Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1895-10-10
II SILENT SISTERS.
~ T. KNNGwILI-

never % speak % each other again.
setting ant drying their f1rranEers
% .1e compartment g an ancient
childish incautation. and while they
lived On the paterual farm they kept
tner foolish oath with the stubborn
ue-s z slow country stock despite
-ae alternate eoaxaE AMI eh1s-ls~
urut - their parents unt~i-b~,aud-
ny the perpetual everyday contact Il
taer lves through every vdcissituts
Of sea-1n ant weather q sowing and
r-apiuZ- % sun AMI shAte, % f0v and
sorrow Death anI Misfortune dill
reconcile them AMI whea their
father dleA ant the ola farm wa< sold
up they Travelled - Laatoa in the
sane sca-r By the sane rain. in
--au-a - similar -ituacHp1% Service
SEPARATED them for rear@ although
there was aaie a stones throw be-
tween taem They often stared at
each orae- the streets roaor. the
elder. married a local artisan and two
and a ha.f rea- later Nercv. The
younger married a f-Ila~wo-Suan %
h1sba1L The txo husbands
were f-lea= AMI often VISITED each
taers aau wkieh were On opp
site sides - the ,arue @lrl1t street
ars their wives male them weIcume
Ne ther Honor nor Mercv Suffered an
nllusls1a - the breach. 2 was under
sta,ss that rhei- silence must h. re-
e- vel IN silence Zach q the sisters
had 4 4@1iv-rfa- oxen Ii-ea wao pIav~I
AM q-ua--ezet -1-e-he- IN me streets
anI in one aaothers houses but not
even the s--s-t aFaTs an.i mutual
-ruue@ tx -ae children e47uEE p--
woke the mothers % worlz Thev
,-..i az their doors IN fnn.s-ent f.-v
alu.-t bursting vita -ae torture -
eepiu- their mouths SAINT against the
~uc os angry speech When
either Lost a child the o-ner watched
th- funeral from her xsua1w dumb As
the uu-
The ear rolled GA. ami still the
river o. silence ho-ves4 between their
live. Their r-al hooks sa5~f. the
buri~n Il life AMI % chlI-b~arinx Va.
heavy ua.5a them GRAY hairs s--eaket
Their brown r-esS thea brown hairs
s~rreak-i their uav tre. The
1ue xerS az ar ~pla-ed the 45mu-ss Of
v1uth The Years r5lIesi On anf death
rr=w nrsv anannx the fAm1Ii~= Honor =
husband died AMI Merrw lost a ~1u-
who a a week after Ms VIE ChoI-
era toaz several ~ the younger chI-
d-eu BUT the sisters themselves lived
Do. bent and slriveled by rou and Sor-
r3x even more than oy the slow frost
81 the Years
Then one dav Mercv took 20 her
death-bsd An internal disease. ton
long neglected. would carry her II
within a week - the doctor told
Jim. Mercys husband
through him the news travelled 70
Honor ; eldest son. who still lived with
her. By the evening i reached
Honor.
She vent astairs abruptly when be
told her. leaving hin~ wondering at her
stony aspect When she cam down
she vas bonnetet aud shawled lie
was hIIeI with JOYOUS amaz 10 see
her hobble across the street. and. sor
the first time in her life. uass over her
sister Merevs threshold
A. Honor entered the ,iex-room
with purs.d lips a ligh. Ieapt int
the wasted. wrinzIed -countenanee OF
the diving creature >he raised her.
self slightly in bed her lbs parted
then shut tightly. ami her face dark
ened
Honor t--ued angriIv 10 Nerev'i
husband. who hung abau. impoteutiv
Why did YOU let her run down !.
lowe sac said Il dslfnr know. III,
old man s,ammered- taxen back bv he.
presence ever more than By her 9u-s
tion. She was always a woman Z,
say u0thIn.
Honor put him fm1atieutIx assda an.
examined the medicine bottle On III,
bedside table
Isn't il time she took her dossq~
4 dessav-
Honor suorted wrathsuIIv. What
the use Of 4 NAM she inquired as N.
carefully measured out the fait an,
pat il - her sisters tiDs. which op.ae,
% receive i. and than closed tivhtI
again.
How Is o wife feeling now7- Hor
or asked after a
How are you now. Merevg- asse
the old man. awxwaralv. The oI
woman sho.,x her had I'm 80
fast jim she grumbIed weakly an
a = a Of self-p5rv tti-xled down he
parchment cheek
WHAT rubbidge she do talk erie
Honor. sharply. WHY d-ve "a,
rb-ra ux t.ita- - ~
dout rou tell her 70 eb-er NM
Cheer up- Mercy auaxerad n
nan hoa-eiv
But Ner.v roa,a5 Instead =,
turned f-etf1uv On - 49, ; -,
her face 70 The wall
.-T- 10 "a r. =
moaned- -Tbi~is tb~e .5 =,