The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-09-01

older than I am. You must be able to
remember back nearly sixty years. Now,
honest, haven't you ever, in all that time,
had dream that was really prophetic7
One that affected in any way your actual
life, you know7"
The old lady'sface had grown thought
full; dreamy, far-away look came into
her eyes and though the knitting-nee-
dies did not cease their click, their mo-
ton had grown slower and more me-
chanical.
"Well, yes," she said at last, half-re-
luctantly, 'T did have a very singular
dream once, and one which had, as you
suggest, considerable effect upon my
real life. have half a mind to tell you
about it, but you must not let it make
you superstitious, for remember, that in
all my long lifes experience, this is alb
solutely the only dream l have ever had
which was followed by any effect what
ever"
There was another meditative pause,
and then the old lady began:
"You remember, my dear, that 1 am a
twin; have often talked to you about
Bessie, my twin sister. the pair of us
were so much alike that strangers could
not tell us apart but folks well ac-
9uainted with us could tell which was
Bessie and which was Kate as soon as we
spoke, for she was much livelier and
sprightlier than was.
Mother was very proud of the like
ness between us, and always dressed us
alike and kept us together, SO that each
seemed to the other like a second self,
and we hardly had thought that we
did not share.
Until we were fifteen years old we
hour or two at time in our lives, but
about that time the last of June it was,
l believe-there came letter from
cousin of fathers, who lived in the
mountainous country cast of Pittsburg,
inviting Bees and me to come and spend
our vacation with her.
'Our home was in Philadelphia, which
was a good big city even so long as half
century ago, and father and mother
were desirous to have us make the visit,
which they thought would be benefit
as well as pleasure to us, for we were
growing fast and were not strong.
'It happened, however, that only a
few days before we got the letter, mother
had had a fall going down cellar, and
was now laid up with broken limb.
I'VE were the oldest girls of the fam
lily, and there were several little ones, so
that. even if mother had been we'll, it
would have been hard for her to have
spared us both for long visit AS mat
ters stood, it was just impossible.
AtA ffnr n of @ol IL
bate, it waSGt last decided that we should
t"ke our visits separately; that should
go first, and stay month, and that when
l came home, Bessie should go and stay
the other month Mother did not like
the plan any better than we girls did.
overheard her and father discussing it,
and mother was actually crying when
she said: Il believe the children will die
if they are separated, and 1 am sure the
trip will do them no good if they don't
60 together
Father laughed at her, and said Bes-
sic and Kate were two individuals, and
her hobby of making us only one had
gone far enough, and that he thought
the present arrangement a good one, if
only to teach us that we could live in
dependent existences. l suppose mother
thought he was right, for after that our
mother was careful to say nothing that
could make us feel worse about the sep
aration than we did naturally.
''It took long day to accomplish the
journey. Father put me on the cars, in
the care of the conductor, at six O'clock
in the morning, and did not get off of
them until two in the afternoon. 1 was
met at the railway station by Cousin
John in his own carriage, and we had
ride of twenty miles, up hill and down
hill, before we got to his house at Hill
side in time for supper.
Everybody was kind, but l was tired,
and, in consequence, homesick. Cousin
Susan seemed to understand just how l
felt, and after a good deal of petting and
a nice supper, acted on my own secret
wishes by saying that she was going to
send me right away to bed.
''She put me into the cleanest, pret-
tiest, little white curtained room l had
ever seen; the sheets, pillowcases and
towels all smelled of ose-leaves and Law
ender and when she had seen me safely
curled away in the big feather-bed. she
kissed me heartily, and left me feeling
quite happy. But was too tired to
sleep we'll, and if l had not been, the
feather-bed would have made me rest
less, for l had never slept on one be-
fore.
81 tossed and turned and dozed brok-
emily the whole long night, and through
all those hours of half-consciousness
Bessie was with me as she had been
every previous night of my existence;
aud she was crying and moaning all the
time-and so was l. too. l suppose.
'lt was all nice and pleasant when
morning came, however, and soon for
got my uncomfortable night in the
novelty and kindness that surrounded
me. My entertainers were middleage
folks, childless and well-off, ami seemed
very glad to have me with them. They
were both laying out all kinds of plans
for my entertainment, and think if