The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-03-08
A Temporary Exchange.
BY JAMES BUCKHAM

VT WAS 8 o'clock of a Saturday
morning in February when Mr..
Il and Mrs. Stone dove out OF
their farmyard and took the
road northward. The crisp snow OF
the highway, packed and polished by
weeks Of good sleighing, creaked
under tie runners of their "cutter. VI
and the sun was shining gloriously
over the wooded hills to the east
ward.
The Stones were going to spend
Sunday with t'Cousia Maria" Stones
second cousin, and the object of Mrs.
Stones admiration and envy. She
declared that there was no house like
Cousin Maria's, and no domestic con-
veniences and advantages like those
she enjoyed; that nobody wore such
beautiful clothes, or had such good
things to eat, or commanded such re-
sources to ''do with"as Cousin Maria.
In short, Mrs Amasa Stone, who had
not been great while married. and
who had one of the incest little farm
houses in the country, as we'll as one
of the best and most devoted usbands
In the world, was somehow victim of
that most disagreeable and distress
ing malady envious discomfort; and
the immediate occasion of it was
Cousin Maria If she could only ex-
change places perhaps not husbands,
but everything else) with Cousin
Maria, how happy she would be!
Cnriously enough-by that strange
irony of fate which we often see crop
ping out in human life-Cousin Maria
felt the same way toward Mrs. Stone.
She secretely, but sincerely, envied
the little woman with the big devoted,
loverlike husband and the model farm
house overlooking one of the most
beautiful and productive valley farms
in New England. eff I could only
keep house like Cousin Ella!" shs
would sometimes say to her husband;
and then she would add to herself,
perhaps I might if I had as nice a
house and the things to do with that
she has
Sincere and cordial envy does not
make people dislike each other, by
any cans; and it was natural enough
that Mrs. Stone and her cousin, Mrs.
Holmes, should enjoy visiting each
other and thereby adding fresh fuel
to their mutual admiration. They
travelled back and forth on these social
exchanges good deal, and their hus-
bands, who liked each other land each
others fare. by the wayl, were never
averse to driving over" for days
outing. The two farms lay some 20
miles apart, in different townships,
and about midway between them was
q village. where the Stones and the
Holmeses each had special friend,
with whom it was convenient and
pleasant to stop for dinner while
going a-visiting.
The sleigh bells rang cheerily and
the miles rapidly fell away behind the
Stones cutter this February morning,
as they drove along toward Hydeville,
the half way village. 81 hope nothing
viii happen to the stock or the hens,
over Sunday" said Mr.. Stone.
.sOh, don't worry about that!' e1-
claimed his wife. ''You spoke to
Leonard, as usual, didn't you?"
eyes, I asked him to fodder once
Z day and attend to the milking. But
he lives quite little piece away. and
if it should come on to storm
''StormT Look at the sky!" e1-
claimed Mrs. Stone, with a scornful
laugh. 81 declare, if you aren't the
greatest man to worry over nothing"
It was still gloriously pleasant
when they reached Hydeville, at IL
o'clock, and they stopped there two
full hours. As they again took the
road, at l o'clock, they noticed that the
sky had become slightly flmy, but as
it frequently does cloud over thus TO-
ward the close OF fine winter day
they were neither surprised nor dis
turbed. At o'clock, however the
wind began to rise, the sky grew more
overcast, and before long was splitting
sharply out of the northeast
"What do you think about storm
now?" asked Mr.. Stone.
'.Drive along and get there as quick
as you can, ''was his wife's only reply,
as she gathered the buffalo robe more
tightly about her.
When they reached the Holmes
farm, at about 4 o'clock, the wind was
bowling and the Snow driving across
the landscape in sheets. Mrs. Stone
got out at the side entrance and
plunged shiveringly against the door,
but tnrned at once to her husband
with look of surprise and consterna-
ton. The door was locked! So were
the front door and the kitchen door,
as they speedily discovered.
They're away from home" an
uouuced Mr.. Stone.
They've gone visiting" groaned
his wife. ooh dear! do you suppose
it's possible they've gone to visit us?'
Shouldn't wonder a bit," replied
Mr.. Stone. ''Come to think of it, I
heard mans laugh when I went over
to the store in Hydevil!e that sounded
like John Holiness. But I couldn't
tell where it came from. and couldn't
see anybody that looked like him, so
gave it up"
ssGoosel" cried Mrs. Stone. "He
was probably over at Jason Soper's,
where they always stop out in the
barn, like as not. If you'd only men
toned it! Well, We must just make