The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-08
The Epeniae Stnr1
The Whistling Girl.


The Whistling Girl.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)
Miss Jessie Cook didn't begin to
whistle a week after she was born.
las she had other things to attend to.
I One day when she was q year and
la half old her mother blew the DIM
liner horn at thu kitchen door an hour
tbefore noon Her father, working m
1.-THE fields, knew that 1t Was only IL
loaclock and that aomstAtnE was
wrong at the house. He dropped his
work and started on the run, and he
Iaxrfvea at the Kitchen door with tust
breath enough to ask where the
ltramp was.
ut amt a tramp-it's Jessie re-
lplied the wife.
.Has she swallowed . spool Of
tthread?"
Come here
The child sat ON the floor amidst
iplaythings. but all Oe . sudden she
IpuckeFed her lips ard
/ Hear it," whispered the mother
by smoke. but she's whfs4Hng."
whispered the father.
And she's did It FIVE or six times
ALMOST a reg'lar whistle. Oh. Levi. IS
it a sign from the Lord that we are
goin' to lose her?'
Nav, Of course not. II she was a
boy I'd say she was goin' to make q
whistler. AS she amt a boy mebbe
self"
!. The child didn't die She didn't
teven come down with the measles or
whoopfng cough. She went right
tahead and developed that noise until
lit was an actual whistle At Eve she
| WAS the wonder Of the county.
y LATHE Miss Jessie was told that she
!. must not whistle. She had her ears
boxed and was spanked for Whiselmg,
bat still she whistled-
Il The family doctor told her that she
would die OF consumption II she didn't
, IQuit 1t.
The minister drove out to the farm
} to declare that no female could whis-
t tie and go to heaven when she died.
Elder Davis said it was bound to
: bring the grasshoppers, the potato
! bugs and a blight on. the corn and
oats 1t would bring evil the same
, as hen trying to crow.
And Miss Jessie felt just Al bad
about it as her parents did She
didn't want to whistle. She tied her
, handkerchief over her mouth She
INVENT about saying to herself that she'd
die before she'd whistle, and-theu
she found herself whisting.
There was nothing to do but let her
go ahead. As time went on and she
kept it Up no tragedies followed, and
!. the AtdIm TAtHef, l1e0- down,
When Miss Jessie was 1e her fathers
hired man ought to have been in love
with her, He wasn't. because she was a
. whistling girl. Three or four farmers
4 sons ought to have been coming three
. or four miles On Sunday night to spark
4 her. but their mothers had said:
DO you think this family would put
t up with a whistling girl? why, shed
drive us to the asylum in s month! Be-
: sides. she's sure to die of consumption,
and she amt goin' to heaven when she
q dies! You keep right away from
Cook,s!''
3 OF course. curing these long years OF
viduals from far and near had called
y with suggestions and remedies, 1t was
n suggested that Miss Jessie keep a dozen
D tacks in her mouth; that che wear 8
sticking plaster over it; that she begin
hummiEg every time that she started &c
whistle; that she draw her under lii
: down with a rubber cord, and about q
score Of other things.
The girl had reacheu Is. and was
lwhistling harder than ever, when q
2 young man came along the highway one
! day and stopped to hear her whistle a.
she churned at the open kitchen door
BY and by he opened TIE gate and wen
I In. He gave his name and said tina
by advice Of his doctor he was making
: a trip over the country ON foot. Hi,
feet troubled him and he wanted t.
n rest for two or three days.
But we have got q whistling cir
here" protested the farmer.
Il have no objection to that. I an
8 something on the whistle myself
= But if you both get to whistling a
2 once my old mare will surely jump tn,
= fence and get away!"
y Walter Delray lived in the city ant
could tell them much to interest an,
= entertain. When three days had passe(
" and his feet were well he fingered on
He and Miss Jessie had become inter
lested in each other. At least the moth
|, Ter had whispered to the father:
:, Say. Levi; have you noticed any
= thing
= Yes. it's a-gittin' ready to rain abou
= to-morrer."
= II didn't mean that, you big Ounce
= Haven't you noticed how them tw,
= sorter take to each other?"
= Mo, / hadn't
= well. they actually do, and true a,
: live he seems to like to hear he
!, whistle
= That's funny"
e And I'm wonderin' what it's goin
: to lead to-"
2 In addition to a few clothes in q gril
= the young man carried q musical in
t1ntil the fourth evening that it wa
II shown to be a banjo. He tuned it vi
3 and played an air or two. and the1
q said: Il want your daughter to whis
le tie some air, and not be emharfasse.
e by my presence. If she will. thinl
le we can surprise you
le 1t was the air of MY Old Kentuck,
/ Home that the whistler selected. AM
Q. the banjo accompanied 1t. The eyes o
y the farmer and his wife began to bulg
V In about q minute. and when the al
3. was ended she exclaimed: why, m,
I e0v11 fhaf,a vv1n43rps