The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-10-22
AUNT JANET's DIAMONDS.
IN TWO CHAPTERS.


' ous the taste is good, aud thu
s'oaes are particularly beautiful. III
rect'y you become my sons wife, I ,hal
gave them up to you.
lou wonder l should like to mart with
s"em az my time Of life! Tho truth is.
, ,or al their beauty, they afford me very
''''e pleasure; their sparkling brilliancy
recalls the saddest events Of life. i,
wants half an hour to dinner. l shall
just nave time to tell you the story.
These diamonds were a Gift from mv
Aunt Janet, my mothers sister. Iwas
iett an orphan at an early age and went to
I'VE Ut my Aunt Janct's. She had very
peasant house on Ciapham Commons.
with large stone garden; and she DOS.
sessed az excellent income, arising from
various sources. Aunt Janet was a
widow, and her property had been lef.
ner by her husband in her sole control.
She had no children, aud she brought me
up A. her daughter not that l was by
any means spoiled; in truth, l was by 40
means as great fayorite as little cousin
OF mine, Josiah Wilson, child Of nv
own age, who used to come and stay occa.
s.onally with US. On the plea of little
JOSIAH being visitor, was always forced
to give way to his whins, aud let him be
hrst IN everything. Even at that early
age, am sorry to >uy, began to dislike
my cousin and my dislike was increased
to positive hatred by his being constantly
held up to me as IA pattern child / be.
iieve that josiah was naturally b.tter be-
haved than was; but even at that early
age, could perceive tha. he ves ,a.,ic-
uiarly sly, and always took cs.s t. ru. on
his best behavior in my sunt's presence.
1 can recollect, too, / was constantly
punished for his faults; he used stoutly
to deny everything /; it was useless for me
to speak; he was always believed, aud |
received the punishment.
"When my aunt purchased these dia,
monds, josiah ana myself were taken as
agreat treat to the shop-a very old es
tablNhed jeweler in town. / was too
young at the time to know anything abou,
the value of diamonds. but | perfectly
recolect seeing the man in the shop
show this very set to my aunt for her
approval After some demur ut the
price, she gave him check for the mon
ey, and took the diamonds home with her
In the carriage.
at happened on that day that my
aunt was in excellent humor with me
aud while Josiah aud myself were playing
in her dressing room, she called me to
her, and put the diamond necklace on nv
neck, in order, as she said, to see how it
looked on another person. l was delight
ed at the glitter, and ran off to survey
myself in the glass. Ny aunt promised
me, in reply to my expressions Of admi
ration, that if | grew up a good girl,
those diamonds one day would be mine.
Therenpon, Josiah began TO cry furiously;
and he declared, with childish vehemence,
that he scouid have the diamonds.
81 suppose this ear ly recollection would
never have come to mind, but for Its con-
nection with subsequent, events.
GAS We grew older, Josiah was sent to
school, and We only met during his holi-
days. At these periods, he was always
spoiled by my aunt, and his chief amuse-
ment was plaguing and teasing me: any
appeal to my aunt Was useless, for she
always took his part When Josiah's
education was finished, he was placed 10
a stock. brokers' office to learn the busi
ness and to my dismay, it was arranged
that he should reside with u.
"However, matters did not turn out so
Us l had anticipated
Josiah, whenever we were thrown togeth-
er, was civil and courteous and though
never could tolerate his sly manner,
and the false way in which he always
trested my aunt, yet, VIC con;rived, on
tie whole, I, live harmonic iously together.
"At last, Josiah came of age.
how surprised l was, on the
of the next day, when he pre-
sented me, in the presence of my aunt,
aunt, with very handsome bracelet
As he was cousin, and we had been so
much together, l never dreamed for
that there could be any signiti-
cance in the gift, and | saw from my
aunts manner that she would have been
hurt had refused it. My aunt gave
grand party in honor of the birthday, and
/ was still more surprised to find that all
Of Josiah's attentions were paid to me,
although there were several very pretty
girl. present, who, l knew, would have
been nothing loath to receive the addresses
Of Mrs. Wilson's favorite nephew.
This most unexpected conduct great
" embarrassed me independently OF my
positive dislike for Josiah Wilson, my
feelings we're already set in a particular
direction. | was dreadfully distressed
lest Mr.. Huntly should fancy that was
pra,ified By my cousins attention and
then | found that my aunt had been
whispering here and there that my new
bracelet was Josiah's present. | would
have sisen anything to tear it from my
arm. and strove % much as possible to
bury it 10 nay dress.
"The truth came out next morning
After had read to ny aunt, as was our
custom, the lessons for the day. she spoke
to me in a serious tone. She felt she
was growing old, shs said in the event
Of her death, | should be LETT without
it vas the dearest visb OF her
heart to ace me Josiah wife.
II trembled at her words, for knew,
with all her kindness, that my aunt vas
Of . very determined disposition, that
she eould nerer bear 10 be thusrted.
II replied that Josiah's conduct had
never led me to suppose that he regarded
ma other than in tho light Of sister
.Ay., replied my aunt, ! haze talked the
matter over with your cousin, and ne
confessed that he hes liked you very much
for wears part, but that your manner TO-
Yard him has always checked any demon.
.tra,ioo Of his true feelings i then told