The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-07-01
UNCLE EBEN'S MINERALS.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

"Alix! Alixl where are your"
Alexia Amcs stood like some avenping
Fate in the middle of the square room at
Amescroft Farm. She had pulled up
every tack in the well-worn ingram car
pet-the one "store carpet" that the
humble establishment afforded and had
flung it bodily out of the window, where
it had descended with crushing weight
On the fiery-red blossoms of monster
"burning bush.
She had opened every easement wide.
so that the yellow light Of the glorious
May morning streamed in, a food of
crystal glory.
She had tied her auburn hair up in an
old towel, and stood on wooden char
seat, brushing cobwebs from the ceiling
with an ancient broom, like the pro.
verbal sold woman" of the nursery
rhyme.
At the sound of her sisters voice she
stopped abruptly.
"rm here, said she.
"What are you doing, Alix9"
"lm trying to civilize things little. "
"All alone by yourself, Alix2"
"Ihere's no one to help me2"
"Can't you wait until Bridget Reir-
don comes tomorrow"
Alix shook her toweled head.
"This is one of the cases." said she,
'where patience has ceased to be a vir-
tue. No, can't wait day longer"
Ellen looked anxiously around the
room.
"Why, what have you done with
cverything" said che.
"Cleared them all out. II we are 60
ing to have summer boarders, we must
get ready for them. Uncle Eben occu.
pies our best bedroom, and is likely to
for some time; consequently this must
be fitted up for boarders."
Ellen sighed deeply.
81 wish we weren't so poor" said
she. 81 wish we could live without
filling our house every summer with a
crowd of noisy strangers.
"Why don't you wish for Aladdin's
lamp, or the Kohinoor diamond while
you are about itl" said Alix, scornfully.
"Alix, why have you grown so bitter
of latea" pleaded the geptler of the
sisters. 81 don't hardly know you"
sam l bitter!" Alix stood still and
hesitated for an instant or SO. "Well,
perhaps | am. But is it not enough to
make any one bitter, this constant cur
rent of disappointment"
al don't know that we have any more
to bear than others, Alix.n
"You do, tool" criei Alix, springing
down from her wooden chair, with
burning cheeks and eyes alight, "You
know you do, Ellen Ames! Here you
are engaged to Henry Lucas and can't
marry until he can give you home
here are we weighed to the very earth
with poverty and care, and this old
uncle of ours, coming back from life.
time of shiftlessness in New Mexico, to
place an additional burden on ouI
shoulders.
''lle is old and poor, Alix."
"Very well, Pm young and poor.
Where's the difference? OF the two, ]
maintain that he is the better off,"
Ellen looked at her stormy tempered
sister with troubled eyes.
Evidently she thought it best not tc
continue the subject.
'What have you done with the little
case of butterflies and birds nestslr said
she; "and the cabinet of minerals and
the paper box of stones2"
"Tumbled them back of the goose.
berry bushes" said Alix. 81 can't have
the room cluttered with all the trash he
brought back in that wooden chest Of
his. :"
Couldn't you have stored them away
in the old chest itself2"
"Nonsense Such stuff as that2 And
besides, it would have been quite impos-
sible, for I've had Billy chop the old ark
up into kindling wood. He'll never
know!'
"Oh, AlixW
81 don't care" flashed out Alix, witt
a reckless toss of her head. 'It's toe
bad! Everything goes wrong with IL,
and mother is utterly overworked, anc
I'm clear discouraged, and-and-"
All of a sudden her factitious courage
broke down. She sank in little heal
on the floor, her head on the woodeI
chair-seat and her masses of auburn hal
escaping wildly from the towel, Will,
her whole frame shook with sobs anC
bright tears trickled down her cheeks.
At the same moment Mrs Ames's soft
tremulous voice was heard, calling:
"Ellen! Alexia Where are you, girls
Your uncle is took dreadful bad Run
one Of you, for the doctori Aud 'othe
one, come aud help me lift him!"
Ellen flew to her mothers assstanc,
and Alix mechanically tore the towe