The weekly intelligencer., 1892-03-19
MISS LACONIC.
mewhat Peculiar, Perhaps. but Her
Influence Was Renef,cIaI

o"he"haC fecutar' Perhaps, but Her
influence Was Beneficial.
That was not her name, but her
own SO closely resembled it in sound
that we came TO call her by it en-
tirely, and she never took any notice
OF it although she may have pitied US
i'll her heart for our ignorance of her
proper nomenclature
She was with us number of years
in the capacity of housekeeper. seam
stress and general assistant in house
matters, and was always treated as
one of the family us nearly as was
possible. We knew from the first
that she was poor and needed q home,
and that she would never encroach on
her privileges
have wondered since if she were
not so nearly dead that she had lost
all human feeling and so could not
respond to our mothers many kind
nesses.
She had told lis children in O. sepul-
chral whisper when she first came to
us says writer In the Detroit Free
Press. that she had only one lung.
she must never be startled.
All our mothers commands and en-
treaties had failed to make us shut
doors softly and walk without jarring
the house. But Miss Lacouic's whis.
per frightened us into an instan,
obedience, for We had a dread of un-
utterable things II that other lung
were alarmed by any freak of ours.
| Unconsciously we fell into the habit
of whispering, so that we no longer
shouted and screamed like the little
terrors we had been. This did not al
happen at once but it was the gradua
result OF Miss Laconic's installment
in our family. One day my mother
left us at home in the caro- of the
housekeeper. who could not make her
self heard and had her trunks packed
to leave when our mother returned
HAS it been quiet since l wen
out?' asked that blessed woman u
she noticed our mice like stiffness.
Quiet as Bedlam," was the unex
pected answer.
From that day we whispered. ant
Miss Laconic stayed.
At breakfast my mother would ask
Were you warm last night Mis-
B--P'
IL was"
perhaps you would like anothe
comfortable on your bedm
Il would
"Have you butter on your plateP"
Il have"
"Will you have another cup of cof
fee?"
'I will"
Sometimes my mother would try +
be companionable to this strange
within our gates.
ELDER Smiths horse ran away ant
threw him out"
'DidP"
"Dr. Brown happened to be right o.
the spot"
WASP"
They have telegraphed for Mrs
Smith"
,HaveP'
The doctor thinks he is very seri
ously hurt
..DoesP"
She could not raise her voice If sh
desired to. and the widest alarm wa
only evinced by the same spasmodi
jerks OF speech. which she used on al
occasions. One day she went int
the kitchen and confronted a strang
man. who was carrying in sack O
vegetables
Mercy" she gasped in her dram
attic whisper.
NO ma'am; they're potatoes. an
swered the man. not understanding
her.
''Helpm she wheezed. standing a
If grown to the floor.
i guess ! don't need any; Pm use
to the cellar" answered the man. try
Ing to get past her.
In moment she appeared in tn
sittingroom where we all sat.
Man. she whispered pointing I
the kitchen. Then she sat down an
remained motionless for an hour
which was her way OF bringing hel
self to and regaining her scattere
senses.
She worked faithfully. and on
morning disappeared, as was consist
ent with such character. She ha
been paid her wages over uight s
we owed her nothing. and she too
naught of ours. except our good viii
We have never heard of her frol
, that day to this. but the spell Of he
queer ways has never departed.
will always be q mystery whether sh
was chary of her words from choic
or necessity. We heard OF her bein
eloquent in prayer. but with us st
faithfully confined her vocabulary
the use of monosyllables.