Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-05-06


,ion. In a neishboring village, whose in
habitan,s. like tho good people Of Athens y.
were much given Z" either to tell or to hear
new thing" lived Squire 7. iaeciious,
good na,ured sort Of u body. whose Jo kes
are even 70, a matter OF Village Record, and
have been re.,old through various editions
from folio down to duodccimo.
Aunt LirIy was Deacon Snipe's wife's
si,,cr-a maiden lady Of ahou, hlty-she
went to all the mestings-kep, regular
account OF every birth, death and marriage
with their dates--doctorei all the babies
and knew every ydrb IN the neishbOrhood-
showed all tho young women how TO make
soap, and when they had bad luck, made
every child in the horse, cit eros, legged un.
al tho luck changed. In ine. she was a
kind Of village faeio,um-spent her time
in going from house To house grinding ou,
u girls, OF slander 70 each, as the occasion
required. but always concluded with {" the
way Of irin'sress1r is hari;" poor Mrs.
A. or d. (a' the case was) pity her from
the bottom OF my heart," or some other
sootins reflection. Aunt Lirry wa. alvay.
very fond Of asking strangers and oiher'
without regard to time or place {" the stat'
OF their minds how they employed their
minds" s.. The,, questions were gener.
ally followed by a string Of scandal, which
was calculated to destroy tho pace and
happiness Of some Of her best neishbor'
and friends bu. she. like other narra,prs
Of this kind, considered such intellectual
murder as either establishing her own rep
u,a,ion or as tho only mode Of entertaining
the village. and thereby rendering herself
agreeable.
Ono warm summer afternoon. as ia G
Squire wa. sitting near his Office door, smo'
king his pips, Aunt Lizy was passing by
rumina,ing on the news OF the day, when
the Squire broush; her suddenly to, as th,
sailors say. by " what's your hurry, Aunt
Liuy ? walk in" The old lady who never
wanted second invitation wen, into III,
Office and the following dialogue soon com
menecd.
Well Squire T.. have been thinking
this forenoon what useful man you might
he, ifyou'd only leave OF your lish, cOnver'
sa,ion, a. our Minister says"
I why, as 90 that, Aun, Lirry, a cheer
ful countenanc, consider as the index Of
gratefal heart, and you know what the Bi
bic says on that subjsei-' When 70 fast
be noE as the hypocriisi Of sad counten
anec bu, annoint thy head and wash thy
face, (Aunt Liuy began to feel FOR he
pocket handkerchief, Tor she was taker o
snuff lhat thou appear MOI unto men 4
fast.
Now there Squirc-,hats jus, what
told you-sOc how you have tho 'crPi"rs
at your tongues end what useful mat
you might bO IN our church II yol'd only
be doer as well asa hcsrcr Of the word.
Z" rs to that, Aunt LirEy, | don't sec tha
you " professors" a, yod call them, aro
whit better than am, in private. 70
spect sincere profession as much rs an.
man /: but know enough Of OV Of YOU
church 10 know that she s no bitter hd
she should Be"
At these in,ima,ions Aunt l.irry's it'll
black eyes began to twinkle she sat dow
beside tho Squire, in order to speak in a lo'
tone-spread her hankerchiei over her lal
and tapping her snuff box in true style, an
all things ia readiness for regular siege o
scandalum masnatum, che commence
fire
"Now Squire, want 10 know what yo'
mean by one Of our eharch? know VIII
you mean-;he tro'lop-l didn't like 8
many curl. about head, when she told he
experience"
"The Squire, finding curiosity was put
ting its boots on. had no occasion to ad
spurs to the heels, for the old lady had on
in her head worth ,oo OF them. According
ly he had no peace until ho consented to eS
plain wha, he meant by that expression
4" IN pirate this was dear word will
Aunt Lizzy.
"Now Aunt Lirzy. will you take Bill
oath, that you will never communicat
|, what am about to tell you. to any livini
being, and that you will keep l, while yo'
llvs as most inyiolablc secrct7'
"Yes, Squire, declare wjn, tell any
body nothing q. long as breathe the brea,I
Of life and III take Bible oath on il
there, sartin as ! live before you or anybOd
else in the whole country"
"well then, you know when went VI
to Boston a year ago"
"Ycs, yes, Squire, and know who wen
with you too--Susy d. and Dolly T. an,
her sister Prudence"
"Neyer mind who went with me. Aun
Lir1y, there was a 10, Of pa,scnscrs-Bu,-
but"
"None Of your butts, Squirc-Out will
it-iffolks will act 'o-a trOllOp."
But, Aunt Lir1y, I'm afraid you i
bring me into the scrape-
"I'vc told you over and over again, tha
nobody never shall know nothing about it
and your vile knows ant leaky-"
any wife! I wouldn't have her know
what I am going to say for the world-wh,
Aunt Lizzie, II she should know it,"
"wel!, don, be afcar'd Squire, ouc'
for all I'll take my oath that no living crit
ter shant never as long us I live, know q