Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-04-06
Aunt Debby's Grss Visit to the Thea

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Aunt Deborah, or Aunt Debby, as we used to
call her, was an old maid; fact which she studi-
ously sought to conceal; and good old maid she
was. Now, Aunt Debby, though good woman,
did not possess any of that Puritan
ism so common with those who have outlived the
season of enjoyment. Well, once upon time,
it was soon after the Theatre was built in Nash
vile; crack company made their bow on the
boards, before tremendous house, and the whole
town was in commoton in consequence of the
wonderful performance of old B. Aunt
Debby had never been in the Theatre, but
all at once an earnest desire to witness play
seized the good old soul, the announcement of
which filled the whole household with unqualified
dismay, for my sisters, though devoted to Aunt
Debby, did not at all relish the idea of having the
good lady, with her quaint attire, as chaperone
in SO fashionable crowd as was won't to meet at
the Theatre; but her word was law with us, and
was less surprised than chagrined to hear her
express her determination to the play that eve
ming. At length the hour for going to the Thea
tre arrived, and Aunt Debby emerged from the
room, dressed in style which was decidedly of
revolutionary origin, and although it might have,
been deemed ssthe tip of the TOM at that day,
certainly did not come up to the fashionable mark
of the period of our story. Her head dress, the
most stsiking feature of the whole, was of itself
real curiosity, fold after fold of lace and muslin,
in alternate layers, being piled one on the other,
until it presented an appearance closely approxi-
mating to that of the head-gear of the Royal
Sue and Lizzie fairly sickened with horror, while
was so much struck with the novelty of the Won
derlul cap, that for few moments l entirely lost
sight of the very ludcrous position was destined
to occupy that evening as her escort; I was sud
denly called to full appreciation of my respons-
ibility by Aunt Debby.
"Peter," said she, 81 don't wonder at your ad-
years ago, in this cap, at grand ball in Raleigh,
it was the envy of all the women, and the admi-
ration of all the men, and am glad to see that
you are so much pleased to have your aunt ap-
pear in dress so we'll calculated to do her credit.
But let US go Peter we may be too late"
ssOh, aunt,'' cried both the girls, syou surely
are not going to wear that cap, are you Please
last. Sunday, it is far more becoming; aunt, this
is one out of date"
ssB1ess my soul ! out of date,'' answered she.
s'why reckon l will be out of date next Out of
date, indeed that's what comes of letting girls
think for themselves; pretty pass, surely, when
nv cap is called out of date !'' and the old lady
ran on until the girls finally made up their minds
hot Amt nabhv
would make no more mistakes that evening, for
the good soul, in her simplicity, had acquired a
wonderful faculty that way.
At length we reached the Theatre, and gained
our box with but one accident, which was, that
Aunt Debby, in entering the door of the stall,
(Which was never designed with view to the en-
trance of such tall bodies,) had nearly knocked
off her ssshako," mshap which elected from her
no other remark than her accustomed SBless my
soul %
Our entrance was the signal for sundry move
ments and remarks in the pit, which did not fail
to reach our eyes and ears; the words "Mount
Ararat,' 'Noahs Ark ssOld Sugar Loaf,''
and such like expressions comprising the staple
of their remarks, while all eyes were turned upon
us, some in amazement, others in riducule, all
of which was set down by our good aunt as very
decided expression of admiration; an opinion
from which we dissented most strenuously in ST.
lence.
An old gentleman opposite, possessed of an
opera glass, leveled it with great and precis
greatly alarmed the old lady, who having never
seen such thing before, was firmly convinced
that the man was insane, and only taking aim
preparatory to discharging double barrelled pis-
tol at her. By dint of earnest and long persua-
sion, at length succeeded in allaying her lively
apprehensions of personal harm, not, however,
until the entire house had caught inkling of the
merits of the case, and expressed their hearty ap-
probation of il by general laugh. The poor
girls hid their blushing faces behind their fans,
and verify believe would have died from the eff
fects of excessive modification, had not the cur
tain suddenly arisen, and the play (Which was
Macbeth,) commenced-alle eyes were at once di-
rected, of course, to the stage, among the rest,
Aunt Debby's, and in the midst of the noisy ap-
plause which greeted the entrance of the actors'
I heard her exclaim:
"Well | never did-who would have thought
that folks ud have the impertinence to show their
legs in that way :"
However. all went off until the death scene,
I'D to which time Aunt Debby had been SO en-
crossed with the interest of the play that she had
totally forgotten Ito my great satisfaction) to
make single remark. Then, as Macbeth, on
whose face was delineated all the terrible passions
which filled his heart, leaned over his sleeping
victim, with dagger poised in air, all the benev-
olent feeling of Aunt Debby's nature, for which