Humorous stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
"When Mrs. Lupey was all done, Mrs. Brown took her turn and told us
some very interesting things about Amelia. Seems Amelia is so far
advanced in learning what nobody can understand that she can see quite a
little ways ahead now and tell just what she's going to do. She can't
see for the rest of the family, but she can see for herself. Sometimes
it's just a day ahead, and sometimes it's a long way ahead. The longest
way ahead that she's seen yet is that she can't see herself ever getting
up to breakfast again. Mrs. Brown says of course she respects Amelia's
religious views, but it's trying when Amelia wants to go to church, but
doesn't see herself going, so has to stay at home. She says Amelia just
loves to sew, but she can't see herself sewing any more, so she's given
it all up. She says Amelia's got a superior mind--anybody can tell that
only to see the way she's took to doing her hair--but she says it's a
little hard on young Doctor Brown and her, who haven't got superior
minds, to live with her. Amelia don't want to kill flies any more, for
fear they're going to be her blood relations a million years from now,
and Mrs. Brown says she never was any good once a mouse was caught, but
now she won't even hear to setting a trap; she says all things has equal
rights, and if she feels a spider, some one has got to take it off her
and set it gently outside on the grass. Oh, Mrs. Brown says, Amelia's
very hard to live up to, even with the best will in the world. Mrs.--"
Here Susan was interrupted by Brunhilde Susan, the minister's youngest
child, who brought the evening milk and the evening paper.
"There was a letter, so I brought that, too," said Brunhilde Susan.
"A letter!" said Susan in surprise.
"It's for Mrs. Lathrop," said Brunhilde Susan.
"For me!" said Mrs. Lathrop in even greater surprise.
"Yes'm," said Brunhilde Susan.
A letter for Mrs. Lathrop was indeed a surprise, as that good lady had
only received two in the last five years. As those had been of the
least interesting variety, she looked upon the present one with but mild
interest. The next minute she gave a scream, for, turning it over as
some people always do turn a letter over before opening it, she read on
the back "Return to Jathrop Lathrop..." and her fingers turning numb
with surprise and her head dizzy for the same reason, she dropped it on
the floor forthwith.
Brunhilde Susan had turned and gone back down the walk. Miss Clegg, who
had been regarding her friend's slowness to take action with
ill-concealed impatience, now made no attempt at concealing anything,
but leaned over abruptly and picked up the letter. As soon as she looked
at it she came near dropping it, too. "From Jathrop!" she exclaimed, in
a tone appalled. "Well, Mrs. Lathrop!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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