The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-08-11
ON ROSE DAY,

81 know it's soap-boiling day." as
serted her twin sister, who had been bap-
tized Marilla Victoria when she was bap-
tized Infanta Isabella, nearly fifty years
before. These twins entered the world
at period when howery, daring names
were the extreme of fashion, and pre-
vious to the great rebound to plain and
strong Ann, Elizabeth, Mary, Hannah,
Jane, and their various combinations.
Infant came very near being labelled
Lovey Lucilla, and she felt thankful for
her escape, and even attached to her di-
minutive.
Belle would never have suited her (she
was not belize, while Infant did not
shame her (she was more or less an in
fant at any age). She was slender, blue
eyed, and smooth skinned, so smooth
that wrinkles could scarcely make their
indentation. And it never ceased to be
appropriate for her to wear her hair in
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 scamp
cred over fence and swung in the
cherry trees. Her long tranced girfhood
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 neighborhood
these twins had been the Baldwin girls
when they first toddled into meeting,
when they went off to be educated at an
expensive school, when they came back
to paint and play on grand piano, when
their parents died and they took charge
of the farm; and the Baldwin girls would
probably be their title when they should
become contemporary with all living
grandmothers.
Occasionally Infant felt shock from
the growing power of young children.
who was baby but a short time ago,
shooting aloft, long-armed and long
legged, and announcing itself in the
teens. Such phenomena did not aston
ish Rilla, however. She resented them.
Though she had the anne fair complexion
and comely make as her sister, a deadly
drop of acid had been added to her ma
ture. 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 hap
pened to her on this planet, and yet too
insignificant to her own personality to
take it out of the human race as she de-
sired to do The freedom, ease, and scope
of mature, unmarried womanhood were
in no wise appreciated by her, because
she lived entirely under the little zenith
and horizon of her own skull. These
r l.
house-mate, especially in winter, when
the twins were showed in with their
books and trim housekeeping. Still,
Infant loved Rilla's sourness along with
Rilla. There was strong diversion in be-
ing scolded, and she always felt such a
delicious warmth around her heart when
she made it up with Rilla and gave her a
handsome present, or took double turns
at 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 init.
On this very rose day, though it was
early in the morning, she wore a clinging
gray dress of that light wool texture
called shally by the dry-goods dealer in
Jersey Centre. And good background
it would make for all the roses Infant
could hang upon it.
Nothing made Rilla lift the corners of
her nose higher than Infants flower days.
But as Rilla would be lifting her nose
anyhow, and could really scent no harm
in these silent festivals, Infant continued
to observe them year after year, and to
afford her sister that triumphant sense of
superiority which we all have upon be-
holding others absurdities.
There was crocus day, when the first
flowers broke the sod and made heavenly
beauty in the dark spring. Infant decked
herself with them, and put them on the
dinner table. More abundantly satisGac-
tory, however, was lilac day 1t took a
critical eye to discern the exact date. If
the lilacs Drowned about the edges, then,
alas lilac day had slipped past They
were not to be gathered too soon, either,
il their full soul of fragrance was to be
enjoyed. On lilac day Infant walked
under burdens of lavender bloom. The
walls, the pictures, breathed lilacs. And
at night she went to sleep crushing her
face into a nest of lunches, so that she
had lilac dreams, and drew the sweetness
into herself, like an Eastern woman alb
sorbing roses.
But the best day of all was rose day.
Before it arrived she had always ready a
posy of poems from Keats Wordsworth,
Jean Ingelow and Whittier and read
them in the morning while the dew was
on the world The Baldwin girls cult
vated great many roses. RIlla could
hardly miss from her rose-water and
homemade altar and rose preserves the
heaps which Infant cut for her nonsense
There was not nicer day in the yea
than rose day,if Rilla would only abstain
fIom boiling soap on that date. The
sisters had inherited seventy-fye thou
sand dollars apiece, but they made theil
own soap every spring of refuse fats anc
the lye of wood ashes. 1t could have
beer made cold in the cellar, if that wa.