Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-01-13
THE CITY
COUSIN

fully. Still, i am tired OF reaulhe
continually about the annoying guest
from the country. Some day shall
tell my experience with city guest. "
Her caller laughed. Aunt Mary,
she said, you will never have more
sppreciative listener than / would be
at the present moment"
well, I think shall tell you about
It, my dear. Cousin Annie, who was
brought up on the next farm to me,
was my dearest girl friend. She mar
ried a Chicago man and for few
years we visited back and forth quite
regularly. Then troubles came IN
both families and we couldn't get
away at all.
Armies husband made great de''
of money. / think it did not change
Annie bit, for occasionally l would
get warm, confidential letters from
her. But, you see, different circum.
stances must make a difference with
the children. Her girls were educated
at fashionable schools and abroad,
while the country high school sufficed
for mine.
when my last and youngest mar
ried and went to the Pacific coast to
live, / was so lonesome that | sat
down and wrote Annie long, blue let
ter 1t wasn't week before she an
swered, offering me her youngest for
visit. She said that none OF her
children had ever seen the old neigh
borhood in which she had grown up.
and that Eunice was the only one to
send, and that if wanted her she
would come and try to take my girls
place for few weeks.
IF 1 wanted her! had never
wanted a girl so much In my life!
"Eunice was a dear girl, she really
was. But wealthy city and pros
porous farming community are far
apart.
81 had sent the hired man down
with the democrat wagon to get her
trunk, but he had to make three trips
before he got all her luggage. was
charmed when she stepped off the
train-she was so fresh and dainty
that fell in love with her on the
spot"
81 had invited all the young people
of the neighborhood in for supper
that evening so that Eunice could get
acquainted at once. | told her about
five o'clock that she would better get
ready for them, as boys and girls
would arrive at six.
"All the guests were in the sitting
room when she opened the door, and,
my dear, she was picture! dis
covered afterward that she had on her
simplest house gown, although it
seemed very elaborate to us. Her
arms and neck were bare-I think
none of us had ever seen a woman
dressed so before outside of pictures
in novels. She carried her train like
a queen.
There must be something in what
she calls 'poise, for doubtless she was
as dumfounded at their appearance
as they were at hers. Some of the
girls wore dimity gowns, but most Of
them had on white waists embroid-
cred after some newspaper pattern
and their best skirts. They were
breathless with establishment, but she
never wavered for a moment.
1T wasn't such an impossible eve
ming as / had thought it might be,
for she made herself very agreeable.
think the girls all envied her and
the boys were half in love with her.
loved her myself when she kissed
me good night and said:
"Cousin Mary, promise never to
wear these clothes in your house
again. You know that | didn't know
better, don't you?
"The next day the minister and his
wife called. We haven't imbibed
many religious fads here, although I'm
not so set as some. But the old ortho-
dox faith seemed new to Eunice.
She told the minister she didn't know
that any one now believed the things
he did and that she was inclined to
Buddhism, herself. She did so love
mysticism! I know the poor man is
praying for her nightly!
Then she went out violet gather
Ing with John Miller and | could see
that he was getting too deeply inter-
ested in her.
HE invited us to the Cemetery as
ISOLATION supper the next night. Eu-
nice was convulsed. 1t hadn't seemed
queer to- us to meet once a month for
a picnic supper and dance to talk
over affairs of our cemetery, but it
did to the city girl. The square
dances tickled her nearly to death
she had never seen any before All
the women we're busy getting the pat
tern Of her simple morning dress fixed
in their minds, while the boys were
afraid to ask her to dance, except
John, who didn't seem to see any one
else in the room. am fond of him,
30 didn't like 1t.
when she was ready for bed !
went in and had talk with her, just
as I used to do with my own girls.
She seemed really annoyed when |
told her my suspicious about John.
She threw her arms about me and
laughed and cried bit
"'Dear Cousin Mary, he said, what
a trial / must be to you! Now, you