Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-04-05
NOT MUCH OF A STORY.
BY vELMA CALDWELL MELVILLE.


"Why have 1 never married?" Well,
I am sure am willing to tell thee, but
it is not much of a story after all.
Young folks nowadays would call it a
tame matter-of-fact experience 1 sup
pose, and so it was.
To begin it right, must go back to
the little farm in the Quaker settle
ment,' as it was called, in Western
Pennsylvania. My father and mother
were Quakers of the strictest type, and
their large family of children were ex-
pected to walk in the same way. They
were especially strict with US older
ones, Nathan, Hepsie and I. Nathan
and father never got on we'll after the
former came of age; but one day when
father forbade him the house if he ever
knew of his attending Methodist meet
ing again, Nathan openly rebelled and
packing up his clothes, left in earnest.
Mother cried little but said nothing ;
she thought father could not make a
mistake or err in judgment.
Hepsie and cried a great deal at
night when in bed, but we dare not let
father hear US. We knew the reason
that Nathan liked attending the Method
jst meetings for he had told us he
thought Dell Crane-the preachers
daughter-the prettiest girl he had
ever seen. But it will be awful wicked
for Nathan to marry one of those dread
full Methodists," Hepsie would whis-
per under the quilts; but I was not so
meek and easily influenced as she, and
so would answer, that there might be
good people even outside the Quaker
church. think, in looking back, that
our family and church there were es-
pecially intolerant of others; but
know that they thought they were
right.
It was the Easter after Nathan left
in the fall, that my bit of romance be-
gan.
A woman in the neighborhood, who
was not church member at all, was
very sick and of course people took
turns in nursing her, watching with her
and caring for the family. She was a
widow with two little children.
Well it happened Off anything does
Just happen in the world that mother
had promised to let me spend Easter
Sunday with her. I did not want to
go, but girls in these days never
thought of opposing any little plan like
that made by their mothers, so went.
remember Just what q crisp, clear
morning it was and how I wished as !
went along that I were a bird that ]
might fly out in the world. I never had
l,oo,, G1r-orFr E1-a ,o;1as frOY,o bOp,a oil
the nineteen years of my life.
Reaching Mrs. Danes tidied her
and the children, gave them some more
breakfast and then cleaned up the room
little. Our folks did not believe in
doing much homework on first day,
and especially on Easter.
It must have been about church time
when, looking out, I saw Dell Crane
coming. As noticed her bright, rosy
face surrounded by fluffy border OF
pink, could not wonder at Nathan's
admiration, and when he came into the
room smiling and showing such pretty
white teeth, I fell in love with her my
SELF, and think / almost coveted the
bright, dainty thing she called 8
'thood," as I carefully laid it up on the
bureau out of the way of the children.
She had come to stay, too, and !
think had never enjoyed a day so
much before in my life. She was q
veritable sunbeam, and yet soon found
was a devout little Christian in
her way. OF course 1 coNld
not forget the teachings of
q life time all at once, and so
still doubted if Methodist, or any one
else but Quaker, could be Christian
In the true sense of the word.
After dinner Mrs. Dane asked us to
sing. had never been allowed to sing
other than one or two doleful hymns
thee knows the Quakers do not believe
In music-so of course declined; but
Dell drew her chair close to the invalid,
and taking one child on her lap, burst
forth into what folks call nowadays a
regular revival hymn" How she did
singl I never had had such q feeling
come over me as there did at that min
ute. Why it seemed as if there was
something In my bosom that must es-
cape and fly away, and I could scarcely
Keep from crying right out.
She next sang something softer and
sweeter, but not so exciting. Just IS
she finished that she saw her brother
driving up for her.