Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-07-23


solutely the only dream l have ever had
which was followed by any effect what
ever"
There was another med 'tative pause,
and then the old lady began:
"1ou remember, my dear, that 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, bat folks wei &C.
quainted with US c-uld tel which was
Bessie aud which was Kate as soon as We
spoke, for she was much livelier and
sprightlier tn l was.
"Mother was very proud of the like
ness between u.s. end always dressed US
alike and kept US together, SO that each
seemed to the Other like a second self
and we hardly ~ thought that we
did not share.
Until We were fifteen years old we
had never been sep rated more than an
hour or two at time in our lives, but
about that time the last of June it was,
| believe-there came a letter from u
cousin of fathers, who lived in the
mountainous country east of Pittsburg,
inviting Bees and me to rNune and spend
our vacation with her.
"Our home was in Philadelphia, which
was good big city even so long as half
a century ago, and father and mother
were desirous to have us make the visit,
which they thought would be benefit
as we'll as pleasure to us, for we were
growing fast and were not strong.
ut happened however, that only a
few days before we got the letter, mother
had had fall going down cellar, and
was now laid up with a broken limb.
'We were the Oldest girls of the fam
lily, and there were several little ones, 50
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.
''After great deal of talk and de-
bate, it was at last decided that we should
take our visits separately; that | should
60 first, and stay Il month, and that when
| 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 l am sure the
trip will do them no good if they don't
so together
Father laughed athoN and said D;s-
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 good one, if
only to teach us that we could live in
dependent existences, suppose mother
thought he was right, for after that our
sepa ae trips were decided on, and
mother was careful to say nothing that
could make us feel worse about the sep
ardtion than we d naturally.
ut took a 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. l was
met at the railway station by Cousin
John in his own carriage, and we had o
ride of twenty miles, up hill and down
hill, before we got to his houte at Hill
side in time for supper.
Everybody was kind, but was tired,
and, in consequence, homesick. Cousin
Susan seemed to understand Just how l
felt, and after 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 | had
ever seen; the sheets, pillowcases and
towels all smelled of rose leaves and Law
ender; and when she had seen me safely
curled away in the big feather-bed, she
kissed me heartily, anil left me ee'ing
quite happy. But | was too tired to
sleep we'll, and if | had not been, the
feather-bed would have made me rest
less, for Lad never slept on one be-
fore.
II tossed and turned and dozed brok-
cnly the whole long night, and through
all those hours of half-consciousness,
Bessie was with M as she had been
every previous night of my existence
aud she was crying and moaning all the
time-and so was |. too. suppose
st was all nice and pleasant when
mo, ming came, however, and l soon for
got my uncomf Portable night in the
novelty and kindness that surrounded
me. My enterta ners were middle, aged
folks, childless and well-oif, an SCENE
very glad to have me with them. They
were both laying out all kim of plans
for my enterta nment, and | think il
Bessie had been with me, | should have
been perfectly happy; even without hel
managed to pass very p easant day,
riding around with Cousin John, and
gathering flowers on the hillsides.
II went to bed 6 that night in good
spirits, and just healthily tired but the
feather bed made me restless and with
the reStlessness came back the un eom
Portable sensations of the preceding
night Again imagined Bessie was be
side me in the bed, but always crying
and moaning, and seeming in some mys
teriouS trouble Toward morning, | al
last dropped off into sound sleep, IN
then it was that my strange dream came
to me.
II still heard Bessie crying, but j
seemed now as though she were at home
and calling me to come to her, and il
my dream thought | had started to dc
so; the journey was wonderfully real.
went through the carriage-ride, the wait
at the station, aud the long railroad jour
ney afterward, exactly as if it was rea
life; there were endless stoppages ant
delays all the time that worried M
dreadfully, but | got to Philadelphia a
last
1T seemed to be just coming on dusk
and | was alone, but our home was no
very far from the station, and knew m,
way very well.
tI thought I reached the house an(