The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-02-05

For many years your admirable
qualities have been before my eyes.
Miss Mary Ann. My respect for them
and you has grown every day, until
| feel called upon to tell you of the
state of my feelings, and ask you if
you are willing to be my companion
down the hill of life?" In the
depths of the heart thus appealed to
had long been hidden that inexplica-
BILE emotion without which no wom-
ans life is fully rounded out, and this
emotion had been generated by the at
fractions of Elisha Bliss. This was
the crisis of an unselfsh life. Itmeant
protection and affection or entire re-
nunciation for another, owingto cur
ious family custom which | will allow
the the victim to explain. She was
so long silent that Mr.. Bliss was on
the point of renewing the unexpected
attack when she said, with CULVER
ing smile around the patient mouth:
II am too surprised for words, Mr..
Bliss! l-l-s-suppOsed it was Sis
teri" and she had an intuitive feeling
that Sister thought so too and was
pleased at the idea.
NO." he replied; Miss Mcfarland
is a lady greatly to be admired, but |
have chosen you to be my wife, pro-
vided you will consent"
But | cannot consent" she an
Looking blank and displeased, he
asked:
sis it because you cannot recipro-
cate my feelings, Miss Mary Ann?"
For moment she hesitated, then
with honest dignity explained:
mo; it is not that; but can never
marry until Sister is provided for in
that way. 1t has been a rule in our
family from time immemorial that the
eldest daughter must be married be-
fore her younger sister can accept any
such offers"
"But do you consider such condi-
ton of things to be reasonable, Miss
Mary Aun?" came from the discomtit-
ed sutton.
She drew herself up, and with a
glance OF pride at an old-fashioned
portrait hanging on the wall, replied:
"My fathers Judgment i'll all things
was and is supreme Mr.. Bliss. In his
last moments he bade me remember
the precedent of generations, to be
ever constant to the interests of my
elder sister" Then with gentle sigh,
and in lower tone she continued: IF
you wish to make me happy, ask Sis
ter to be your wife.
Did ever man before listen to such a
proposition, and, what is even more
remarkable, accept it?
Was it pique, OF resignation to the
inevitable-to a Rnling Providence
which enabled him to reply. every
we'll, if this is your final decision, will
speak to Miss Mcfarland on the sub
ject at the first opportunity: you are
my choice, but no doubt your sister
will make a good wife, if she is willing"
With composed Good afternoon
he left Miss Mary Ann to the burial of
her one hope of martial happiness.
She entered the sick-room an hour
later with a bright face; related the
fact that Mr.. Bliss had called, and
her own failure to be Entertaining
when left to himself. Noreference was
made to the rejected offer. A month
later Elisha Bliss had become the pros
pective partner for life of Miss McFar-
| land upon the one condition that
| Mary Ann was always to make her
| home with them No allusiOn was
ever made by word or action, between
the participants, to the trying scene
enacted behind the Venetian blinds on
a certain Saturday afternoon One
night at the weekly meeting Miss Mary
Ann looked up in the midst of the
familiar hymn:
"Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love,
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above"
surprising a reproachful glance from
pair of gray eyes, belonging to Elisha
Bliss, fixed upon her persistently
This was all; and it never happened
again.
In the autumn the young ladies'
seminary did not reopen. Miss Nc
Farland and Miss Mary Ann became,
respectively, wife and sister-in-law to
Elisha Bliss. For twenty years the
three formed harmonious domestic
household. 1t was always "Sister and
| think so and so, 0" elisha thinks
with us that certain cl anges would be
an improvement" A few years after
the domestic partnership was formed,
elisha" showed signs of weakness in
the chest, which grew upon him, de-
veloping into the old-fashioned slow
consumption. The sisters devided the
necessary feminine attention between
them, sharing sorrow and Joy alike
through many years of increasing
pecuniary loss and hardship. Mr.. and
Mrs. Bliss wonld never listen to Mary
AIMS desire to 60 out and
make her own way in the world.
"Not while | have roof over my
head" the elder sister would
emphatically insist; and how they
would ever have got on without her
it is impossible even to imagine. Not
long ago Elisha died, after coughing
through nearly quarter ola century,
leaving the two old ladies to one an
other, as he found them, unswerving-
ly devoted one to the other; living in
the old house full of things quaint
and curious though somewhat thread
bare, and wearing, as of old hoop
skirts and side-combs. The straight
prim figures are still unbending, but
Miss Mary AIMS skin has lost it's
bloom, and Sisters manner of speech
has grown more yielding. When they
gave up the infant class IN Sunday
school, which was long their special
charge and interest to younger hands
their maternal interest found vent in
making the neighborhood children
happy. Among my earliest gastrono-
mic recollections is one of fragrant
little bundles sent me on every
holiday with Miss Mary AIMS love,
which, on being excitedly opened,
proved to be ginger bread animals,
or men and women with dried
currant eyes; not perfect from
an anatomical standpoint, but
how heavenly to the childish palate!
AS matured sufficiently to compre-
bend their entire devotion to each
other, the thought frequently occurred
to me: What would become of
either one if the other should follow
Elisha alone?" Miss Mary Ann with
ont Sista upIIlI ba dayoi1 of bo,