Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-06-18
Miss Malvina's Organ,
Blu VIRGINIA N. Leeds.
\ Z II 4 X x /. 4, 4 \, !, Z

u was all on account of Miss Nal
v'na's organ. Ifshc hadn't had an organ
II would probably never have happened.
The dictionary declares that an organ
such as Miss Malvina possessed Is IA
membranous receptacle, the principal
organ OF digestion, in which food is pre-.
pared for nourishing the body"
Perhaps Miss Malvine's organ was n
nIembranous receptacle. There were no
absolute proofs to the contrary--but
that it was an organ of digestion was
simply Islander. There was no dges-
ton about 1t. 1t was indigestion all the
(. way through. The food that went into
1t. II it made up it's mind to remain,
didn't nourish her body in the least and
only subjected her to every kind of dis
comfort.
Taken as whole, this organ, which
for lack of confederation we shall call
ncmbranous receptacle, was a barrel
organ Of indigestion in which nothing
except torture was prepared for either
body or soul.
lthad lost oMiss Malvina friends, for
tune and husband. The former had
dropped Off one by one, on account Of
their pet specifics being rejected by
either Miss Malyna or her organ; the
second was fine musical talent which
she might hare turned to account but
for the same melancholy cause, and the
third was perhaps the most dismal of
ALL
Col. Wildss gallant officer, had in the
earlier days lost his heart to Miss Nal
VIVA, and would no doubt have married
her, but during sojourn In India he
had fallen victim TO n liver complaint,
which so disguised him with disorders
of the human machinery. that any
young woman possessed of so unpar-
donable thing as an "organ" hadn't
the rcmotest chance with the gallant
officer.
Miss Malvina. therefore, was simply
not in it ut all And so at the time our
story opens we find poor Miss Malvina
wretched, friendless, sickly and de-
pendent upon disagreeable old aunt
To be siclSly is bad enough without
being friendless, but to be both and to
have an "organ" into the bargain is hard
luck indeed.
Mrs. Smithers, Miss Malvina's aunt,
was detestabe person. She believed
thoroughly in the text thata fool and his
money are soon parted, and she obeyed
the text 10 the letter. She had plenty of
money and no heirs, but like all misers
she did not consider that she had near
enough, and she boarded it up for
Heaven knows what purpose.
She was in no wise charitably dis
posed individual, though the fact of her
giving q home to her orphaned niece
might imply that she was. But no one
would think so IL he knew in what man
her the home was held out.
Dear Mavina," she wrote. "As you
cannot starye, / suppose ! must take
you in"
And poor Malvina, whose organ had
rendered her meek and miserable
mortal, responded weakly:
Dear Aunt: AS you say, cannot
starve and so must accept your gen
erous Offer"
And when Miss Malvina arrived, in
company with goodly-sized apothe-
cary shop, Mrs. Smithers' acerbity was
by no means appeased.
Bother your organ!" she exclaimed.
ut bothers me-" returned poor NAL
Gina.
This exclamation and pitiful rejoinder
became an almost daily phrase.
Mrs. Smthers had not the slightest
patience with her niece's membranous
receptacle, and at every meal such NOR
tai enemies as hot bread pies confront
cd poor Malvina. The organ, naturally,
cried out against such indignities, and
Miss Malvina grew hourly worse.
Such torments as the poor thing
knew no words can describe.
Finally, to Mrs. Smithers' utter hor-
ror, the family physician had to be
summoned.
Nor was this the worst After pre-
scribing all sorts of villainous COM
pounds, which Miss Malvina's organ re-
jected with scorn, DR.. Calomel insisted
that Miss Malvina should come to his
private sanitarium, known as the Rest.
Mrs. Smithers was as one demented.
She fumed and ragged and almost tore
her false hair, for the board alone, with
out medical attendance, was $25 week.
But DR.. Calomel was quite as de-
tcrmined as she was, and at last, after
fearful struggle, he won the day.
Mrs. Smithers can hardly be said to
have given in graciously, for as soon
MS the doctor went away she flounced
into the miserable little hall room she
4 allowed Miss MaIvina, and where the
poor thing was having wrestling
match with her organ, apd exclaimed,
vindictively:
II wish that organ Of yours was in
Gehenna!"
Poor Malvina! she wished so, too, II
she didn't have to accompany it there,
but it was not transplanted just for
the wishing.
a A few days later, in fear and trem-
bling, Miss Malvina drove up III
DR.. CalomeI's own neatly-appointed
brougham TO the door OF the Rest.
At the time Of her arrival there were
only three other patients-Mrs. Weeks
chronic dyspeptic; Miss Paine, com
biuation invalid, and an old gentleman
who was bundle Of nerves
1t was against the latter individual
that Miss Malvina was particularly
warned, the slightest irritating circum-
stance causing him to tear his hair and
cry "Firel'
For a week Miss Malvina rested, lying
quietly on a neat little white bedstead'
gazing at ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS walls
On the eighth day she was 50 much I'M
proved that she came down to dinner.