The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-05

THE POINT OF VIEW.
BY SUSAN CURTIS REDFIELD.

Ephreim Grants sisters, Miss Ma
tida and Miss Abigail, were proceed
ing to obey the injunctions of theil
sister-in-law when q lad, with q great
flourish of whip, and many urgent
get ups" drove up to the little rail
Why, there's jim ?" exclaimed
Miss Abigail "Now Ephraim, we'll
60 right on home" =.
You can speak for YOURSELF" said
Miss Matilda. "Pm going to stay at
Ephraim's all night: l never was SO
shaken up in my life; that's dread,
fully rough road we've just como over. u
Nov | was glad Of the shaking. y
laughed Miss Abigail. &C. had eaten
such hearty dinner, and shaking is
good for the rheumatism, Matilda"
"It's very easy to sec the silver
lining to somebody clsc's cloud" re-
tortcd Miss Matilda, land it's down
right irritating in you, Abigail, 10 bu
always glad when other folks arc sorry.
Guess that woman with the sick baby
didn't like the rough road much better
than | did :"
Good bye" called her sister from
tho old phacton. "Pleusant night to
you, Matilda"
pheasant night indeed ~ repeated
Miss Matilda, who had finally settled
herself in the wagon. Nov, if that
isn't like Abigail and nobody else !!
When she knows that my heads
aching to split, and that I've got rheu-
matism SO that | can fairly hear my
knees squeak whom | bend them, and
Pm just done out with all the talking
I've lived through this week . What's
tho O,nttnr with vn,l t'nhroi m , Npl
haven't opened you mouth since we got
off the train"
"Oh, was just waiting for my tur!,"
replied Ephraim, slowly. There's
nothing I'd Ike better than to hear
about my boy and his family"
"WelI," began Miss Matilda in
tho first pl&1e, just as | told you be-
fore we started, it would have been
agreat deal better for you and Sarah
Jane to have gone there instead of
sending Abigail and me to visit them.
They don't feel pleasant about it, Pm
sure. They said twas two years since
you had boon there"
" But they know why" said her
brother. "What, with scarlet tevcr,
and measles, and every other catch
ing disease last year, and all tho
trouble I've had getting help on the
farm this year, and Sarah Jane Sc
taken up with hor sick old mother
and"
"That isn't q bit liko Joe " inter
ruptCd Mrs. Grant, indipnantly, "
he does feel 50, Sucy must have pu
him up to it,"
" Likely enough" replied Miss Ma
tilda.
"Poor Joe! He's got lots of bur
dens, and he used to be such Il joll,
boy He looks older, tell you, an,
he's getting gray, and wrinkles ON tn
forehead and around the eyes. Lucy
On, we'll, you always say that look O
tho dark side. Maybe | do | hop
80, I'm sure"
"Oh, don't DC SO aggravating, Nj;
tilda - cried Mrs. Grant.
Well," began Miss Matilda agail
"if you will have it, nobody can blalI
me, l'm sure. Lucy's Il city woman
with city ways and bringing up, an
she's no manager"
How is poor Lucy ?" inquire
Ephraim, kindly. - always like
Lucy"
"Well, that accident to her knee
turning out bad enough. She is lam
ior HE; has to wear a machine t
keep the bones in place, and it weigh
PNehS1S' i oSSo IL Hl}lhcS 1lC
about sick most of the time. Joe has
helpless wife on his hands for the res
OF mis- life. She can't get about much
and that reminds mo OF another thing
She stays home from church becaus,
she Isn't comfortable in the pew, ant
SO Joe has to go alone with tho chill
dren, and naturally the next thins
we'll hear will be that he doesn't q,
either
And talking Of the children, the,
set the broom on fire in the parlo
CRATE one day and then ran out will
1T all ablaZc and laid it on the sittin.
room sofa. II | hadu't been there
that whole house would have been i,
hamcs. And if you'd believe it, thos
chlidron weren't punished ono bit
Lucy just took them into tho bedroom
and talked TO them u little, and whcl
she told Joe about it she actual,
laughed. Oh those chill lren arl
coming up in a sad way. / must tel
you another thing they used to do
The gate posts arc high and hollow
ana it was their favorito amusement
TO climb up and take OF the top OF the
post and then drop the kitten in clcal
down to the bottom. Then they'd LEI
down rope for her TO come up on,
and they really trained that poor beast
TO DO drawn up on that rope. They
called it 'rescuing the pcrishinw.
There was nothing under heaven that
they didn't do with that cat, and hr,
tall wasn't its natural size while | WA.
there"
"Oh dear :" sighed Mrs. Grant. 81,
Is really dreadful to think OF tho chl
drcn running Wild like that, and allow cf
to be cruel, !"
-" Lucy means WE'LL" continued Ma
tiida, but she's queer, not like oul
folks. Now she doesn't manage right
she keeps two girls"
1.-TWO girls !" interrupted her sister.
in-law.
"Yes, two girls. or course bcino
lame and in the city she'd naturally
nave one. But instead Of doing the
plain sowing and mending she keeps
a,girl to help with the room work and
children and do the sewing, while she
sits dabbling with paints. She said
something once about selling the
pictures, but our Lucinda Harris paints
lar better, and you know Lucinda tried
70 sell hers and couldn't. And know
Joe's business worries him sometimes.
and that he has hard work to make
both ends meet"