The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-30
NO. 339.

ah Dut the eouee pot ana the few dishes. ana
the old horse.
neighbor Of hers, whose wife was sickly
was going to move 10 the West, where il was
said the corn grew 50 high that the farmers
had to have ladders TO gather it-that custard.
grew on bushes, and that when the wheat was
I planted, the loayes Of bread grew of them
selves.
Aunt Caty didn't believe all this but she did
believe that the land was richer and cheapc,
than where she then lived and that by hard
work and economy she might hope to earn 81
home in the strange country
She might assist the DeighbOr " no v as going
West inasmuch AS his wife was sckv and NOT
able to sit up all the time she would therefor
lend her horse, and do the cooking and ak
care of the sick woman, who had not mucL
heart to go to the new country. when she mari
Of he time had to lie on the bed in the WAGON
She never lived to get 10 her new home, have
heard Aunt Caty say but one night ia the
/ midst Of the thick wood afar from her liyirg
friends and the graves Of her fathers, died. and
was the next day buried beneath an old ma
jestic oak.
Coming from Massachusetts, or New Jersey
to Ohio, IN those days, was no pleasure trim
and where there are towns and cities and vii
lagos now, it was all one dense wilderness
and, instead OF railroads and turnpikes there
was but FAINT track through the bushes. and
around the logs, and up and down the steer
hills and days and days the traveller passed
no clearing and no settlers cabin.
Many time, when some one was comnlain
ing OF hardshps, ! have heard Aunt Catv cav
they didn't know anything about il: and then
she would tell what she had seen and known
and, amongst other hardshps, she ALWAYS rec.
koned the journey to the West But, even in
relating the trials of that hard time, she always
contrived to throw in some light, and when she
had told how her shoes failed and her feet bis
tered with walking, ard how the coffee and the
ham and the sugar gave out one by one, she
would say it was not so bad after all and fit
had not been for oil these things, and if the
woman had not been sick, and if her horse had
not worn down, and if the wolves had not
howied so at night they might have had
pretty good time.
Many time we have held our breath to
listen when she told of how an Indian came "a
their camp one night and stole her red wooden
shawl, that was spread over the three sleeping
children, and that she saw him by the log-heap
hre and was afraid to speak though she was
wide awake. We could hardly believe that
Aunt Caty had ever been afraid of ANYTHING
| for she was woman Of great courage and
energy of character.
The house was almost in sight of ours
though Mr.. Flagg's great house and farm
were between hers and ours for | come back
now to the time when she made the visit which
mentioned some time ago.
Her prosperity had been equal to her expec-
tations; and 10 the course Of years she had
bought and paid for twenty acres of land: add
ed to the cabin which she built at first front
room, with a chamber above where slept her
Iannbtar ha ntIa IL.
She had also obtained four good cow, and own.
ed flock of ten or dozen sheep and more
| turkeys and geese and chickens than we could
count Her old horse that she brought to the
country with her wac long since dead, and aunt
Caty had not found occasion to supply his
place, rs she said everybody was willing TO
hsR her u when she s hsRsd hsrre and ANY
why, she could ride with Mr.. Flagg's man, Bill
IT, Just as we'll as not
Almost everybody, indeed felt indebted TO
her for some good turn or other, and was glad
of the opportunity TO serve her.
But when all aunt Caty's good qualities were
told, and amongst them WAS her kindness in
> times of sickness and death, folks said it was
, pity that she would talk 20 much. | suspect
r now they meant that she said things sometimes
1 which she had better not have said.
> She was Well acquainted with the doings Of
all the people in the eighborhood no one was
ailing but that aunt Caty was sent for, and no
one got new dress but that Nancy helped 10
make It, and no marriage took place but that
aunt Caty and Nancy got tho supper, and
knew the color and the cost of the bridal dress
first of all
1t was very hard to know any news and not
tell aunt Caty of il, it did her so much good
II Mr.. Brown had sold his spotted COW, and
bought red one instead, it was something 10
tell her, and she would amusc herself and you
for an hour in specializing upon it. 10 the first
place. what the spotted cows faults could have
been, whether she was getting old, or whether
she went dry too long or whether she made
white butter or too little Of it, or whether no
had got little more than she worth and could
buy the red one for little less than che was
worth, and 40 on. Then she would suggest rem.
edes for all the imaginary faults--if she went
dry too long he should have aript and stript the
last drop, il she made white butter he should
have fed her yellow meal, and If she sucked
| herself he might have tied a thorn on her nose
but after all, she would say in conclusion, sho
supposed Mr.. Brown knew his own business
Aunt Caty liked to talk and must talk Of what
she knew; and AS she knew more about her
neighbors than she did of the affairs of nations
they interested her more.
| She was not merely an idle gossip, and sci
dom found fault with things that were not real
ly very faulty.
"Wben thing is true, and everyb body knows
it's true" she used TO say, whats the use Of
everybody pretendipg to everybody. !, for one,
say what think
Having asked if she had come 40 often as To-
wear out her welcome, (she came about twice
q ycar) aunt Caty set down her little wheel
/ A. Iol h. ,,, H.. IL
fresh water, and hanging her cap on rose
bush, washed her face and hands Cor she said
she was as hot as bake-ovcn, and felt as il
she had bushel Of dirt on herself This done
che took off both shoes and stockings and hay
ing hung them over a nail on the porch, un-
knotted her fax and began the afternoons
work for it was not uncommon for her to
bring her little wheel with her at the time OF
spinning.
IL was one Of aunt Catys boasts that she had
Hfty fine linen sheets in the house that she had
spun with her own hands; and that these had
all been made in her new home, for that when
her husband died il took the last one she he d
for the burying. After aunt Caty had spun
for an hour, talking busly all the time of the
new dresses Nancy had been making, and what
colors they were, and how much they cost, and
Of who had made gardens, and Of how many
rows of peas this one had planted, and how
many onion beds that ono had put ont she ask
ed me II would fill her gourd-for on her dis
taft there hung little yellow gourd, with a
string for bsi---which she kept filled with
water TO moisten her thread and make Il
spin smooth.
Whes returned with the gourd OF water
she was evidently talking on some more inter
ssting theme than had yet been discussed.
"May be il will be 70, | don't know" she
, said, "but from what ! have seen ! wouldn'i
| like 10 have boy of mine there, II was dead ,
!, wantedto know very much what aunt Caty