The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-04-24
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NV Second Aunt Kelsey.

NV Second Aunt Kelsey.
Ny grandfather died when | ives young, SO
very young, that my memory almost fails as
it reaches back into those dim years. can
but Just remember his white hairs; his cane,
his shoe buckles nd the sixpene worth of can
DIV that was the invariable expectation, and
never vain one, of US little folks, on every
holiday. ....-s ..
The wheat was ripe and the reaper came.
My grandfather died, and my grandmother was
left in her old home, with one grown up daugh,
ter, who of course, was no other, and could DC
no other than my Aunt Betsey, mig first aunt
Betsy 1 can remember the sad days-the
tears, and the Grape and the laments that made
them forever marked in my calander. MY
fether was then young mechanic, well enough
to do in the world, and my mother worthy
mate for a worthy man. And as the most nat
ural thing in the world as it seemed, then, land
indeed as it seems to me now, my grandmoth-
sr and my aunt Betsey came to live with ms ito
share in all we had, and in all we enJoyed-for
we enjoyed many things we had not, but only
hoped to have sometime.
But soon another sheaf of wheat was ripe,
and the old reaper came again. We folded up
the hands for the last time, that had patted and
petted us, and that had been laid so often on
our heads, with blessings and benedictions.
loving heart of one without a wrinkle or gray
hair, as stiIed forever, and the reaper carried
the sheaf, tull of golden grains, into Coos
granry-Heaven.
Then my mother and my aunt Betsey were
the only two surviving children. Knit togeth-
err by the double ties of birth and affection,
they looked with eager hope to the many long
years they felt sure were before our little
household. They would have from that time
the same home, and the same cares and inter
ests.
The years budded and blossomed all the
time and shook down their fruit into our fam
lily nest, until it left four brothers and one sis
ter of US at home and one i'll heaven.
My earliest and happiest memories 1 was
the only daughter) are of my aunt Betsey. SO
gently did time touch her that l scarcely mark
ed the silver growing in her hair, and the roses
stealing from her cheek. leaving only the lily
behind That she was the klndest and patient
est and best of mortals, l never fora moment
doubted. | more devoutly pitled those chill
dren who were born without an aunt Betsy,
than I did the little heather boys she never
weared with telling me about, She took our
side in all our little quarlels, was a cover for
all our family jars, and vas an able advocate
for US at the parental court, when an especial
favor was to be asked. If had been mis-
chievous she repaired my mischief, and kindly
rebuked me. If disobeyed positive orders
and went down by the brook on Saturday at
ternoon, she dried my shoes and stockings,
and, be tier than all, never told tales OF US.
We all feared more her quiet reproof and sad
look, when we had been guilty, than the rod
which was always hung as our terror Just over
the ole clock.
How any family could ever get along with
out an aunt Betsey, was indeed my wonder,
What indeed did she not do for Us children.
But first and chiefest was her wonderful! sew
ing. 1t seemed as if she never was tired, and
as though there could be no limit as to the
quantity of work she could do. And as nice,
too. The little dresses, and aprons, and jack
cts, were miracles of neatness and patience
What could nv mother have done without her.
She never knew, and don't know. She SO
completely satisfied the wants and necessities
of our little ousehold, that no wonder we look
ed upon her as more perfect than any human
ity we have since seen, and loved heF hafoly
second to our mother.
But the wheat was getting ripe again. ana
there was another reaper came this time.
Did she die?
No. not exactly. That is-no, am quite
sure she did not debut she got married!
She was indeed carried off, and it was
hard for us to believe that the world would
move on as regularity as it used to. There
would be a wheel missing from it's accustomed,
place III the social machinery, and how could
nature repair such an injury TO her mechan-
Isn.
But it did move on, nevertheless, our hearts
and our hands felt the bereavement, and L
don't think that, to this day, any of us quite
forgave the good man who took from US TINS
sheaf of ripe wheat to his own harvest home:
The years kept passing, and, almost before
fully knew what | was doing, had stood be-
fore the minister, and, with Walters hand IN
mine, had promised to love- cherish, and per-
form in general the duties of loving and
faithful wife 1 did not say obey
Well there was more budding and blossom.
ing and our family-vine had. in the course OF
time had one, two, three four blossoms upon
it every one of them darlings of course.
There came the loves and labors that always
come with Il uestful of wee birds, They must
be fed and clothed, and guided and guarded,
as well as loved The days grew very short,
so very full We're they of a mothers duties. l
was alone, and it did seem as if children never
did get into so much mischief, Or in so many
ways make work for a mother There was
no end to the frocks and aprons for the glfis'
and the jackets and trowseIs for Walter the
second. Oh the constant "stitch, stitch, stitch'
Oh, for anut Betsy If ever there was an
earnest prayer, | am sure 1t was NINE, that'
by some special dispensation, l might have
such blessing rain down into my home.
don't know how much earnestness and perSls-
tency had to do with it, but grateful tears SUI
tuse my eyes when l write it, that my prayer
has been granted 1t came one day never
dared to look at the places where the wings
were taken off, though | am sure 1t was an
angel.
From that day benceforward could L say
that had, indeed, second Aunt Betsy.
Do you not already guess, dear reader. what 1t
was? 1t was a Wheeler and Wilson's Ss'o'ng
Machine! And if there ever was grateful
woman and mother, am one. Grateful that
the days have grown long again, that nave
time and heart for something besides the ever
lasting ''sttch, stitch, stitch, time to read, 70
walk, to talk and to love; in short-and 1t
seems to me to justly state the whole cass--I
am q 1Ohois aoOman.
The world is full of just such wives ana
mothers as / am. They know of their neces-
stiles aud labors, but do not know how great Is
the blessing of sewing machine in the family.
cans only hope that if the eyes OF any OF them
have fallen on these few lines, they will soon
be (if not already blessed as | have been, III
having second Aunt Betsy"
April Fools.
We take back what we said yesterday about
the absence of April fool jokes and the decrease
of April fools A goodly number of citizens re-
ceived, during yesterday afternoon, neatly
executed card complimentary, and In the fol
lowing form;
Complimentary Invitation to
Prof. DeFleurys