The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-15
COUNTRY COUSIN.

Nr~N tSEfNP'NecC ~NNMo
fnis is how it all happened My two
sisters, the fashionable Misses Sey-
mour, toward the end of a certain
summer, Having been the round of all
the old summer resorts and firing of
the last one, suddenly remembered
that somewhere in the rural districts
In the interior OF the State they pos
sessed some cousins of more or less
~nearness or distance.
"A a last resort, in order to oyer-
come the ennui that was gradually
taking possession OF them, they decid-
ed TO settle down upon these cousins
for the remaining days OF the late
summer and the heated period OF the
autumn.
With them to decide was to act, so
with almost questionable alacrity-
u my sisters were %sticklers for
fashion, toO-letters were despatched
to the suddenly remembered cousins
and the answers to them awaited with
oreathless impatience.
They came at last, bearing the most
cordial invitation for my sisters to
follow their inclinations and come up
into the country at their earliest con-
v%enience.
To say that my sisters jumped at
the chance would be wholly mislead-
ing; my sisters never jumped at any
thlng they were entirely too elegant
for that.
But with surprising haste they an
.swered, informing their hostess when
they would arrive, and then on the
heels OF the letters swept up into the
country, bag, bandbox and baggage.
Letters told us how they found thu
cousins, u charming widow and her
laughter, with "a fine old place, and,
what blessed it, real country hospitali-
w. Ihe widow was set down as a
person who had seen something oflife
nj the daughter was voted nice,
though a triae old-fashioned.
AS father and [ was very busy in
town that summer we did not Join the
ladies In the country but merely t )ok
u weeks fishing at one OF our ~favurltc
haunts and went right Jack to work
again, 50 1T was not until early October,
when the girls came back TO town,
brown as berries and full If the pleas.
ures OF their trip, that | received a
regular detailed description of nv
cousin Harrietand her daughter Alice.
And from the description | gather-
ca mat the young lady was "a person
who would do very well-for the coun-
try.
Indeed, my sisters gave me very
plainly to understained That our cousin,
Alice Seymour, would not shine under
Jhec city lamps.
In a few days after their return
there was nothing new to tell either OF
their trip or OF their entertainers, and
| u no more of my country cousins
until one day in earlv winter, when
the female portion of The household
was thrown into sudden CONSERVATION
by the arrival Of u letter from Mrs,
Harriet Seymour, in which she in.
formed my sister and their maternal
parent that she would like to have her
daughter spend u month in town with
them.
There were sundry other re marks OF
a pleasant and personal nature In the
letter, but they were hardly noticed in
the all o~bscuring Importance of the de.
sire expressed.
Sister Florence came to me with in.
digna ION written in every feature.
TO think" she exclaimed, cousin
Alice want to come here ~
" Well, why shouldn't II 2" asked.
why shouldn't she ?" echoed
Florence. why it simply can't be
DONE"
Why not?
"S otcI'i VIZ .uOU uCiSu W answer
me, but swept away in great indlgna
ton.
1t was Carolina next vino expressed
to me how awful the idea was. ! ex-
pressed my entire inability to see it,
~awiulness, n was tod by my sister
that men didn't understand these
things at all.
Il understand, | think" said that
you accept the hospitality of people
whose kindness you are unwilling t.
RETURN and Carolina left me in dis.
gust.
Then mother whispered to me con.
hdentlally that she couldn't see how
she was going to avoid having that
girl come, and was entirely amaz.,
when | asked why she should wish t.
avoid it.
why. it would never do in the
world, HUBERT" said my mother. 81
love the girl as we'll "a any one can,
but you know that the country and CITY
are sc different" =
is my cousin IA lady 2" | asked.
but
is she an idiot 2"
Why certainly not, but D
Can she tell a train of cars from a
hanson 2"
Hubert !"
"WelI, then, | can't see why it's
going to be such a terrible thing to
bring her to the city"
MY mother lett me with the parting
assurance that men never could an
p%reciate such difficulties.
But after studing it, they could find
no way but to allow the girl to come,
and come she did.
The girls wanted to send a servant
to meet her, but | insisted on going
myself, so Florence went with me.
l could hardly believe that tn" dainty
little lady in the gray travelling suit,
who answered my sisters greeting
with Il quiet smile, was the objection.
able country cousin. She was a ladv
all over from her charming bat to her
pretty little walking boots.
She was so pretty that as | looked at
my sister | began to understand the
point OF objection which tho coming of
my cousin had raised.
Now. while | do not believe i'm love
at first sight, | must confess that a
strange fancy for this quiet little girl
LOOK Immediate possession of me. and
as the days passed it grew. What
else could be expected of any obstinate
young fellow, anyway, when his mother
and sisters opposed him?
SO | found myself loving Alice Sew.
mour. But in this | was not alone ::
several other young fellows seemed to
snare my feelings, and it made me
uneasy.
Her manner we're so perfect, and
yet she SAID and did such quaint and
M t~- 4l-A