Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-09-01
MRS. PERRY'S
GRIEVANCES
BY SUSAN BROWN RoBBINs
@NIo, the day of miracles amt over.

Va nj o, the day of miracles amt over,
and folks dream dreams and
see visions even now. You don't be-
lieve it? Well, I'll tell you of case.
''It was year ago this coming month
that l went over to spend couple of
weeks with Cousin Elvira at Marshall's
Corners. Now, you probably don't
know it, but Marshall's Corners amt
exactly the liveliest place in all the
world. They are mostly farmers there,
and a mile from Elvira's is a store and
post Office and tack factory. Oh,
yes, and there's a schoolhouse in
pine grove half mile from her house
the other way.
81 guess it was the third day was
there that l says: Elvira, who is it
lives in the house across the road,
and what's so much coming and going
there for? Seems to me there's some
one calling there every half hour
''Elvira she folded up her work and
stood up. Come along with me- she
says, and you'll see why there's so
much calling there. It's Mrs. Perry
lives there. Her husbands sick, has
been for long time, but he's getting
better now. We all think everything
of Mrs. Perry, though we didn't like
her a bit the first month or so she
was here
"I noticed, as we went across the
road, what a pleasant look the house
had. The curtains were raised quite
high SOS to let in a lot of light, and
there was one window full of bright,
clean-looking, blossoming plants. A
big yellow cat SEP on another window
sill and blinked at us as we went by.
/ never liked a yellow cat, but some
how this one seemed different, and no
other kind would have seemed so
cheerful.
"The minute laid eyes on Mrs.
Perry l knew why everybody liked
her. You know there's some folks you
just meet on the road; they don't do
nothing more than nod and smile at
you, but you somehow feel better for
seeing 'em. Mrs. Perry was like that
She want what you'd call pretty, but
she had nice clean-looking teeth and
her hair was tidy, and she had the
pleasantest cordial smile l ever see.
She had on a plain calico dress, but it
was clean and whole and fitted her
nice, and looked kinder stylish. She's
Just what she appears to be- Her
house was just like her; it was plain
and neat; there was comfortable
chairs, and there was books and a
piano.
"Mr Perry was lying in a reclining
chair, and although you could see that
he was a pleasant sort of person
- .ough, it was his wife that was the
one folks liked best.
"Well, we had an awful nice call,
and just before we went, Elvira asked
her to play and sing for u.s. She never
made a word of objection, and she
didn't say she had cold and couldn't,
but she went right over to the piano
and set down and begun to play. Now
I've heard more or less good music
in my day, and when l heard Mrs.
Perry sing | knew she want no or
binary amateur. Her voice want
nothing wonderful, but 1t was sweet
and true, and she sang with some life
and snap i says something about it
after she got through, and size said
she'd studied good deal and been to
some good teachers, but she didn't put
z on no airs about it.
After that first call. went over
there pretty often, and we talked to-
gether like old cronies. 1t was one
day towards the end of my visit that
we had specially long talk, 1t was
a rainy day, and Mr.. Perry was asleep
in the next room, so we had quite a
spell to ourselves. We'd come to a
kind of pause In our conversation, and
there want no sound in the room
but the clock ticking and the cat pur-
ring Finally. Mrs Perry laid down
her work-she was one of the busy
kind and we was both sewing-and she
says, with queer little smile: Aunt
Asenath, I'm going to tell you a
strange experience l had when first
moved into this neighborhood, / never
have told anybody but Alfred, and |
was ashamed to tell even him all of 1t.
"'You see. when he was taken sick
and the doctor said he must come
into the country. 1t was terrible blow
to me. I'd always lived in the city,
all my friends were there. and went