Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-02-07
POOR COUSIN PARKER.
How He Returned All Favors
With Interest.

1t had long been the custom Of the
Iasker family to hold an annual meet
ing in August at East Village. Such
Taskcrs as were present asked about the
Taskers absent. The Taskers absent
wrote letters to Ahram Tasker at East
Village, who read them aloud at tho
family gathering. They related to each
other the stirring family events which
had happened during the year since the
previous family meeting. Sometimes
the Taskers present were called upon to
commiscrate death, or to discuss an
engagement or to congratulate 4 young
bride. Sometimes they read of new
Tasllers who had come into the world.
Sometimes tho squalling new-coming
Tasker presented himself IN pronriu per-
*"n". Al'00Ns they met to pity and to
blame poor Cousin Parker.
There were Boston Taskers, and Chi
cago Tasllcrs, and New York Tasllers
Then there were Taskers from every
State in New England. Universally,
however. the Taskers present felt called
upon every year to contribute for the
benefit of poor Cousin Parker. He lived
away off up in New hampshire some
whcre-it was quite indefinite where he
lived, and hitherto he seemed to live on
his relatives.
lie had had. it was said by llind-heart-
cd old Abram Tasker, at a family gath
ering. tho hardest kind of hard luck''
ct made the Chicago Tasker very angry
to hear about his hard lucky I'm the
first place." said Abram, ''he never had
ought to hev married Mis- Frink, tho
school ma'am. Mis- Frink was wilder
lady with nine children; an those chill
dren! they ate Cousin Parker outen
house an home: yes, they did. Then
he want fitted for business, an he
oughtn't t have started to manufacture
olcomargarine in butter community
Cousin Parker nigh lost his life-he was
shot at because of that there oleomarga-
rino in butter community. Then he
hcdn't ought t. hev tried borin' for lie
up in that granite region where he lived;
there want no lie there, an Parker
he ought t hev known better. Then he
tried farmin' an failed, because he tried
it according to a city farmers journal
lie planted at the wrong season. He
done every thing wrong. He seemed to
hev mighty hard luck"
Every year there would come to the
meeting either Cousin Parker himself, or
long wall of letter from Cousin Par
ker describing his Affections and asking
for help Every year purse was raised,
and the relatives were taxed for mis-"
Frink-Parker's benefit and her nine chill
dren. Every year the assembled Task
crs grumbled, and the Chicago Tasker
stopped coming East because of it, SIT
do SEEM" said Aoram, "as if the hull
family was merely Twin from year to
year to kinder support Cousin Parker"
Miss Perkins, whose mother was
Tasker, of Newburyport with the ac-
cent, please, on the ''port"), was used
to speaking out in meeting, and she
usually freed her mind every year-she
was regular attendant at these family
meetings. She freed her mind, but at
the same time she gave literally. And
1t was noticed that the louder were her
protests. and the more severe her con-
demnation of Cousin Parker's unfortu
nate business habits, the larger sum she
gave toward his support.
'"Cousin Parker" she snapped out at
tho meeting last August, don't deserve
any luck. Turned inventor nor, has he?
Well, land! what can he invent"'
flush, Miss Pcrkins!' said Abran.
cousin Parker is present with u.s."
Miss Perkins put on her eyeglasses
and looked around the circle of Taskers,
who had assembled In the great barren
parlor of Abram Tasker's great farm
house. There were several Boston
Taskers IN. b., the rich Taskers); there
were the New York Taskers very we'll
OH: there were all the Vermont Task
crs (hard, earnest folk; and there, last
of all, in corner, almost out of sight,
looking so forlorn and sheepish that
Miss Perkins could only pity him, sat
Cousin Parker himseE!"
He was a small, thin man, with a most
distrustful, beseeching expression. His
head was bent forward, his coat was but
tonless and shabby. His eyes were mod