American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1859-01-15
miscellaneous.
A UNIT SALLY'S NJ U Fl
BY CHARLES NJ. KENDALL

BY CHARLES NJ. KENDALL.
Miss Sally Strong was a peculiar wo.
man. For sixty years she had retained
her name, which exactly suited her hardy
nature and the man having the assur
ance to ask her to exchange it for bis
own. would have been rare companion
for Cummings in his tiger hunt in the
jungles Of Africa. At least no one in
the village of B, would dare to
question his manhood.
She was one Of those who seemed to
have been born an old maid in perspec,
tive. Before she arrived at her teens,
she used to stone the boys with malig
nant delight; and ere she was out of
them, her contempt for the opposite sex
was so strikngly manifest, that all pru.
dent young men, if accidently walking
upon the same sidewalk, to avoid meet
ing, would very quietly cross to the other
side and allow her the whole of it.
Yet she was privileged person. and
people would smile at an ill-natured re.
mark from her as though it were com
piment. Even the young minister of the
parish treated her with marked respect,
although he was certain 10 have bis last
sermon wofully criticised, in answer to
his kind inquiry regarding her health
The secret of all this might have been
written in three words-she was rich /;
and even the clergyman was worldly
minded enough to desire to be on good
terms with one who was the largest con,
tributor to his support
Aunt Sally, as the villagers universally
called her. had received the bulk of her
property from deceased aunt, which
her shrewd business qualities had ena
bled her to invest so advantageously, that
she increased in wealth as she did in
years, and like many other rich people
well advanced in life, had scores of atfec
tiona,e young relatives who each hoped
to obtain large slice of the cake of real
estate, which would be cut up in the
event of her decease Her old gray
eyes were too shrewd not to see through
their eager attentions to the very selfish
ness of their source.
One nephew, however, did not belong
to this class of schemers. On the con
trary, the old lady was very often the
victim of his jokes, and he would dispute
I"ith her just for the fun of having hot
Fro",T2eTrt; Yet for any real service, she
Il oo ou'u SHY She apply to him than any one
iusieient n~V to EsSe stock a. loaned him sum an,
ibis Frederick so ofensSSOre' out sun
Rexed her, that public opinion4SSo an"
ing no further. of course, than the Tnlss,
Of this vilage-was about equally dr.
yided as to whether he would be the IA
vorite heir, or be cut off with shilling
One evening. upon the meeting Of The
parish sewing circle at the house OF the
clergyman, this nephew perpetrated =
Joke upon his aunt, the result OF whlcl
he never forgot. She, unlike most maideT
ladies, considered these gatherings
fashionable nuisance, but usually was
present to indulge her sarcastic remarks
Her nephew was there ostensibly to wal
upon his aunt. but the fair Lucy, daugh
ter of the worthy practitioner DR.. Blood
particularly allured him with her charms
"Did it ever occur TO you, girls. sal
the old lady. "what you are here Tor 2
"To be sure, aunt" answered one o
her nieces "simply to make clothing 10
the poor heather"
"Where may these objects of you
pity reside ?" -.
10, in Siam, Burmah and other lik
places" =,
"Indeed Well, heavy woolen shirt
are very serviceable garments. upon m
word, for people living under a tropics
sun. They will doubtless be very grat'
full for clothing SO suited TO their climate.
..Wel done, aunt r. exclaimed Free
erick. "a good shot and no mistak
i But these circles are grand affairs, aft
:, ALL"
= "Grand affairs, indeed. for yoApg me
5, to say soft things, and silly girls to liste
IS ~ theml Grand affairs to dispense u
:. E. accumulated gossip Of month Gra'
- - Affairs for scandal moving, and for ever
thing but the purpose they profess
And Aunt Sally looked about her with
T. triumphant glance, as though her charg
were unanswerable.
Ia fact, too many felt the justice her
i. kpbuke to measure worde '''u he
. len Frederick agrersso much WV" % re
in abstract, Al he was cOn'e"' .nch =.
MAJ silent; II Iaying achieved ch'..a !, u,
mora vic vicc>v. the lady continue" ,Ss rest
t5a a'eSSood humor during W.
{hen the party broke S;! ~ Pvoang frie"c
taking leave oil "'s sr,n and the
a L;s sant uPOu 7'ne ne /. old lady 81
'i'h NJ ,,,an the other. 'ns ns. had left
', .h@es e Lucy uPoa sbered that 'N' "
. ..s 81 d," m"a. mind. aunt" said The = y0'
d 4 ~ II w,il g.. It ana ''
IN he u'S'G,'n 40 mind Fred Strong ,...., a0t i
"Ba' az 10 leave things sSos' n
not my va Rat where esn It De
.uuer. ? With my bonnet and e. =