West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-11-08
BEE AND DEE
by ALICE Drown.

We were christened Beatrice and Dor.
othy, but-with what great aunt calls the
horrible assertlveness of American chill
dren," wo hastened TO rename ourselves
as soon as we could speak. Zee saws
one Of us ought tell the story OF the
naughtiest time in our lives. or. ms She
puts II, being fond OF long words. ..its
most critical period" She adds that
my pen is as ready as her tongue, and
that where The one fails, the other shall
dictate. So let us begin.
One day, when we were about fourteen
Bee and | are twins-we had a partic-
uiariy hilarious time at school.
AS our dear mother had dIed when we
were babies, and papa was too much
occupied IN poring over bugs and buttc.-
Mes 10 know what we were about, we
did dozens Of things which other more
10. tunate girls would never have dared
attempt.
just at this time, we were onite wild
with desire to be thought vonnp ladies
80 Bee. who is clever with the needle
had pieced down our dresses. under the
oyerskirts, until they swept the floor.
We had done" our hair high, and tied
on some old earrings, and when we an
peared at school the girls. awed and
admiring, declared we looked "loyely--
and twenty five at least
he teachers smiled in way that
made me triiie uncomfortable. and at
recess / heard Miss CASTOR saw to Miss
Pray; ''Poor things they certainly do
show the effect Of their training or
rather of the lack Of it. Shall YOU sneak
to them about thisr
No. You have heard the rumors
about their father'sr-her voice fell. and
lost the following word "Emily IS a
sweet little woman, and n very firm
one. l think they can safely be left TO
her"
Who is Emily7p asked Bee as We
walked home together and / repeated
the conversation to her.
"Probably governess, or n new
housekeeper," returned Bee, who. like
arren Hastings, had a "mind calm
amid dilfculties.7
Whoever it Is, shant mind her. O
zee, there's great.aunts carriage at the
doorl How she will cold about our
our dfesses Take or your earrine,s. and
put them in your pocket
We walked boldly into the parlor
though our long Dire ses did twist nosr
proyokingly about our ankles. and TO
my dismay, Bee relalsed into gigolinc
when | stepped on niue and plunged
forward, almost into the arms OF great
aunt herself There She sat, cyc-glusscs
In hand, in all her terrible dignity and
there also sat a strange lady. seflta.
flushed with youth and lovelincse. and
charmingly d essed
.Girls, SAID papa, coming forward
and hesitating, as il he wished the cere.
mony were over, 'this lady is your new
mamma | hope you will love her for
my sake
The stranger rose aad put out a hand
20 ca Of us, While by q common i'm
pulse, lit was always said at school that
the twins brea:hed in concert. we
stltened up so that she should not kiss
US. / think we all felt little awkward
but greas-annt created diversion.
In the name Of al that's proper.
girls said she, putting her glass on her
bose, "what hure you been doing 70
your elCthesl Henry is il possib e YOU
send those chi dien to school tricked
out in that fashionW
Papa in turn held up his glasses before
ms dear, near.s GIFTED eye, and pcercd
AorwaId TO examine a.
why, aunt. what's the matter with
their c.othe3w he asked. "They seem
20 be clean and WHOLE
No one could help r Qgling at such
delicious innocence of our dcIinstier,,es
and as Bee a1d ] yielded iust FOR n
moment 10 n 10 G riye / cauvht nm
answering fash upon the face of our step.
mother
For an instant ! came near liking her
but the Impulse was promptly quonch ,d
Had We not always owed VIC would NOT
tolerate such az interlapcri
We'll, Henry, said x cat aunt. 'you
ore about a7 ht 70 bring zap children y ~
that sofa. Pm glad you have some one
80 holp younow Children, be obedient
Emily, be firm with them and She
took her mai ric leave, while wo Two
g asi cd hands in % silent compact that
we would rot obey aud hat tho person
who aspiftd 90 be firm with us should
repent her ambition
lt would be o long task TO tell al we
did TO maze that sweet LADY, lsc n bur
den. To be sure VIC were not as heart
lcss rs We seemed. for wo could not
estimate then the & eainoss OF the cross
we had pat upon her
we made point OF calling her "etep.
moihor, except when papa was by. III
a1e offered 90 kiss us, we gave little
peck at hof chcos. like vicious canarics
II che took pains 10 selecting orr rib.
BON, we looked coollg ou those partlcn-
iaf coiors il she spent time and thought
on our oresse', wo wore them without
rewarding her with a word Of apprecia.
lion
We bad simply eniofed on y course of
what Bee cal cd anti-sicp mother. nand.
as grcatauat always said. we he'onged
30 au obstinate nco Cur chief oricv.
anco ley n the fact that everybody pcr-
sisted iu considering ne children. while
we thought ourselves youn~ adics We
wanted 90 wear our mothers jewels. we
longcd ior paty dresses With trains. aud