News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-12-18
THE MCFARLAND GIRLS.

q
combs, there fiourished in a small In
diana town a young ladies seminary
carried on by Miss Mcfarland and
Miss Mary Ann Mcfarland.
Although these guardians of maid
enhOod were still called "the McFar-
land girls, they had more than ''iust
turned thirty" when the seminary
was first started, quite ten years be
fore the crucial period of which [ am
about to tell. Appearance indicated
no difference in ages between Miss
Mcfarland and Miss Mary Ann; but
occasionally one of the sisters would
lay down the law sufficiently to show
some feeling of ofrightful authority ow-
ing to one year more of mortal eX-
perience.
This was Miss Mcfarland. The
other sister would quietly give in
with pleasant Yes, sister. Just,
as you say" This was Miss Mary
Ann, whose only compensation for
comparative youth was in the pos
session of smoother skin and glossier"
hair than ''Sister" She would never
confess this much even to herself
The perfect union of the two in
thought and deed was one of the en-
tertaining facts made much of at all
social gatherings. However, when
quietly withdrawing her will from the
scene of action she would frequently
smooth her fine black hair, and, with
a cOnsOling sigh, glance in a cOnven-
lent mirror for the effect. Dressing
alike and sharing every thought had
T,n1,I,1oI fhn GiG cnn1Tlptn nlU
into one being-the principal of the
Mcfarland seminary-that male in
truders with matrimonial intentions
had perforce kept their distance,
doubling their own powers of attrac-
ton being sufficient to divide these
"lineal descendants of the purest
aristocracies, who posed on the rag
eed edge of Poverty hill with their
heads held high in the air.
Elisha Bliss was the one male IN
habitant of the quiet town brave
enough to call once a week, as such
| frequency among the HOosier plo-
neers was apt to be construed into q
desire to "wait upon" the recipient
of the attention. His bOldness had
now lasted many years without IN
terruptiOn and without issue. The
! gentleman in question was a tall,
rather limp specimen, whose greatest
natural adOrnments were line head
of brown hair, always carefully
curled, and a soft, persuasive voice.
Mr.. Bliss was a member OF the firm
of Bliss. Banks & Co., booksellers.
As he was apt to remark to the Miss
es Mcfarland: "Our occupations
form a bond of union between US.
You sell knowledge verbally, while L
educate the ignorant by the sale OF
the written erudition of the age" To
which Miss Mcfarland on Miss Mary
Ann. as the case might be, would feel
ingly reply: 1--WE appreciate the sit
uation, Mr.. Bliss, and are always
grateful for your cOmpanionship and
advice" Miss Mary Ann had once
used the word friendship in this con-
nection before Sister, but it proved
her only venture of the kind, as she
was met with a severe reprimand for
} thus using an 'endearing epithet " in
relation to a single gentleman-fOr
Elisha Bliss was single. He INDUCED
in a bachelorhood of forty-five years
standing, never having gone through
the binding process of love, unless,
as gossip insilSiNed, he was ''wait-
) ing on one Of the Mcfarland girls,
but the Lord only knows which one, y
owing to the regularity of his semi
, nary calls to which Dame Rumor re-
piled: He certainly does wear his
! sittin' breeches when he pays his re-
] spects' Saturday afternoon being
} ALWAYS a free tiIsse' with the sisters, ii
} was set apart for receiving any
chance visitors, as Sunday, in theiI
) own words, "belongs not to us, but
) to our Maker" Their inherited
= y Scotch Presbyterianism precludeC
: any relaxation on the Sabbath from
0 the prescribed course of three church
? services, relieved by cold meals pre-
0 pared on Saturday, and the reading
0 of psalms and hymns. Accordingly
Q one Saturday afternoon, Miss Mary
q Ann sat at work on her tatting at {
) decOrOus distance from the window
0 where she could catch a glimps
. through the Venetian blinds of call
ers or passers-by. AS she sat, he
stiff black silk, with the assistance O
the hOOp-skirt, stood quite alone, a
it were. The trim bodice and loos
. sleeves became well her slight figure
II while her black hair brought out th
{ quiet strength of the face no lOnge
D young For the first time in twent
years she was prepared to receive he
friends without Miss Mcfarland, th
sister being laid up with rheumatism
for the only time on reception day
during all these years.
With great temerity Miss Mary An
r had consented to her sisters desir
that she receive alone; and now, a
her attention was called by a clickin
W of the latch of the front gate, the fee
h ing of debutante almost overpOv
r cred her. The caller proving to b
: Mr.. Bliss she was somewhat reas
,, sured, but her voice showed embal
~ rassment as she responded to TIL
i familiar care you enjoying you
usual good health, Miss Mary Ann
n by hurried explanation of her 81,
IN ter's absence through indispositiol
Mr.. Bliss expressed his regret at Mis-