Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-08-31
MISS RoSEANNA
The Tall Clock.


kind"
Miss Roseanna Meggs lived in a
house OF her own-a very commodious
and comfortable one-on the corner of
the principal street of Brambleville.
She had but one companion, an anti
quated woman called Lizette.
Miss Roseanna's ancestors were
people of quality, and her house con-
tanned many valuable relics indicative
of by-gone grandeur; indeed Lizette
herself was little more than a relic,
for as she was very old and very deaf
and rather cross tempered, Miss Rose
anna had no excuse for keeping her
except that she had served all her life
in the Meggs family.
But the inanimate heirlooms, the
mahogany table and writing desk, the
cherry clock, the brass candlesticks,
the pewter plate and flowing blue
china, these were almost as dear as
life itself to Miss Ros, an ,a's heart.
Especially was the tall clio k priced
not only because it was old cherry
and a hundred years old, Ii a day, but
because of rumor that had come
down with it, to wit, that General
Washington had sat for few moments
in great, great uncle's parlor while
the tall clock priced, not only because
it was solid had been brought to
Roseanna's home by maiden aunt
who had grumbled at Roseanna's
board aud growled at her bed during
five years of invalidism, and died at
last, leaving behind clean record for
unamiability, but not farthing in
money only the tall clock and some
old clothes by way of compensation.
The fact Miss Roseanna never COM
planned or 50 much as limited that her
departed aunt's disposition was not
altogether angelic, is evidence of the
store she set by the tall clock.
1t is not strange that she was quite
overwhelmed with sorrow and chag-
rim, when, rummaging through a
| thest of old letters one June day. she
CHANGED to find little slip of paper,
neatly folded and innocent looking as
school girls note, but. alas, how
1eceivine are Appearances! The note
ran:
when am gone (Which am convinced
| mt be long. seein' I'm situated as l be),
wnen I'm gone want the cherry clock that
was Uncle Daniels, and that has the honor
| Of being cked in G.. Washington's hearn',
want to go to Sarah Maud Pitkins. and
nobody else. And to this will and testa-
ment hereby set my hand and seal uader
heaven this day.
'Jane Ann Meggs."
The slip dropped from Roseanna' $
hand, but she did not move or cry.
Through the open winnow she felt the
breath of the pleasant June breeze
and saw her log cabin and goose chase
and coverlets tuttering on the line,
and wondered in dazed way, if she
could be identical with the light
hearted woman who hung them there
an hour ago.
ooh, would rather part with any
thing else in the house-anythine
else!" she mourned at last ':And
that it should go to Sarah Maud, Sarah
Maud Pitkins of all people! If it had
been any of the other cousins --'
Roseanna's breast heaved and she
burst out crying.
Now every neighbours child in
Brambleville could have told you that
there had been fead of many years
standing between the two cousins,
Roseanna Meggs and Sarah Maud,
who married Pitkins. But though
everybody knew of the rupture, very
few pretended to know anything oi
the cause, and the stories of those
who made such pretensions were SC
contrary that no one could be be
lieved.
Some said that Roseanna had con
sideled Lem Pi,kins beneath the
family dignity, and quite unfit for he
first Cousins companion; others de
clared that Roseanna was jealous
that she had wanted Lem Pitkins her
self, that was where the shoe pinched
while large faction said that the
whole trouble had come from Rose
anna having said In Sarah Maud
presence that "she would never marry
man with such one sided, shamby
pamby gait as Lem Pitkins had.
whereupon Sarah Maud had fired lik
II fuse and gone off in rage that hai
never cooled since.
But whatever the cause, the fact O
! the feud remained. Seven years la,
.. passed since the cousins who ha'
, becn like sisters in girlhood -ha
passed pleasant word. Roseann
had never seen Sarah Maud's younges
child, though she was now past three
and us for tho others she barely knew
them by sight.