Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-11-03
Cousin SimOn's Daughters.

One day last summer as / was gettin'
dinner, / heard kerridge drive up tn
the gate; an arter / had put the buck
wheat cakes on tn the griddle, went
Su the winder an looked out, an see
two rather tall an rather slim gals
comm inter the house an the depot
kerridge driyin away from the gate,
The gals were dressed up awful fine,
an walked jest as though they was
stopping Cd eggs-they stepped so fine
aud sort of mincin'. When they got
into tne house they both grabbed me
tu wunce an kissed me- an then the
both began to talk together.
oh. Aunt Susanm they said. You
old dariin'! Why you look as young
as you did when we saw You last years
agO-when we were little gals. DON'T
sou know us you old darln'? We're
your COUSIN Simon Brown daughters
Cora and Amelia. An we We come
to make you a visit l don't believe
you knew us; we were only children
when we was here before. We've been
wantin' tn come an see you for ever so
long, but we couldn't git time before
now"
AS soon as could git ms breath /
told them they was welcome, but l
was so busy couldn't talk with them
then; an then showed them up to the
spare chamber. an carried them up a
pitcher of cold water for them III wash
their faces an hands in.
They re real nice gals an Pm glad
they We come" | thought rs | went
back to my work.
They didn't come down wien blew
the dinner horn; an thought that, as
they had never lived ON farm much
they lived in Harlford-they didn't
know what it was for. an went up
stairs tn call them. When | got 10 the
spare chamber door | heard one of
them mention my name, an though [
would scOrn TO be an eavesdropper, |
couldn't for the life of me help stOppin'
all listenin'.
What coarse, ignorant woman
she 81! said Cora, land our respected
Cousin Joshua as bad as she is.
I'm sure there's no one in the neigh
borhOOd fit for II decent person to
associate with. We might rs well be
IN State Prison. pd never nave come
here Il 1t hadn't been to keep up APP
pearances.
81 think it was real mean of pa to
pretend that he couldn't afford to send
us to Newport until the middle of
August" said Amelia. '.He could have
managed it somehow if he weren't so
stngy. wonder what this carpet is
maGe OF?
Its a-rag carpet wonder it
Joseph's coat had more colors! 1t
nnkes my eyes ache to look at itr'
SAD Cora.
AS sure as I'm alive this bed is
stuffed with fsatbersT exclaimed
Amelia Oh, dear, never can sleep
On it!'
Have you noticed the pictures,
Amelia?"
Don't mention the horrid things!
They give me the horrors every time l
look at them"
''It will kill us if we undertake to
sIaY here two months. Hadn't we
better go home. an keep out of sight
of every body until pa lets US have the
money to 90 to Newport with?"
An then realized that was caves
droppin' an knocked on the door.
Come" said j, as calm as though
hadn't heard 'em; ''dinner is ready"
When they came down they both
seemed awful tick.ed to see Joshua,
an went through about the same per-
Torrance with him that they had done
with me.
All the time they stayed here they
praised everything about the place
when l an Joshua was in hearin' an
shey hattered US until they almost
made me sick; an if l hadn't over
heard that conversation up in their
room l should have thought they were
about the incest gals in the world.
Shakespeare says, ''Where ignorance is
bliss tits folly TO be wise;' an as
Joshua was awful TUX up with them
gals never told him about it. As for
me, / was careful not tn listen tn any
more of their conversations, because,
as the old sayin' is, "A listener never
hears any good of himself" an / was
convinced that there was lot Of truth
in that old sa'n',
Every once in while, when ] an
Joshua was alone, he would s.r III
me.
Susan, as we hain't got anj chill
'dren of our own | think them gals
will come in for the b ggest slice of
my property, when | make my will"
An l wouldn't say ay. yes. nor no.
When they went away, about the
middle Of August, they acted as
though they was awful sorry tn leave
us-though / could see, all the time.
that they was tickled almost In death
because they was goin'-an' the told
II an Joshua that we 'must be sure tn
come an see them, or they'd feel
awrully offended with us Joshua was
awful sorry ia have them 90. an told
them that we would come an see
them, if VS. got timei but didn't say
word
Susan, said Joshua. one day last
E1urch, suppOSeen we go an see
,eCnusin S.mon. We won't have bet
ter time ian now. as | have got about
through with tho winter chopin an
Nmy other work an it hain't time to