The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-05-22
COUSIN LINN.

Jo"'S i"uieS was pam.
what gawll % we thought
Dinner did not much improve our
opinion of our relative, and it was with
dismay that we heard, as we left the dining
room.
Girls, leave your Cousin Linn to your
devices this afternoon. | have no doubt
you can entertain him." Then father
strobe out of the door and back to business.
The wretch mean our new relative,
of course. That very afternoon we are to
have paid a number of neglected calls that
could not longer be put off.
Entertain him! Oh, yes, we would en-
terrain him. And we did.
Gust wait" said my sister Helen be-
tween set teeth. He shall show us how
himself
So when Cousin Linn had finished his
cigar-he seemed to linger over it an I'M
reasonably long time-and entered the par
Tor, his rather sheepish gaze met batting
of four light brown eyes, whose owners
were prepared to make out whatever mis-
chief he invited
The first few moments passed tamely
enough. Cousin Linn was a twig of a
branch of the family tree that fourished in
neighboring state too far away for us to
know more than that we there boosted also
an Aunt Lucy and Cousin Kate. We
(fouSip I 6,
mer boy, with little more than his share
OF the farm and of the boy about him.
Just as he expected, Cousin Linn him
self gave us the first hint of how he was best
to be held up before the power of ridicule
and scorn. In despair at our brief replies
to his we'll meant conversational efforts. his
eye fell upon the piano. and he, in graft
tnde of spirit, fell upon its neck. lie asked
us to play. Poor man!
Sister Helen began. Now, if there was
one thing we girls p:idcd ourselves upon, it
was our musical talent and education, OF,
rather, we were proud of the talents and
father of the education, which he had paid
for with mingled feelings of satisfied duty
and outraged pocket
But that day Sister Helen appeared
possessed. She played nothing but the
simplest tunes, iigs and reels and even had
the audacity to pick out several good
old hymns with one hand. | followed her
lead, and our poor old piano was made to
bring forth sounds that no self-respecting
COW would have died to.
Cant you play, Cousin Linn" asked
Sister Helen. Law, that girls smile was
as innocent as a babys, but it meant mis-
chief for our cousin. That individual, who
had applauded US loudly, looked at his
shoes and said yes, he could play little.
lie would try, even after our brilliant per-
formance.
Cousin Inns musical education had
evidently been on the line laid down in
our programme He reeled of country
dances with the ease OF a COW walking
railroad trestle. If our selections were
tunl-te- tumty Cousin Inns were tum-t e-
tumtier. And to watch him picking out
the tune, using one, two or three fingers of
each hand, his long hair bobbing about his
cars as he ducked his head at every note,
set us in a fit of silent laughter.
Lets take him with u.s. whispered
Helen as he neared the end of number"
And of course jumped at the idea OF more
fun with Cousin Linn.
"l'm agreeable said that young man
when we asked him.
He spoke better than he knew.
So off we set. TO every girl OF our
acquaintance we paid visit, and at every
house we made new sport of Cousin Linn
and his piano playing.
First, we would play when asked and
always the same tum-te tums. OF course,
the girls took the cue from a wink and did
the same, while Cousin Linn sat there, his
great eyes staring at his Shoes and saying
never a word except "Yes m" and NO M"
Then, Cousin Linn can play" one of
us would demurely say, and Cousin Linn
always toed the mark and the pedals
So it went on. We left one household
after another in commissions Of laughter,
until We came to Miss Matilda Craig's.
1t happened that Miss Craig played first
and we We're unable to give her
the cue. Poor, good Christian soul She
played the piano as she did everything
e'se, as her conscience babe her, Just the
best she knew how, So after Miss Matilda
had given us the "Turliish Retreat" the
"Wellington Booth tluickstep," and other
carefully rendered selections, Helen and |
could do no less. We Numbered at Bach
and fulfilled at Chopin in the best copser-
vatory sylr we had been taught and snick-
cred in our sleeves they were wide then,
too my dears, but at the bottom and not
the top. How Cousin Linn gaped.
actually thought the mans eyes would pop
out Of his head
Then we made him play He had to he
almost dragged to the piano this time, but
we were eager and curious to see him 20
through with his little jigs and reels again
after our old masters.
60 Cousin inn tnol his seat at tba