The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-08-27
= - - 49, Iiss-al..a
AMT SYLVIA.
THE SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY.
BY BErriE Isle.
lrrnu the Ml.souri Dsuaeers,l

little v-lla danced round the room in nj
ec.tacy Of delight.
1.-TWO dead pigs and aunt Sylvia Why
Nella, what a curious child you are DO y
down and be still How You act =
"Wcll, I'm 20 glad I'm So glad =
well, I amt | wish she'd never com,
here. Nancy Nancy come and sweep NJ
the hearth take those things of the Sofa
put Tom shoe, in the cupboard. Dear me
what a lix this room - in :"
"None Of my fault" said the vexed
maid.
Nobody said 1t was Hurry now Tia,
first thing will lc lecture from the hateful
old thing, with her old drc>, and old fashion,
! ell way"
/ So sail Mis- Minnie Stirling a. she step.
ped To the glass and adjusted her pull, that
stood above Der temples like wings. Her
dark, flashing eye CLEANED with seorn, and
her lip qnls"red in an expression II still fur
Their feeling of disgust But whatever II
might Lave hccn, there was not tim. u
/ give i; yoice TOR IN stumbled aunt Sylvia
hearing eicsg bundle, and loaded down
with cloak. a,.l ,lawls and an umbrella.
Lo'd a M cried cut the old lady in
a cheerful tol.y, I'm cen Just out Of
1
| on earth didn't you come and take my bun
dle, ami thng,l'
How did know that YOU wanted bun
dies and things taken p said Miss Minnie,
with toss 81 her puiis, a she coely gave
Aer fingers end TO aunt Sylvia.
Aunt Sylvia heard the tones Of her voice
aud turning, looked her full in the face, and
then sat down with deep sigh TO take OIL
her things, and Miss Mimi, slipped from
tie room. what ON earth ails Molly,
aid she, :" she used to come bounding just
like veila, running 10th hands into aunt. :
pockets, and nobody like aunt Sylvia. But
shes a stiff as poker now body would
s'po-e she'd never known me in the wide
world. Where's your INA, Nella r.
She's down stars, aunty, helping Nancy
get dinner. 'spcct Minnie i. mad 'can~,
YOU called her Molly. Sh. says, if Tom calls
her Molly any more she'll strike him. Since
she's been t. the seminary she makes us
call her Minnie, and all the girls letters call
her Minnie, and she says that Nancy must
call her Ms Minnie. But Nancy says she
won't and she'll e. oif and leave mother If
Minnie don't quit acting . big. Would
you, aunt ~
Well, reckon, like enough But run
down and tell her aunt SYLVIA
oh, | am 40 glad" shouted the goldon-
haired FAIRY and away she ran to cali her
mother from the kitchen.
Well, now. ii that don't beat all - said
the good old Lady, a. she rc-tied her cap
strings, and put baca smoothly a stray lock
ot silver hair the wind had tossed upon her
iurrowed brow. Little did think, when
] put the first slip in that little season-faccd
thing, seventeen years ago this very DAY,
and named her Molly, after our own dear
mother, that's dead and gene 10 heaven,
that she would grow up t. be such a iinr
lady that she would NC ashamed vi her own
liamc, and II her aunty Too liut that's the
way things 81 nov -a-day :, and suppose We
ianst take II a u comes. oh, dear. oh,
dear Times have changed since wa
young And she took out her knitting,
pinned the old-iashioncd sheath To her side,
made Of the top of \ dacss head and quill
tIom las wing, and went vigorously Ia work
of course they ought Ia change rcsum-
ell she, after she had adjusted her work
right sixty seven years j. long, long
| while. And musing solemnly on it, length
II days, she knit ON Ia silcnce, till her young
60 sistcr--twenty five years Younger thar,
hersclf--inadc her appearance. She greet
I'd aunt Sylvia with long and warm cm
brace, apolosixing for her delay. hut she
was just stuiiing the turkey FIR the birth
day dinner, Nancy. who had always been
- good, had got put nut, aud did not seem
willing to do anything that day.
Aunt Sylvia sighed. picked up the stitches
she had dropped in her hurried embrace hut
aid nothing. Little Nella had told her all
IA few thoughtle-s words AZ length the
birthday dinner was announced, and Miss
Minnie Stirling. a. she was called. appeared
tile well-slrcsse,l heroine of the .ias, with
hen gay companions. But aunt Sylvia, with
her queen cap, her "ld gown, her checked
apron, emhitterod all her joys-espeeially
a. Ebert Icnton. the promising Young law
yer. who seemed Charmed with her beauty
and accomplishments, was e. make one II
the party.
The young folks were all seated n the
table when aunt Sylvia made her appear
ante, clean and neat 10 scrupnlousness Her
clear complexion, her benevolent face. her
s"it gray eye iul! q overlooking tenderness.
her smooth hair laid back in s,lsers white.
mess over her high bread temples, might
Lave won respect from the queen But the
silly Mis- Ellstonc could not forbear gig
Gle - she stumbled little On the odd step
at the door, and exclaimed in her antigua
ted language, Lo'd massy, shall break
my neck
Molly's face was crimson with shame, not
for her friends, ~ il should have been, but
Tor the supposed degradation that fell upon
her, because II her old aunt. Ebert Fenton
saw il all. a chill ran over hi. feelings. -
lie was thinking ri his aged grand-mothsT,
away, away over the great ocean, who hal
watched his childhood and taught him all
the true lessons of life.
After dinner, when they retired TO the
parlor, Molly found an occasion to whisper,
loud enough f.r fenton Ia hear. "She'- an
odd old thing ] never could bear her.
fenton shuddcred Her hitherto beautiful
lace was strangely changed, and he thanked
liis stars for that very night be had intend
ed 60 have proposed Presently, while oil
were in n high glcc over some passing Jest,
in came aunty Sylvia leaning on the arm II
her brother-in-law. lie seated her m an
armchair. The mirth vas all hushed, for
every one saw at glance poor Mollys die
| trcss. There was silence for q few seconds.
What makcs you all - still ~ a<ked the
old lady, drawing out her intcrrninable knit ;
NVIA.
"Oh, we're waiting for you to tell Us a
story, aunt Sylvia, said another bright-eye.l
girl called Bette Linden. You know
what nice stories you used 20 tell Molly and
! long years ago, when we sat on our stools
under the great elm, while you spun your
| yarn upon the little wheel. II was so fun
ny TO see yon spin wool upon the little
wheel and make your smooth glossy wors-
teds. DO you remember, aunt Sylvia 2''
Oh yes, Bette, remember il all a.
well as IL il were yesterday and seeing YOU
all here celebrating Molly birthday, makes
me remember things longer back than that
way back 20 the day was seventeen
Oh, tell us about thp-. old times cried
the Young folks, gathering round. Miss
Minnie Stirling Bit her lip, and retired to .
divan little apart from the rest, and by .
well-timed remark aud nod, brought Ebert
To her side.
Oh aunt Sylvia, do do was echoed
through the group--all but the proud girl,
who should have been the first TO make the
request.
| III ! tell you story said aunt sylvia,
somewhat changing her tone, must tell
one to suit myself and in my own way"
oh, yes, yes, your own way
Fifty years ago. she began, taml her
voice lost its qucrcious tone Of age, aid she
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