Nebraska advertiser., 1856-12-25
Original Gale,
Written for the Nebraska Advertiser.
AUNT HANNAH,
BY TOM TURNIP.
Marry would I-&Gbespeare.
BY TOM TURNIP.

InaC was the mOIIo OF AunG Hall
nah, and had been almost from time
immemorial,; that was the motto most
prominentin the columns of her memo
randum, for the last twenty years, at
any rate, and it occupied, at forty-6ye,
as prominent station as ever. 1t
was snare she never left unadjusted,
a sail in her canvass that she never al
lowed to be furled.
The title of "Aunt Hannah" had
been bestowed upon her more out of
respect by the surrounding community
than the actual facts suggested, for she
hadn't nephew or niece to my knowl-
edge, on the face Of the earth; nor
euer had. Still she was, not an out
cast, for she earned livelihood by
training the "infant mind" ofthe neigh
borhood school, which task she accom-
plished with wonderful facility, atleast
in her own mind.
Whether her social affections had
received a shock in youth, by placing
them for safe-keeping in the hands of
some inconstant lover, I am truly un-
able to say, though I rather incline to
think not; yet when she, in conversa-
ton, reverted back to youthful days,
she commonly heaved sigh or two
before the subject was dropped. It
seemed she had a general antipathy
for young folksin general, and "sweet
sixteen" in particular. In fact, she
was perfect sample of cold maidismo
in general, with the exception perhaps
that the strong hopes of future welded
felicity never "died in her bosom"
! "'Tis a long lane that has no turn
is the language of an old adage and it
proved, strange to say, true enough in
her case. A burly, red-faced country
man whose first ''better half had
proved to be his greatest earthly
treasure, was struck by the "charms"
of Aunt Hannah and considering that
she had for a sufficient time been,
~Wasting her fragrance on the desert air.
laid siege to her affections in so master
ly manner that the peaple, ere the
winter school she was teaching in the
vicinity, was half out, began to talk
secretly among themselves of the ex-
pected match.
He often came to the school of rainy
evenings, and benevolently assisted
her home after dismission, and it was
even rumored, brought his splendied
team and "brand new" sleigh up to the
door on certain occasions, alighted,
assisted Aunt H to a seat therein,
and then took rather suspicious,
"round-about" road home.
True enough, all these things
"wern't'' other peoples business, but
"other-people" generally don't stop to
inquire, under such circumstances, in
regard totheir gossiping right, and they
didn't tbis time.
Young folks, especially those who
were themselves approaching unfOrtu-
nate, unwished-for ''twenty five" seem
ed to have a particular interest in the
matter-not that they wished to be in
her prophesied situation, of course =
but because-well, they didn't eract7g
= know why, themselves, butt looked
:; so shocking-it was so horrid to think
J. of!
Now Hannah was too much occupied
in-matters of Importance to herself tc
heed all this storm of outraged gossip
even if she had heard it--which is not
the easiest thing in the world, when
ones ears are filed Hohock-fulT' oi
''loye-talk'' k''-and she went on with hel
school, and her life about the same as
: usual.
Winter passed, spring came, and
with it the seeming ripening Of exist
ing affection. Her school closed, hel
purse opened, and emptied its content,
: into the drawer of thevillage merchant
In exchange for 'ichangeable" silk anC
+ unsullied satin. A corresponding effec
was produced upon her heart, ready
to be completely tflled-as soon a
,, Neighbor S.. could obtain
''Iccnse,7 and a parson to execute th,
document.