The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-08-31
TWO NOTABLE DAYS.
Soap Day" and "Rose Day" With
the Baldwin Twins.

81 do believe this is rose day." saio |
Infant, standing on the top step of the |
yeranda in delight.
al know it's soap-boiling day" as
serted her twin sister, who had been |
baptized Marilla Victoria when she was
baptized Infanta Isabella. nearly fifty
wears before. These twins entered the
world at period when fiowery, daring
names were the extreme of fashion.
and previous to the great rebound to
plain and strong Ann, Elizabeth, Mary,
Hannah, Jane, and their various COM
binations. Infant came very near be-
ing labelled Lovey Lucilla, and she
felt thankful for her escape, and even
attached to her diminutive.
Belle would never have suited her
(she was not belle) while Infant did
not shame her (she was more or less an
infant at any age). She was slender,
blue-eved and smooth-skinned, so
smooth that wrinkles could scarcely
make their indentation. And il never
ceased to be appropriate for her to
wear her hair in a braid down her back,
tied with ribbons the color of the dress
she wore. Infant herself could not
separate the gray hair from the blonde,
nor did she care whether it was all
blonde or all gray. She Scampered
over fence and swung in the cherry
trees. Her long tranced girlhOOd
never ended; and the slow life of the
farm, simple as grass and wholesome
as new milk. kept up the illusion that
time was eternity. In their neighbor-
hood these twins had been the Baldwin
girls when they first toddled into meet
ing, when they went off to be educated
at an expensive school, when they came
back to paint and to PLAY on grand
piano, when their parents died and
Baldwin girls would probably be their
title when they should become con-
temporary with all living grandmothers.
Occasionally Infant felt shock from
the growing power of young children.
1t was so astonishing to see creature
who was baby but short time ago.
shooting aloft, lOng-armed and long
legged, and announcing itself in the
teens. Such phenomena did not aston
ish Riila, however. She resented them.
Though she had the same fair complex
ION and comely make as her sister,
deadly drop of acid had been added to
her nature. Her shoulders were bent.
She loved to hear people talked about.
and to lift the corners of her nose with
scorn. She felt abused by much that
had happened to her on this planet,
and vet too insignificant in her own
personality TO take it out of the human
race as she desired TO do. The free
dom, ease and scope of unmarried
womanhood were in no wise appre-
ciated BY her, because she lived entirely
under the little zenith and horizon of
her own skull. These traits made Rilla
an uncomfortable housemate. espec-
iallv in winter, when the twins were
showed in with their books and house,
keeping. Still, Infant loved Rilla' 5
sourness along with Rilla. There
waS strong diversion in being Scolded,
and she always felt such a delicious
warmth around her heart when she
made it up with Rilla and gaze her a
= handsome present, or took double turns
ut the cooking.
Rilla was very parsimOniOus, and
felt bound to distort herself with aged
gowns and long boarded hats. But
Infant felt unhappy in any color except
that tint of gray which has the thought
of wine in it, On this very rose day
though it was early in the morning
she wore clinging gray dress of thai
light wool texture called shally by the
dry goods dealer in Jersey Center
And a good background it would make
for all the roses Infant could hans
upon it. Nothing made Rilla lift thu
corners of her nose higher than In
fant's fiowerdays. But as Rilla wOul,
be lifting her nose anyhow, and coulC
really scent no harm in these silent fes
rivals, Infant continued to Observ,
them wear after year. and to afford he
sister that triumphant sense of super
iority which we all have upon behold
ing others absurdities. There wa
crocus day, when the first flower
broke the sod and made heavenl
beauty i'm the dark spring. Infan
decked herself with them, and pu
them on the dinner table. More abun
dainty satisfactory. however. ws