misses Eva and Ermengarde would
cheerfully have hidden her under a
bushel if they could.
+" met friend of yours in the car, .
announced Edwina, dimpling and blush
ing in very aggravating manner.
"That Mr.. Jermyn who came to visit
you once at our house, last summer"
Royal Jermyni How fortunatei'
The sisters exchanged glances of dis
may.
What did he have to say, dearG'
asked Eva, sweetly.
" Oh, nothing muchl He showed
me my way here, and carried my satchel
for me. And he-he said he would call
tonight"
And Edwina blushed pinker than ever
as she thought of the look which had
accompanied the words.
Royal Jermyn did come that night,
and admired the little Hebe, as he called
her, more than ever
But after that, although he called
quite frequently, he never had the luck
to find Edwina in.
The sisters were SO sorry! but really
their cousin was q sad little gadabout,
and of course they did not pretend to
control her actions.
And thereupon they redoubled their
own fascinations to make the visitor for
get, if possible, all thoughts of the little
rustic, as they dubbed her between
themselves.
For Royal Jermyn was an "eligible OF
the eligibles, and the Misses Eva and
Ermengarde Alden had resolved that he
should succumb to one or the other of
them before the winters campaign was
over.
New Years day, and the streets and
pavements were covered with carpet OF
snowy white, its feecy pile softer than
the choisest velvet of Turkeys looms.
Eva and Ermengarde were resplendent
in new cashmere dresses, their pale
tresses carefully banged and frizzed, and
their faces pearl powdered and vinegar
rouged, till their natural complexions
would never have recognized themselves
in the gas-liehted mirrors, from which
they were reflected.
The refreshment tables looked very
tempting with their array Of crystal and
silver, fruit and confectionery, while an
appetising odor Of French coffee and
chicken salad diffu d itself through the
room.