The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-07-20
SELECT STORY.
THE YOUNGEST SISTER.


things always happen cross-grained.'
"Whats the matter Dow?' said
Georgia, the eldest sister, who, with a
blue apron of checked domestic ging
ham tied around her waist, and her
luxuriant flaxen hair confined in red
bandana pocket handkerchief, was
cooking tomatoes for ketchup.
"Why, here have the Morefelds
come to spend the day, and mamma
has just taken to her sofa with an at
tack Of neuralgia, and there's nobody
on earth to go to the train to meet the
city gentlemen. You couldn't go Geor
gia, suppose?" with faint CLEAN of
hope.
Georgia glanced up at the clock and
shook her head
Couldn't possibly" said she.
"There isn't time to get ready. Why
don't you send Peter"
"Peter, indeedl He's cleaning the
cistern out Such figure as he isl"
"Then I'm sure,' observed Georgia,
81 don't see what you are gong to do"
Couldn't l go, Kate7" pleaded
small, sweet voice.
Aud the second Miss Blessington be-
| came conscious OF some one pulling
gently at her sleeve. She turned
sharply around. A tall, rosy girl stood
there-a girl just at the age where
"brook and river meet half child,
half woman, but infinitely pretty in
both of her personalities. Sunburned,
dark-eyed, clad in an outgrown cotton
frock, and with her hair braided into
one long, gold-g cleaning queue behind,
she stood there, with an imploring
| face.
"a good ideal" said Georgia, tasting
of the bubbling scarlet mass in the
kettle. and adding a trifle more red
pepper "Let Chrissy go7'
"But Chrissy can't drive"
"Oh, yes, l can!" urged Christine,
the youngest and least prcsentable of
all the Blessingtons. 81 drove old
jerks up from the farm yesterday with
load of cabbage. I've often driven
him when you didn't knowit, Georgia" ;"
"Oh, you horrid tom.boy!" said
ocoiSia, haii idu u9hiilS.
But Kate gave little Chrissv sound
box on the ear. Her black eyes flash
ed wrathfully.
"Christine," she said, "lm ashamed
of you! You're disgrace to the
family. Don't howl now!' as Chrissy,
rubbing her empurpled ear, broke into
an indignant wall; "the Morefields
will hear you. Go quiok-get on your
bat; and mind you don't show your
self at the tea-table. Your new frock
isn't finished, and your old one isn't
half decent; and besides you'll be need
ed in the kitchen 10 wash dishes
The tears dried on Chrissy's eyelash-
es at the prospect of driving old jerks
to the station all by herself
She made haste to pull a white wor.
sted cap over her rebellious hair, and
to scramble into the rather dilapidated
trap that was waiting at the door.
"Gee up, Jenk,!" she cried, brandish-
ing the whip with glenful countenance.
"Peter, I'm going to drive to the sta
toni
"All right, miss, said Peter, who,
fresh from the depths of the newly
emptied clstern, was holding old jerks,
as if there was any danger of that an
cient steed running away.
"Drive careful past Bowery lane
he al'ays wants to turn in there-and
mind you keep tight grip o the reins
if you meet load o barrels or one of
them jangiin' tin pedlar's wagons"
Away clalterei the venerable trap,
old jerks falling into stiff trot like
an automatic horse, and Crissy fairly
radiant with delight.
"But Kate oughnt to have boxed
my ears" she pohdered, as the first
elation subsidized. "There was nothing
wrong in drivin the load of cabbages
home. came by the back road, and
nobody saw me. | don't love Kate
nor Georgia, neither. They're always
laughing at me and making fun of me,
Just because grow so fast and my
dresses are so short. They won't let
me come into the room when they've
got company, because Pm only child;
and they scold me for running races
with the dog, because I'm a woman.
l wonder if they call that consistency
Never mind; I'll pay 'em off yet-,ee
if don't"
BY dint of extraordinary efforts on
the part of old jerks, and liberal ap-
plcation of the whip on that of his
mistress, they contrived to reach one
side of the station building Just as the
train stt amed away from the other.
Christine looked up and down the
platform. Most of the passengers had
already started forth in different direc
tions; but one man stood there, glanc.
ing up aud down the road, with a val
ise in bis hand, folded newspaper
protruding from the coat-pccket
Chrissy hesitated what to do; then
she rose to the emergency.
"Hallr!' she cried, in sweet, high
pitched soprano voice. "Are you the
gentleman from the city-the new
boarder?"
He advanced with rather a puzzled
countenauce.
"Yes." said he. d"
"I've come to drive you to the cot
tage," said Christine Blessington.
"Jump in, please! Where's your box?
There's room for it behind"
"My portmanteau is to be sent by
the carrier. But"
"Oh, very well!'' SAID Chrissy. "Be
quick, please,-the horse won't standl y
The stranger cast an amusing glance
towards old jerks, who certainly look.
ed as little like runaway steed as
could be imagined, as he stood there,
meekly balanced on three legs, with
his head hanging down.
Sand who are you?" said he pleas
antly. "One of the family"
"Oh, Pm Chrissy-the youngest
girl, you know!" exclaimed she.
"The youngest, eh' Are there many
of your
Chrissy eyed him with sidelong
glance.
"IIe's curious about u.s." thought
she. "Well that's natural"
| And she answered complacently.