Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-28
A STORY WORTH READING.
The Four Sisters.


parish thirteeR years lagO. 1t is mel
ancholy reflection that the old adage,
'time and tide wait for no man, APP
plies with equal force to the fairer por-
tiOn Of the creation, and willingly would
we conceal the fact that even thirteen
years ago the Misses Willis were far
from juvenile. Well the Misses Willis
took lease Of the house; it was fresh
painted aud papered from top to bot
tom, the paint inside was all wainscoted,
the marble all cleaned. the old CRATES
taken down, and the regiSter-stoVeS,
you could see TO dress by, put up.
The house was the perfection OF neat
ness-SO were the four Misses Willis.
Everything was formal, stiff and cold
so were the four Misses Willis. They
seemed to have no separate existence,
but TO have made up their minds just to
winter through life together. They
were three long graCes in drapery, with
the addition, like a SchoOl-dinner, of an
other long grace afterWards-thet three
fateS with another Sister-the Siamese
twins multiplied by two. The eldest
Miss Willis grew bilious-the four
Misses Willis grew bilious Immediately.
The eldest Miss Willis grew ill-tem-
Dered and religioUs-the four Misses
willis were ill-tempered and religious
directly.
Three years passed ever in this way,
when an uuloOked-for and eXtraOrdi-
nary phenomeuod occurred. The Misses
Willis showed symptoms Of summer;
the frost gradually broke up; complete
thaw took place. Was il possible? One
Of the four Misses Willis was going TO
be married.
Now. where on earth the husband
came from, by what feelings the poor
mrn could nave been aCtuated, or by
what process of reasoning the four
Misses Willis succeeded IN persuading
themselves that it was possible for a
man TO marry one OF them without
marrying them all, are questions too
profound for US 10 resolve; certain it is,
however, that the visits OF Mr.. Robin
son Ia gentleman in public Office, with
a good property and little property OF
his own, Oesidel were received-that
the four Misses Willis were cOurted in
due form by the said Mr.. Robinson
that the neighborS were perfectly fran
tic in their anxiety to discover which OF
the four Misses Willis was the forum
ate fair, and that the difficulty they ex-
perienCed in solving the problem was
not ali leSsened by the announcement
OF the eldest Miss Willis: 1--WE are go
ing to marry Mr.. Robinson"
The subject was discussed at every
little card table and tea drinking. The
old gentleman Of silk werm notoriety
did not hesitate 70 express his decided
opinion that Mr.. Robinson was Of
Eastern descent, and contemplated
marrying the whole family at once; and
the row generally shook theis heads
with considerable gravity and declared
the business TO be very mysterious.
AT last one fine morning, at quar-
ter before eight o'clock, two glass
coaches drove up to the Misses WilliS's
door, az which Mr.. Robinson had ar
rived in cab ten minutes before,
dressed In light blue coat and double
miled kerSey pautaloons, white necker-
chief, pumps and dress gloves, his
manner denOting, as appeared from
the evidence Of the hOuSemaid at No. %
who was sweeping the door steps at the
time, a considerable degree of nervous
excitement.
The intelligence spread rapidly from
house 10 house. IL was quite clear that
the eventiul morning had at length ar
rived; the whole row stationed them
selves behind their first and second soor
blinds and waited she result in breath
less expectation.
At last the Misses Willis's door
opened; the door Of the first glass coach
ala the same. Two gentlemen and a
pair Of ladies to correspOnd--friends Of
the family, no doubt; up went the steps,
bang went the door, of went the first
glass-coach and up came the second.
The street door opened again; the ex-
element OF the whole row increased
Mr.. Robinson and the eldest Miss Willis.
Il thought so, =" said the lady at No. 10;
II always said il was Miss Willis"
"WeU, I neverw calculated the young
lady at No. Is to the young lady at No.
Il. did you ever, dear" responded
the Young lady at No. II to the young
lady at No. IS. cts too ridiculous~
exclaimed a spinSter OF an uncertain
age at No. Is, joining in the converse
ton. But who shall portray the aston
iShment OF Gordon place when MIR. Rob
inson handed in all the Misses Willis,
one after smother, and then squeezed
himself into an acute angle Of the glass
coach, which forthwith proceeded at a
brisk pace after the other glass coach,
which other glass-cosch had itself pro-
ceeded at 4 brisk pace in the direction
OF the parish church.
As the four sisters and Mr.. Robinson
continued to occupy tie same house AZ
ter this memorable OCCASION, and as the
married sister, whoever she was, never
appeared in public without the other
three, we are not quite clear that the
neighbors ever would have discovered
the real Mrs. Robinson but for circum-
stance of the mast gratifying deScrip-
ton which will happen occasionally in
the best requested families. Three
ouarter-days Aapsed, and the row. on
ma new Night appeared to have
,irstir Tor some time, began 10
h prt of implied confidence
. and to wonder how Hrs.
e youngest Miss WillisShat
and servants might be
up the steps about 96r 10
morning with ,.Missis's
sQd wishes to know Aow