St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-09-18

Tom will make the poets acquain.
tance, and invite him home to dinner
"And what will the little Annie
wear ~ said I, bending down to the
sweet but silent girl on the footstool at
my feet ''you will wish to captivate
also 2"
"As for clothes, my worldly effects
are something like Ichabod Cranes
portable in. pocket-handkerchief
and as / have no means of enhancing
their value at present, l must e'er
make the best of matters but as tc
captivating the poet, Aunt Dcbbie
would you have me try 2"
81 would have you try to fulfil youl
promise to spend few weeks with
me, now that l shall have this party
to get up F; besides, l have a country
cousin coming to visit me next week,
whom should like you to help me en-
tertain.' .g .. .....
ooh, with pleasure and / can come
very well, now that my aunt is stay.
ing with us. Mother will not miss me
while Aunt Ellison is with her."
That's dear obliging girl ! Now
don't disappoint me; I shall depend on
you" .. aa t-. ... 49,
Soon after, the girls left, and after
arranging the room, set about ta,
king up the dropped stitches of my
unfortunate stocking, thinking the
while of Annie Logan. You shall
know more about her, my reader but
first l must premise that, although all
the young folks of the village call me
Aunt Debbie, have no earthly right
to that title, as / was an only child,
and am now a maiden lady" so far
advanced in years that do not like: to
publish them. ! have cousin, how
ever, a young cousin, who is "a host
in himself.' Excuse me, my reader,
that neither you nor my young friends
in the village are to know more about
him at present. l never boast, my
reader, either of relations or acquain
tances, never! knowing that where
boasting is used it is needed ; though
1 confess to being somewhat egotisti
cal Just now SO let me return from
the snow Of age to the bloom of youth;
to one elegant in manner, cultivated
in intellect, noble in principle, and
beautiful in thought, feeling, and ex
|pression-my little favorite, Annie Lo
gan. She was poor, in the estimation
of the world, being the only daughtel
of a widowed mother, who was obliged
to keep a clearinghouse, and having
to teach music for her own mainten
ance nevertheless, in all that makes
a woman intrinsically valuable, she
was rich, abundantly wealthy.
had taken up all the stitches, fold
ed up my nearly finished stocking, ant
run the needles through the ball OF
yarn, when l heard the long, shrill
whistle of the returning cars. 1t re
minded me of Mr. Cutters Song OF
Steam" and, as l sat repeating to my.
self that most beautiful lyric, felt a
slight tap on my shoulder, and, turn
ing quickly round, beheld my cousin,
carpet-bag in hand. My only living
relation Did he ever appear as hand
some to any one as he did to me that
morning, when, the first greeting oyer,
l had time to observe him /! to watch
the cver-varying expression OF his fine
eyes, and to admire the rich chestnut
hair waving over the white, magnifi
cently-developed forehead l had
not seen him since my removal from
the country to this village ten years
ago, and he was then Il quiet, diffident
youth, preparing for college. Now, as
| sat talking with him, could not
help mentally exclaiming, again and
again-How muchimproved he is land
what splendid specimen ofmanhood
That evening, after he had drawn
my easy-chair to the centre-table and
placed a footstool under my feet, he
seated himself opposite, remarkins
how homelike and peaceful my little
parlor seemed, with it's bright light
and cheerful fire, to him, who had sc
long been deprived Of the blessings
and comforts of home. l sent for my
knitting, and we spent a pleasant even
ing together, my cousin and |, enjoy
i ing conversation frank in character
cheering in tone, and rich in old mem
ories.