The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-26

ly-one of those women who may become famed
for talent and beauty, or remain fragments all
their days. In person as well as mind, she is
totally unlike her family, being tall and dark
and thin, with decidedly Jewish features, and
great eyes that look like lamps in dark place,
or, when excited, CLEAN and fash like sheet
lightning.
Aunt Huldah's love for her must be very
strong, to enable her to put up with all her
careless, shiftless habits, which litter up the
rooms with all sorts of things, or tolerate the
various theories which she advances. Just
now, her pet hobby is geology, and we take
long rambles over the fields, she with her ham,
mer in her hand, filling our basket with "spe-
cimens," and, not unfrequently, her pockets,
until their weight drags her skirt from her bod
ice, or seat ourselves upon some rock, while
she enlightens my ignorance on the subject,
throwing out thoughts and suggestions, some
of which are, like her specimens, of rare beau
ty and significance, others mere worthless rub
Dish.
Some Of her notions clash directly with Aunt
Hudah's long-eherished orthodoxy, and it is
very amusing to listen to their discussions.
This morning, as We were sorting our "speci-
MEMS" something brought up the "develop-
ment theory /" and Rebecca, who had read the
"Vestiges of Creation was explaining this
theory to me, when Aunt Huldah, who stood at
the other end of the kitchen, moulding her
bread loaves for the oven, suddenly dropped
the one in her hands, and, turning round, said,
sharply
whats that you are saying, child? Men
grew up out of beasts!"
"That's new way of stating it." said the
girl, laughing, "but it amounts to the same
thing"
"And does any one believe such stuff? Do
your"
"Why, neither believe nor disbelieve, but
am, as yet, content to be a seeker; but many
people, however, older and wiser than l, advo-
cate these views" she said, glancing mischiev-
ously at me.
"Don't believe nor disbelievel" said the old
dame, contemporary. Don't know whether
you tadpole, or Eleanor, there, hoppin'-
toad?"
81 certainly could not make oath that we
were not, Aunt, as my own consciousness does
not extend beyond a certain point" was the
grave reply.
"Well, mine does and you were born in the
old parsonage yOnder, at six o'clock in the
morning; and tadpoes, take it, don't scream
as you did," returned the old lady, drily. "But
that is neither here nor there. You know, and
these folks know, that God created every living
thing after its own kind, but man he made in
His own image, 'even in the image of God crea-
| ted he him. not, mind you, in the image of
any beast or animal whatever, though Heaven
knows there are enough who are ready to act
like beasts" and the good woman returned to
/ her loaf, and moulded it as if it were lump OF
/ heresy.
"The likeness is presumed to be moral and
intellectual, rather than physical, Aunt" began
the wayward girl, "and these people would
take your last remark as proof of the truth OF
their theory. Some of them have spent years
in digging into the heart of the earth, and stri-
wing to discover the laws of existence written
there in the imperishable rocks, just as the
/ moral law was written upon stone also"
| "And the more fools theyl If the Divine
tables were destroyed, do they think to find
writing on common stones? It's downright
heresy. Digging into the earthl" and, un-
mindful of the mealy condition of-her hands,
she laid one upon the shoulder Of the girl, and
turned her about to the window. "Look there,
child" she went on, pointing to where her fat
old house-dog, Tim, was digging away, in a
perfect cloud of dust, at certain spot beneath
a massive stone wall, that separated the door
yard from meadow. cold Tim has dug at
that same spot, by spells, these two years, and
what has he got? Nothing but his eyes full OF
dirt and sore foot. animals! it does seem
as if some folks were born moles, and never
| got to be anything else. You can't-yOu-old
Mr.. Summerfeld's child, believe such stuff, Re-
becca?"
The old ladys tone of grief touched the mis-
chievous girls heart, and she replied, earnest
ly-
II did not say that l believed it, Aunt HUI
dab. / was only stating the grounds Of its ad
vocates to Eleanor"
"Well, what do you want to know anything
about such stuff for? l wonder how Fred
Summerfeld can let VIII and you read every
thing, as he does. 1t is enough to ruin you"
Erred. believes it best to prove all things
and hold fast that which is good He only
stipulates that l shall accept no doctrine OF
theory without discussing it with him."
~ don't dnow-I don't know-that amt the
way his father took with him." said the old
dame, with doubtful shake of her head, as
she returned to her baking.