Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-08-15
])upular Gales.
From lAe Ls,lrs ,atuna Magazine.
AUNT PATTY AT HON +.
BY Mrs. Ann s Stephens.

You should have seen how warm anu
snug aunt Paly's house lookod IN the
winter the cellar Ylndows were al
,bank,d ny, the barn yard levclled down
with straw, aud The barn itself so com
/ plctcly crammcd that tufts OF hay and
uulhrcshcd rye proirudod through The
ercviccs of,hc great folding doors, aud
IN some places seemed almost fDrciDg
he clapboards ii"n their iastenings
II would have done yoor heart good 10
see The great goIdcn and crimson ears
I"f corn cleaning through the lattice
work of The gran house ! Then the
fat cows and lazy oxen baskiug III ine
sun aud chewing their cuds So quietly
aud contcnted, II wds a picture ot com
orr snd thr.1 that yoa wou!d have gone
icn miles to see, providing YOU have d
ovo for these things when you have
uf course, or you would fang auGi Patty
a-.Lo alter thiN first sentence.
Hall I dozen of Gs village girls made
I 4 kind or reAtenpordneous home viii.
aunt Patty. We spent ALMOST every
winter evening at her fire side, aud u
,omrrIrncs happcncd-l beg the readc'
to believe II was pure acc,lcnt always
that some three or four of the other sex
would drop in aud make themselves
quite at home also. OF course VIC wcro
very much a#tonianed al this coincidence
ioi taste and circumstance, and when
these strange thinps bega! to happen
Frequently, we became little suPer,lI
lllious, aud went again aud again to be
certain it there really was a destiny IN
1t or not, "A question that las not been
tho,ougiIy settled in my mind to this
day.
/ One evening it was freezing cold, aud
lliusi after we had assembled in the lous
kitchen which aunt Patty used in winter
AS a sitting room, a storm came up that
| precludcd all hopes of masculine society
that evening. The wind howled around
the house like an animal eager for its
prey f; hail and snow ratified against the
windows, while the irciful and half
whispered moaning Of The poplars as
they compliance to the rough elements,
came distinctly to our ears.
But what cared we for tie storm -
There was "A blazing pile of hickory
cracking chccrily in the great kitchen
chimney and japan tray filled with
luscious rcd apples stood on The hearth,
the fruit raellowing in the warm fire
light.
Our joyous company sat around the
huge chair SO completely filed by the
good-nalurcd old maid that little OF the
oaken back alone could be seen rising,
like half spread fan, above her broad
shoulders. We all had our knitting
work, but one or two only were busy
with it, Two Of the girls were crunting
apple-seeds and naming them Tor eact
other. One was standing up in front OF
the fire with II foot on the lower rounq
of her chair, winding a skeln of stocking
| yarn which she had placed on tie bach,
I after firing out swcet-tempercd girl
who had been holding it ill her arms
ached Another, Li2zy Parks, the NOS
mischcvous, talkativc, insinuating cree
turc that you ever saw, sat on the dye.
tub caressing aunt Paty's cat, who
erected her ears at every touch Of ina.
slender hand, and gave out a sleepy pG.
which would have made less excnable
| party drowsy to hear Now aud ,hcE
Lizzy would steal SLY glance Z us
from under her long cyelashes, and thcL
fall TO carcssing the cat again dcmureiy
nt the animal herself We knew whul
was coming and waited the event, fCt
when Lizzy Parks took 10 concUiatins
the old maids lavorito, il was sure
| preliminary to some request, which was
worry likely TO be refused unIoss great
tact and discretion were exercised IL
making il.
I Aunt Patty had been watching th' Sc
movements with pleasant CLEAN N tho
/ eye, and slight, eager curvc'o Of her
plump lips that bespoke hcI interest lr
the object.
!. "Thero girls exclaimed Lizzy, as
aunt Patty drew deep breath, pass
round the apples once more, and Thea
aunt Patty will tell us about Mr.. Snihl
she saw down in York. This is just the
night for it. Every thing snug and com
lorablo, and no danger Of the young
men dropping in to interrupt US"
Aun, Patty shook her head "No