The Republican journal., 1908-12-10
At Cousin Persis Browns.

BY FLORA LoNGFELLoW JuRKNETT.

BY FLORA LoNGFELLoW TURKNETT.
have always set a sight by Cousin
Persis Brown, but Providence had LED
our paths in such different directions
that did not see her from the time that
we played together till our children were
men and women. Uncle Silas moved to
the far west when Persis was only eleven
and she married and settled there. All
of a suddin, last fall she and her husband
picked up and came back to live in the
old State like so many other have done.
Cousin Persis's husband is very well to
| do and those of our relations who had
visited the west brought home big re-
ports of the fine style that they lived in.
| Ned and me, we live in very humble
way and somehow | got in the way OF
thinkin' that Persis had all the nice
things that wanted to have but couldn't.
/ Not that | envied her a mite, but it
saw pattern of dress goods that cost a
sight more than | could afford to pay,
could see Persis going around in gown
off that very piece. Or if it was hand
some chair, | could see it standin' in
Persists parlor 1t was just that way
about the children too. All the smart
/ coats and bonnets that | could not buy
for them | always pictured Persls' S
Charles and Mirandy arrayed in.
As soon as Cousin Persis was settled
/ in Woodbury. she wrote me long letter
/ to say that | must come and visit her
right off, so | started week from the
! day l got her letter. don't know how
it happened, but | made mistake in
writin about the train, and so when L
/ got to Woodbury. there wasn't soul to
/ ic ifn
from the station, but there was carryall
would call it, that brings people up and l
/ got into that. 1t was the ramshaklest
old thing | ever saw and | got to laugh
ing so l could hardly speak when | reach
ed the house.
Cousin Persis had changed great deal
more than | had expected. She had
grown to be handsomer woman than l
had ever dreamed that she could; but
there was something about her face that
troubled me though could not have told
/ what it was then. She looked real dis
tressed at my laughing so.
What is the matter, Persis?' says |,
staring at her in amazement while she
united my bunnet strings. Don't any
body ever laugh around here?"
She shook her head dolefully. ''Not
often, Celia, life is too full of sorrer and
trouble for that" and she gave me an
other kiss. 1t was such lovin' sisterly
one, | knew she must be thinkin' of them
days in the dim distant past when our
mothers used to send us berryin' to-
gether and we used to sit down on the
first rock in the pasture and hug each
and tell how we never, never would love
anyone else as well as we did each other.
, Then she put me in chair at the table
and sat down opposite to me, and we
Just sat and looked at each other. 1T
seemed so good to be sittin' there. Then
she drew long sign. 90. Celia, l have
spent the whole day worryin' about you
for fear there would be an accident hap
pen to your train. You know one hardly
takes up the paper without readin' OF
somethin' that makes ones blood run
get chill too. One is so apt to get over
heated this warm weather and then to
sit in a draught. And | do hope that you
were careful about handlin' things. One
never knows what dreadful disease one
may catch. There was Sallie Parks got
the measles when she was thirty eight
years old and Sarah Wolf died from the
dipthery she took from a child on
sleeper
Good Land, Persis,' I interrupted
her; eff have been maxim you all that
worry, / might better have stayed to
hum.
Persists under lip quivered just as it
used to when she was spelled down in
school, and | felt ashamed at bein' so
outspoken and began inquirin' for
Charles and Mirandy.
Charles is dom beautifully" she re-
piled, her face almost bright as she dip
ped out the Strawberries.
He is in Temple University studyin'
to be minister. He has taken the
Pierce prize for elocution, but t'wont
never do him no good, Celia"
why, what is the matter?" | in
quired ana.iously. "You amt afraid that
Charles won't stick to his idee of pro-
claimin' the Gospil? l wouldn't worry
over that, Persis, for it ain, like your
family or his pas to give up an idee
when they once get It in their heads.
30, it isn't that, Celia, Charles is just
as set on it as ever, but | have pre-
sentiment that it won't be more than two
years after he is ordained before his
throat will give out, just like his Uncle
Lemuel's did, and then what will all his
elocution go for?''
w ell, IL L were YOU SISlS, says L,
kinder dry like, 81 would not worry about
Charles's throat givin out. What would
consarn me more would be whether his
idees wouldn' give out. 'Cordin' to my
observation that is what mostly happens
| to young ministers.
Just then the door flew open, and the
most beautiful young creature that l
ever beheld stood there, her saucy face
all smiles and sunshine 60 it is Cousin
Celia" she exclaimed, "How glad | am
to see you,'' and she flung her arms
around my neck and gave me such a
hug and squeeze, l knew that she was
one of them Collin athletic young women
like my Caroline. 1t flashed across me
kind of grateful like that Persis couldn' t
find anything to worry about in her. But
| missed it there. for no sooner had
Mirandy gone flynn out of the room to
speak to a girl friend that she seed a.
comm round the corner, than Persis
drawed a sigh that plummet couldn' t
have struck bottom in.
"You can't tell how thankful am for
you to see my Mirandy alive, Celia. You
must make your visit as long as possible,
for it is borne in upon me that the next
time you come she will be gone.'
"Gone?" says l. "Gone where, Per-
sis?'
She looked so white and shocked, be-
gan to grasp her meaning. Ipretty near