Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-02-05
AUNT .SiLhT'S NIFF.
RY G. 81. KsyD ALL.


Miss Sally Strong was peculiar woman
For sixty years she had retained her name
whch exactly suited her hard nature; and tht
man having he assurance 10 ask her to ex-
change it for his own, would have been Il rare
companion Tor CUMMINGS i'll his tiger hunts il
the jungles of Africa. AT least, no Que in the
! village of B. would dare to question
his nanhood.
She was one of those wha seemed 10 have
been born an old maid in prospective. Be-
fore she had arrived at her teens, she ussd TO
stone the boys with a malignent delight; and
ere she was out OF them her contempt for the
opposite sex was SO strikinely manifest,
that ali prudent young men, ii accidentally
walking upon the same sidewalk, 10 avoid u
meeting, would very quietly cross to the oteer
side, aud slow her the whola of it.
Yet size was privileged person, and people
would smile at IN ill>natured remark from ier,
as though it were a compliment. Even The
/ young minister of the parish treated her with
! marked respect, although he was certain 10 have
/ his last seiu!ra wonderfully criticised, in am
/ awer 10 kind inquiry regarding her heaIth.-
/ The secret of all this might bave been written
in three worGs-she was rich; aud even the
clergyman was woldly y-niuded enuush 10 5e-
sire 10 be ON good terms with one whu was the
largest contrioutor to his support,
Amt Sally, as the villagers universally cal
led her, had received the bulk of her properly
froa Il deceased aunt, which her shrewd hnSi-
ness qualities had enabled her to invest 50 al
vaptageuuSly that she increased in wealt ~
sue did IN years, and, like many other rich peo-
pie advanced ii life, had scores of affeciionaie
young relatives, who esea hoped 10 obtain u
large slice OF the cake Of real estate which
would be cut up in the event Of her decease
her cold grey eyes were TOO shrewd aost4
see through their eager attentions to the very
selfshness Of their source.
One nephew, however, did not belong to this
class Of sehemers. On the contrary, the old
LADY vas very often the victim of his iokes
and he would dispute with her inst for tie sake
OF having Il hot argument. Yet for any real
service, She would oftener apply 20 him than
any Que else. She had even loaned him sum
snfHciert 10 stock fine store, but still this
Frederick often aunayed and vexed her,
that public opuion-extendng no farther. oe
course, than the limits Of the villrge-was
equally divided to whether he wouLI be the
favo?ite heir, or be cut off with a shilling.
Oae evening, upon the meeting cf the parish
sewing circle at the house Of the Clergyman.
this nephew perpetrated joke upon his auui.
the result Of which he never forgot Size, u,-
like most maiden ladies', considered these gath
erings sort O. fashionable nuisance. hut nsu.
ally was present in order TO indulge in her sar-
castle remarks. Her nephew was there, ostcn-
si6y TO wait upon his aunt, but the fair lIucy,
daughter OF the worthy practitioner, DR.. Blood,
particularly allured him with her charms
-'Dld II ever occur 70 YOU, girls, what You are
here for2 said Aunt Sally.
| 80 he sure, aunt answered one of the
nieees, simply to make CLOTHING for the poor
heathen.'
80, in Sism, Burnab, and other like places.
Well, heavy woo!eu shirts are very servioea-
ble garmen;s, upon my word for the people liv-
ing unler tropical sun. They will doubtless
be very grateful for clothing so suited to their
climate
We'll done, aunt, exclaimed Frederick "a
good shot, aud 10 mistake. But these circles
are grand affairs, after all
sGrnnd affairs, indeed, FIR young men TO say
soft things, and silly girls to Iiston to them
Grand affairs 10 dispense the accumulated gos-
sip of a month Grand affairs for scandal mo
Wing, and for everything but the purpose they
profess
And aunt Sally looked about her with tri-
umphant glance, as though her charges were
unansYerable
ln fact, too many felt the justice Of her re-
buke to measure words with her. Even Fred
erlck agreed SO much with her in the abstract
that he was content TO Ieulain silent Having
achieved such a moral victory, the lady con-
tinued in unwonted good hu,nor during the rest
Of the evening
When the party broke Up, as Frederick was
taking leave of his young friends, with his
aunt upon one arm and the fair Lucy upon the
other, the old lady suddenly remembered that
she had left her maff
'0h, nevor mind, aunt said the young man,
4 will get it and send it up to you ii the
morning.
But do mind, Fred, for it is not my way
TO leavS things abou; in this manner But
where can it be, certainly left it with my
bonnet and cloak
Somebody must have taken it, cried one.
THAT is impossible answered another, for
aunt's muf is unlike all Others
That Is true, said Fred. laughing, 'as
barrel is unlike a two-gallon keg.' And he
gave Lucy mischievous glance, which she n-
tcrpreted to mean that he knew the wherea-
bouts of the missing article better than any one
else.
'lt certainly is not with any of the ladies'
thlpgs,' said one of the young relatives.
'Oh. plague apon you ALL. was the kind re-,
ply; | must hunt tup myself, suppose