Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-06-14
THE SILENCE OF SIMEON SAYLES.
By j. L. HARBOUR.
ssssF -zr zss =s q, ss-s 81 us ,E

Simeon himself haG never seemed
quite like other men. No matter how
true this may have been, his sister
Myra was thoroughly balances
woman, with large fund of strong
common sense, and her brothers freak
caused her great secret modification
aud distress, although she had de-
clared at the beginning of it: 'It will
be an actual rest to me to get rid of
your eternal scolding!"
But Simeon had not scolded "eter-
nally," as Myra felt obliged to confess
to herself in her reflective moments.
He was, indeed, somewhat inf rm OF
temper and sometimes gave himself ~
to prolonged fits of petulance, bus
there had been days and even weeks
at time when Simeon had been as
serene of mind and as compauionable
as any man.
He and his sister Myra had sat side
by side on the little porch over the
front door of their old red farmhouse
throughout many peaceful summer
evening, quietly talking over the past
aud the future. The long winter even
ings had often been filled with a quiet
happiness and peace for them both, as
they sat at the same hearthstone at
which their parents had sat, Myra
with her knitting and Simeon reading
aloud or euoking his pipe in peace.
They had nearly always eaten their
meals in harmony, and now, as they
sat at the table facing each other in
hard, cold silence, there were times
when, although neither would have
confessed it to the other, their food al
most choked them.
""lhis freak OF his is harder to put
up with at the table than at any other
place or time," his sister confessed to
sympatheticneighbor Sometimes
it just seems as if I'd fly. There he
sits as mum as grindstone. Some-
nothing was the matter, but L can
never Keep it up very long. I've tried
all sorts of little tricks to catch him
unawares and make him speak once,
but he won't be caught. One day
lust when he'd come in from the field,
7 smelt something burning so strong
that I said, & do believe the house is
on fire and ha opened his mouth as
if to speak aud then clapped it shut
again and whipped oat that abomlnaoie
little book and wrote, WHARF?
sI was so put out that flung the
book Clear out into the gooseberrJ
bushes. really doubt ii he ever does
speak again in this world, and the
prospect is pleasant for me, isn't IT.?
The two lived alone in the old reo
farmhousein which they had been l.
so wears before. They were wlthC,t
| kith or kin in the world with the eS
t ception of much younger slste
named Hope, who had married pros
porous young farmer aud had gon
t out west to live. 1t had beer tim
a of great sorrow to them when TN
$ pretty, young sister had married Henr
I Norton and gone from the old mouse
They rejoiced in her happiness,
: course, and were quite sure that HoT
had "done WE'LL" but it was none til
s less hard to give her up. =,
e She was only 81 years Old at I'll
s time and so much younger than NJ
brother and sister that their atfectlc
:, for her was much like that OF tath
and a mother for an only child. IhS
e. had lavished the tenderest love
a their lives on Hope, and their affectl.
st had not lessened by her absence.
the wears since they had seea Hope
ar pretty face aud heard her CHEEKY vol
ID they often talked OF her.
e. Myra had always stood as stro
a wall between Hope and harm or trout
n, Of any kind, and this loving thougl
IN fulness had kept her from writing
of word to her sister about their brothe
strange sileace.
to "I wouldn't have Hope know it
he anything" Myra had said; 1T wo'
ne worry the child 50. And there's
danger of Simeon writing it. He'd
rs ashamed to.
During all the fall and through c
on whole long. wretched winter the If
Ter willed Simeon kept his resolve not
speak, and decided shake OF his n
at or n written "No" was his reply
ers Myra's often repeated question, "Dc
elf Won ever intend to speak asain?"
ing One day in May neighbor, com
s? from the town, brought Myra lei
nat that gave to her troubled heart
mt widest thrill of Joy it had known
yh- many day. Hope was coming no
go She had written to say that she wo
to arrive on Wednesday of the follow
que week with her little girl OF three "
and that they would spend the en-
hed summer in the old home.
on Catching up her sunbonnet, N
ran all the way to the distant tlel
which Simeon was at work, holt
pell the letter out as she ran and cal
ting ont before she reached him:
pat 80 Simeon Simeon! A ,le
ont from Hope! Shes coming he
ON She'll be here next week with hel
my lie Grace, that we've never seen!
think of it Hopes coming home
not, Simeon was plowing. He RENE
~ in his horses with jerk and opened
only sbnt his mouth three or four ii
l re- but no sound came from his lips.
hese face wore a half-wi!d, half-fright
look, and his hand tremb!ed as he
} my it ont for the letter.
I'm "simeon! Simeon" cried y
with quivering voice and fearful
K in "surely you'll have to speak nov
his He shook his head slowly aud
I'd. to as he sat down on the rlow to rel!
the letter. lie handed it back in 81
and turned away his head VIII
90 tha saw the tears streaming down NJ