Middletown transcript., 1892-06-16

Lnem sallOW.lace0 tnlngs cOulO 81
married if they was to try till the da,
of judgment. Then Roses folks oil
her fathers side is a great sight bette
than the Flints.''
/ "Oh, Mr.. Harkins!' !'' exclaimed
Mrs. Harkins in horror.
/ "Look here, Sairey Jane, the Hal.
lers amt made out of the same kint
of clay as the Flints. Didn't / see
| your sister Haverstraw when she wal
talkin' to Roses old great-aunt wher
she was heref Itell you, Mis- Haver
straw hardly dared set down in hel
presence; and as for the deacon, he wal
afraid to go'in two yards Of her. fol
all she was SO soft-voiced and gentle.'
Mr.. Harkins was entirely right
about tie Hallers. He had found out
where they lived, and at great ex-
pense of time and trouble he had at
various times written them tidings Of
Rose. Then Rose had been sent one
| winter on visit to them. They had
been proud enough of her, and willing
to overlook the mesaIsance with the
Flints for her sake. Rose had taken
to them naturally; but not all the
Hallers on earth could wean her from
her uncle Jacob.
"Did you ever see a Flint that
looked like French clancy ?-because
that's what Rose looks like,'' Mr..
Harkins would say.
Rose was certainly pretty enough
for anything. A strain of something
better than the Flint blood flowed
through her. She was dark-eyed and
red-lipped, high-stepping and slim,
and she had slow, sweet voice, that,
instead of being one generation away
from the rasping tones Of the Flints,
might have been fifty. She went to
school in New York, and it cannot be
denied that Rose regarded Compton
Films and its society with tolerance
rather than respect; but she never
faltered in her allegiance to Uncle
Jacob. With fine and noble arro-
gance, she insisted that he was far
superior to everybody else in Compton,
and guaged her behavior to other
people chiefly by their behavior to
Mr.. Harkins. There was kind Of
guerrilla warfare going on always be-
tween her and her mothers relations
and when they complained that Roses
high and mighty ways kept them from
coming to see Sairey Jane as much as
they would wieh, Mr.. Harkins OBJ
served that it didn't make no matter
to him if they never did come to see
Sairey Jane; they was allus putin
| cantankerous notions into her head.
When Rose finished school and
came home, there were "such doings p
a. the HayerstraW girls exclaimed
She had a pony-phaeton, and she
made Uncle Jake build new wing
to the house.
whats the object of your improve.
ments, Brother Harkins % asked
Deacon Haverstraw during the pro-
gress of the building.
We'll, you see, Brother Haver-
straw, it's jest to please Rose,' ex-
planned Mr.. Harkins, in a burst Of
confidence. First she wanted q hull
new house but now she's changed
her mind, and she only wants four
new rooms, and a verandy, and q
conservatory for flowers. you know
The deacon groaned. You're a.
ruinin' Rose, Brother Harkins.
Women-folks is mostly poor, weak,
vain creeturs. Paul didn't have no
high 'pinion of 'em. He says in sub
stance they must be kept down."
Well, deacon, it seems to me that
you keep the Miss Haverstraws down
too much and don't keep Mis- Haver-
straw down enough. At least, that IS
what folks say ; and the boys in the
village has song about the way Mis-
Haverstraw hauls you over the Goals
when she gifts ready"
By which it will be seen that Mr..
Harkins stood ready to defend his in
diligence to Rose by carrying the war
into Africa if necessary.
Once, Rose came home from New
York with great joke: g What do
you think, Uncle Jake I met a yonng
man that's Deacon Haverstraw's
nephew, and he says he's coming to
Compton Elms to see me-"
"What kind of fellow is he p''
"A kind of revised edition of the
deacon"
dreadful pious ?"
Dreadful pious.'
One day, Mrs. Harkins sat knitting
on the back porch, when Tilly Hayer-
straw suddenly appeared around the
corner of the house and 'swooped down
on her. The Hayerstraws were slow
blooded and Emphatic, all except Tilly,
who was always in violent state Of ex-
citement and was excessively voluble.
"When Tilly Haverstraw's tongue be-
gins to wag, I always get little
deafer than usual" Mr.. Harkins used
to say.
"Good-morning, Aunt Sairey Jane !;
how are you this morning 2n screeched
Tilly, as she flounced into chair.
ssPrpttv we'll thank Won How "a