Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-08-06
Jnmber 49,
LADIES n~EPARTMENT.
AUNT Kizzy''-Again.


Oar ancient friend takes offence at our
commcnding her to the winning graces of
Old " Father Gripe,9 aud takes us to task
for it, and also for our general recommend
ations in favor of matrimony. 1t will be
seen she is great OBJ q scotland oh how
she ISLANDERS our ladies of the present day.
n. ACE
MISTER PR~INTER-Im surprised at your
timposin' on a pore lone widders %feelins, as
YOU did in tryin' g set that close listed ole
'widderer +" Fether GRIPPE" after me. / be
bound he's.some mean, stingy old thing;
buff he comes after me, l be bound he
goes away with a flee in his ear. I'd like
TO see him, howsomeyer, Jest to hear how
he'd talk--but you incident tell him So
Maybe he amt so mighty mean and ugly
arter ~.
Bk rally, I'm surprised to- hear men
talk as you do Always urging the boys to
get 'em wives-to marry-uarry-marry!
Tdlpg 'em many wondEfnh SSsabout
faithful companions, m5dt s~cares,'
sowin' On shirt buttons, and I don't
know what all. Tsay 1t! If things were
like they used to be, then they might talk.
In my raisin ! could gita wife what was a
wife Bat there amt a gal nowadays,
in my whole KNOWN that is fit for wife
How on arth can they be fit to get married,
when they never done nothin' in creation
but be an expense? They never did, nor
they don't know how to do anything but
sleep till breakfast; git up and hirt and
l..waa ~ x...w.a1 ,kc.t collin. o,f Ito
down on the sofy, rub snuff, read novels
and receive calls. Receive calls indeed.
This is what they call it nowadays, when
u boy goes to see a gal. In the good old
times, they called it by its right name
goin' a sparkin'. But I'll be bound if |
wasnhoy never would marry one on EN-.
And | know if the boys know'd how'no
count they are; and how smart the gals
aust TO be, and how nasty and filthy they
are; they never would either. For only
do think TO see a gal with IA mop big
enough to black shoes with GRAINED in her
mouth, making her jaw stick out like she
had an egg in it, while the nasty spittle is
running out beth sides of her mouth-loOk-
ing for all the world jest like soft soap run
,uing out Of the old leakin' soap kag my
NANNY used to haye--to see them draw
back their heads and daub away with q
great gaum Of stuff, enough to make the
dogs sick, and take their hankerchers, right
clean and white, aud smear it all over, try
ing to get the filth off their pretty mouths F!
.Isay, TO sec az this-oh, dear, | hardly
know how | feel for | have seen their ham
kerchers looked jest like an old newspaper
after layin' on u grog floor for u month, all
rsmeared from end to end. And mercy on
us! they think nothin' Of spittin, Their
nastiness right on the hath And upor
my word, Pvcseen 'em 20 to spit out door
aud let it fall right slap on the floor. An
If ever you did see a sight, here was one
And q, Jest let a buy uomr. How they Wi
slip and hide their old brushes, run for wa
ter, wipe their mouths on their hankercher:
and cram them, spit, filth and all, in thei
pockets, and then set up jest like butte
,wonldG't meltintheir mouths. And thel
dear me, how they viii twist their mouth
double up their tongues, hirt their heaC
about, aud roll their eyes Jest like "
seen II sick calf TO. And then th
novel they have Just red is $50 nice-so d
vine Such and such a one { is such i
t%eresting character Another lis so lf
like q, they weresoInSerested ? Me
cy on me, interested with such low-life stu
things that never did nor hardly CIV
could hoppen.-Dear me, how things ha'
changed. When Johnny use to come
see me we had other things to talk abou
We read good books, and studied abo
things that were some account. I'll
bound he never come and ketched me usi
snuff, or lyin' on the sofy, or readin'
novel. No, indeed, | had other busine
TO tend to. ] had to spin, and weave, al
help cook. And was some count, to
4 was healthy didn't look like a skel
ton dressed up in clothes, but was rosy-re
and had flesh enough to lookl like a huma
And Of c%yenin's, when / was done spinnil
johnny used to hold the breach while
Yccled my thread. | ~recollect to this d
how sly he used to look at me, and how
used to slip in a word when the old fol
couldn't hear. But, oh me, there is
use in talkin'-such days are gone. If
boys only had such gals to court and m
yy these days, as was in my days, then ii
might marry. But save me; if they
marry these slim, waspwaisted, snuff-eati
noyel-readiu', sofy-sleepin' absent mind
cross-grained, affectioned things that L
grow up, l don't know what will beco
of EN-, for they are just as much fit
wives as a calf is for a Judge.
AUNT KIZZY