Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-11-30

4
"Don't you take sugar, Cousin Lee p
Mrs. Carroll asked.
"No, ma'am," he answered. "Not
since see 'em maxim it at Barbados"
Justin frightened here were great sto-
ries for winter nights.
81 like you," said little Many, bending
round to look insinuatingly into the old
mans face. "Tousin Lee an me is
twins" she declared, looking triumphant
ly at the other twins.
And after supper she established her
self on her knee. The cats-cradle
changed into small sleight-of-hand tricks,
which made Justin look across from his
book-an odd volume of history.
But Janey did not glance from the rags
she was bundling together, the destiny OF
which had been turned from parlor car
pet to roll under the caves. Then she
got her geography, and slammed it down
as if if were not the book that opened to
her the romance of the earth.
"Justin," she said, presently, in low
tone, "where is Robinson Crusoe's is
land ?"
"It's pretty near where was cast away
once" said Cousin Lee, his old blue eyes
shining.
"Cast awayl Oh, tell us about it p
the children cried in chorus.
"Want to hear? Well, we were drove
considerable out of our course. There'd
been a-guess you may say seaquake,
sornewhereS to the southland. After it,
the floor of the sea, what there was left
of it, just rose up and throwed the water
before it, and when we saw that wall o.
water a-ruShin' and roarin', we hadn't
time to trim ship before twas aboard Of
us, and next thing we knew, we were
kindlin's. Yes, sir, kindlin'S An the
sea tossin' like mountains run mad.
never heard what become OF the rest Of
us, but mate and | were caught by the
riggin' of spar, and when we'd been a
day and night in the water, we were
throwed ashore more dead than alive,
and if the tide hadn't been on the ebb,
we'd ha' been took back TO sea, for we
hadn't the heart of crab TO struggle up
with"
"What you givin' us, Lee ?" said the
father, the tallowed rag with which he
was greasing his boots suspended in air.
Gospel" was the reply. "Tain't the
last time was shipwrecked, either. Once
our good bark, the Lovely Lady, laid her
bones on reef right amongst the Malay
pirates; and was never so scared in
my life. | felt the pirates'd likely mur-
der me, when trey got good and ready,
but somehow was more scared of the
typhoon that was getting in its work. A
Chinese junk sent the pirates to the bot-
tom, and saved Tom Perliter and me,
and we were took off at last by man
o'-war."
BY this time Justin had forgotten to
turn the page of his history-book,-here
was a hero to his hand,-and if Janey
thumbed a surreptitious leaf of her atlas
for a page of the Malay archipelagoes, no
one saw her, all eyes being bent on this
teller of tales.
"Well," said Cousin Lee, "l guess it's
time for the old man O. the sea. !
s'pose," he said, then, in another tone,
and with an air of depreciation, "you got
a shake-down for me somewhere, Cousin
Sarah ?"
When the mother came down the next
morning, the fire had been uncovered
and a new forestick and kindlings laid on
and lighted, the teakettle was humming
like spinning wheel, and a basket Of
chips stood ready for the blaze. What
a time she always had TO make the chill
dren pick up chips 1t moved her that
the old man should be trying to pay his
way by such exertion.
"You shouldn't do that, Cousin Lee.
with a passel O. children roun'," she
said. "And with your lame back and
ALL"
al mind when was youngster hoy
| Just hated picking up chips" he an
swered, "and old folks wake up early"
II was pine stick on which Cousin
Lee was whiting when he sat in the fire.
place that night, he by the light OF the
pitch pine knots, and Jauey and Justin at
their books with the dips of baybeny
wax which they had made themselves,
ignorant that they would have brought
the price Of a winters lamps and oil.
.'Why, it's headW said Davy.
"Ifs going to be bird" said Joe.
"No," said Many, standing between
the carver's knees.
"Its dogs head" said Billy. "fs
| Just like our Gripp
"Ifs-it's baby. Oh, oh! It's a
dollyP' cried Many, ecstatically ,as Cousin
Lee, Smudging the point OF cnlp, oIe"
what served for eyes and mouth on his
rude work. And wrapped in an old sleeve
of her mothers the doll went TO bed with
MANY. and rose with her, and sat be-
side her at the table, was named Arabellar
and thenceforth was never out OF hel
arms five minutes together.
"Don't you love rousin Lee ?" she
asked, waking in the middle OF the nigh
to clasp her treasure.
mo, don'tp said Janey. $50 tt
sleep - darling" for more soothing
word.
al do-very much," said Many. "H'
borned my dolly"
Cousin Lees strings were out OF nj
pocket again the next night, tied in mul
titudes of curious knots that little finger
reached for, burning to ravel, and that h
1 .:oI ,.,d ,,rtiad with marvellous deXterIt