cousin Winston

cousin Winston

fiction
edward w pritchard


After praying for what to do to escape his ennui cousin Winston following God's command
began to walk in a straight line from Alliance, Ohio to Salt Lake City, Utah. Walking ten to twelve hours a day carrying only a light pack Winston was going Utah to convert the Mormons to the true
religion.

I was very busy that Spring in 1874 with planting about the farm and the Country was in Recession
so I lost track of my cousin Winston and his plan to convert the Mormons.

A few years later I was at a business lunch at a tavern in Salem, Ohio and there was Cousin Winston with four local politicians I recognized from pictures in the papers. Winston was well dressed and talking earnestly but we nodded across the room at each other as we went about our separate business affairs. Still I eaves dropped a bit of Winston's conversation that day in 1880.

Winston was trying to convince four local politicians to back ex-President Grant for a third term as President. Apparently my cousin Winston had joined the Republican party.