The Opelousas courier., 1897-09-04

HER FATHERS VOICE,
BY GRACE MCGOWAN COOKE.


do II ooit Vi VOCAL 1fOllc, ran GOWn tn
scale as low as her deep, powerful
young voice would go, and sounded
half-dozen notes that might have
shamed q basso.
Great-aunt Marjorie, sitting by the
window, laughed; tai her neice and
namesake whirled about upon the
stool to face her.
What are you laughing at, Aunt
Marjorie FL and my trumpet
tones?'"
1T made me think of your grand
mother" answered the pretty old
lady. "ohe had just such a voice, aud
she was almost as much ashamed of it
as somebody [ know is proud ofhers.'
"Aunt Margie," accused Marjorie,
II see a story in your eye. Don't
deny it! Pm good girl; I've been
through all my exercises five times;
| deserve that story" and bringing a
hassock she disposed herself at her
aunt's knee, in a~comfortable listening
attitude.
"Well," began Aunt Margie, s'things
about Barbara are usually interesting,
and the way she was leased about her
basso voice, as we used to call it, is
amusing enough to remember. There
is Il incident connected with it which
is quite a little tale,and will bear re-
peating.
Barbara used to sing what we
called counter in the choir-you call
it alto now, [ think-and her sing
ing voice was much admired. But [
remem Der" laughing softly, "that
old Billy Gillespie, who taught our
singing school, attempted TO get up a
quartet of female voices and asked her
to take the bass. She never went
back to the class afterwards, and she
would hardly speak to old Billy when
she. met him.
"It was not much wonder. We had
her till she could not be
reasonable about it. She had begun
it herself, frightening any of the other
girls whom she caught out after dusk.
by hiding and calling their names in
big, bass voice she could assume.
"Your Gseat-uncle Zeph was the
cruelest tease of all, and he told her
hat she vas so fond of the BOYS that :.
'he tried to talk and sing like them.
t was finally such a sore subject that
when we wanted her, for O joke, to
initiate fsther's singing-which she
Gould do perfectly-we could not get
Ter to utter a note.
"When your G~reat-uncle Jonas was
'rdained a minister upon his 2lst
at Harrisburg, we were all
cry much excited over it. Father
nd mother, Of course, intended to be
resent, but we young folks could not
xpect to go. Travel was difficult in
he Pennsylvania mountains in those
avs, and they would have to make
lost of the trip on horseback.
Il remember the day they started.
t was early spring, and the roads
ERE badly broken up by a March
law.
"They had sent for Aunt Betsy Sell
MS and Uncle Silas to come and stay
18th us. The Sellinses used always
} stay with us when father and mother
ere called away. They were not re-
ted to us, but they had been tenants
fathers, and we always called them
Int and uncle.
1.-Two Of the boys had gone to mill,
i'd Zeph and the baby brother, then
ght years old, were out hunting.
"Mother didn't like to go, leaving
lst Barbara and me in the house, but,
none of the others had got back by
BON, she and father were Obliged to
de away or miss being in Harrisburg
morning.
'iBarbara and I cleared up and
.shed the dishes, feeling rather small
I'd quiet in the big, empty house. !
"Along about three O'Clock in the !
ternoon a Mr.. Greenough, who lived
ven miles beyond us up the road. {
me past and brought the word that {
ncle Silas and Aunt Betsy would be !,
'er-the next day! !
Barbara and I looked pretty blank I
aen we heard that. why, we ex-
'cted them this morning, I said. ,
Well, then, they got the word
'ohg, answered MI. Greenough, for y
ey understood that they were asked
come tomorrow. Does it make anv 3
eat difference !
oh, no., replied Barbara. with a .
Irning glance at me. we have our n
use pretty full as it is. We just ex-
cted them to help us through the n
.rk.' :
After he had gone she said: No :
ed to tell anybody that we and the
rs are alone here even for n night. n
feel as safe as usual if I was sure s
one knew it. And I nodded. 4
For some time past there had
q good deal of excitement in our il
ghborhood over the work of an h
ned band Of desperadoes, who at b
ked isolated houses, robbed them t.
! even, in some cases, killed the oc- h
'ants and fired the buildings. Ii
The mountainous regions Of the u
were the strongholds Of such Ia
Ids long after the more accessible 4
ton had been brought under sway
and order. =,
In our neighborhood, however, we b,
IN added terror. So much h,
'Wledge Of the location Of yalaables. 3,
temporarily unprotected state OF d
Ises and the habits Of the families
been shown in these attacks that 4,
as suspected that some. person or
sons living in our midst belonged 10
he gangs and gaze information. til
s,ur house would nat have bssn d