The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-25
don't see yit why we couldn't ha divided

The other turned on her almost fierce
ly. Things er already divided" she
said, sternly; ga house divided amongst
itee'f kinnot stand; we hev Scrip'ur fer
tibet. They's on'y one bedroom in this
house, an we can't both sleep in it with
our idees on ventilation diff'rin ez the y
do; we can't one of us move out, 'cuz
folks d talk; we went over tibet long ago;
so the 'op'ies' thing ter do is whut we're
goin' ter do-sell the house an ev'ything
in it, an each of us go where sh feels
| like"
Mary Bells face grew harder as her els
ter spoke; she sat down in a stiff backed
wooden rocker with a rheumatic jerk.
"Thet's one comfort, Sereny," she said
with quivering at one corner Of her
mouth; "I want ter go wher / don't hev ter
take no orders off of nobody and wher I
kin go ter bed at night with the winder
shet,sn' no fear O. burglars er pinch-bugs
or ketchin cold ter ha'nt me-"
Serena laughed shortly. can gettin'
all sorts O. disease from bresthin' back
your own p'isonous BREATH Gil me an
open winder the year roun' an plenty O.
fresh air streamn' in; but fer the laws
sake don't let's get ter goin' over tibet
ground aginp she exclaimed, as Mary
Bell essayed to speak.
you're goin' ter board with Green
Clay Adkins folks, an I'm goin' ter stop
spell at Cousin Ssry Henderson's down
ter Frankfort, an we kin do ez we please.
Let's go ter work now"
You'd better pack these p'sarves in
the settin' room awhile, May Bell, fer
they'll be passels ter do in the mornin' !;
the auctioneel'll be hyer at eight o'clock
p'cise"
Mary Bell got up slowly and began to
arrange the glasses in rows on the high
black mantel piece; she was accustomed
to obey Serena, and did not think of re-
belling in small matters.
For twenty years, since their mothers
death, the sisters had lived tremendously
together; then book agent had induced
them to buy book Of hygiene, which he
said contained rules of health, which, it
followed, would prolong human life in
definitely. Mary Bell found nothing of
interest in this volume, but the older SIS
ter pored over it as she had never done
over the weekly paper or family Bible,
and she followed its dictates, to the eac-
rifice of her own and her sis ter's comfort
The book in it's crimson binding lay
on the photograph album in the front
room, and seemed to faunt itself in Mary
Bells face every time she brought in
new supply OF jars.
whoever buys it hope'll get good Of
it, she thought; II never set nothin' by
it, an amt a. goin' ter risk my life trifin'
with it's fool notions ter please no one"
Then she said to Serena, you're goin'
ter let the Home Doctor go long O. the
rest, are you, ereny?"
"Iain't go1n' ter keep nothin', declared
Sere ma, with emphasis" not one thing,
though thar's things Dyer l shell hate
ter see go out O. the family; hyer's this
blue chiny teapot O mothers, now-I
'Serepy,' she seq, put the kettle over, an
when the water biles, make me a dish O.
tea in the chiny teapot your paw gin me
when we furs went ter house .keepin'
down in Rowan County; of thar's any
thing kin put ter my mouth afore I die,
it'll be some tea brewed in tibet pot
Serena's voice had grown husky, and
the little nervous tremor quivered again
about Mary Bells lips.
"But it'll hev ter co. resumed Serena,
clearing her throat, Ger neither on us nez
any more right to it than the other. kin
der hope Mis- Ames won't get hop of it;
she's mighty pore housekeeper, an
them boys O. hern break it up in no time;
the'd wan ter han'le it 'cuz it hez Chinee
men on it, an mighty pale-complected
they look, too-an' no wonder, fer the
Home Doctor seq the Chinee people
sleep ez many ez forty in cubby hole
an not smitch o. air"
TOO much air is heap worse'n none,
1 bout reckon" responded Mary Bell,
with toss of her head; and over the ten
derer memories arose the shadow of their
enlargement.
Serena shut the closet door with snap
like closing jaws, and Mary Bell went
to the front door again, though this time
she did not touch the placsrd.
1t had rained at intervals during the
day, and some few drops we're cleaning
stantwise in the air; the sky had been
gray and dark, but it was Of warmer
tint now, as if cheered by prophecy of
setting sunlight. Far off the low hills
rose dim, misty and varying in hue so lit.
tie from the sky itself as to look like
great esrth-boIn cloud merging upward;
here and there on the bare branches OF
the poplars were strong white lights
where the glance of the departing day
fell ON them. Some shining little pools
flickered in depressions of the worn pave
ment.
And now, as the yellow tone faded
from the sky, lights began to show lurid
hszs-encircled radiance from the houses;
and mingling with the drop and tinkle of
the slight rain were heard voices of the
twilight calling their little
ones, children responding with shrill hal
Ioee, and the stronger tones of men Jest