Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-07-02
Why Aunt Oily Never Married.

why SuuL NtNSE HIdIIitGs
"'awasn't for want of chances | staid
SINGLE" said Aunt billy, with decisive
nod of her head.
Clara, who was inst beginning to have
beaux home from lyceum, glanced up from
her drawing at the old lady, pointed nose
ard peaked chin, and wondered within
herself if they were always SO long and
sharp.
Aunt Oily caught the look, for what
ever had become of the charms of youth,
her eyes and ears had lost none OF their
original keenness.
Don't you believe me =" quoth she,
giving a hitch to the left shoulder of her
dress.
Then she made several more short mods,
and smiled to herself as if at old memo
reS.
Didn't you ever hear me tell about
Linus Leach and his cherry party ?" asked
she, presently.
"What was it, Aunt Oily "" returned
good-natured Bessy, who hac Leard the
story ever since she was small girl often
and often.
Aunt Oily threaded her needle COM
placently.
L
he took great shine to Inc, and | eynect
acaS as well-looking and appe ing as
any of them. | could dance Ike a top,
too, and | was a good deaf sought after
for partner at all the balls and parties"
said she, browning with an air of superior
ity at Clara. =" Linus paid me sight of
attention, and | expect nothing but lie
would have made me an offer if | hadn't
been so otfish. He made me present of
the first umbrella that ever was brought
into this town, and | was always sorry, if
he ao0uId give it to me, that it hadn't been
silk He lived up in what is Lawriston's
Mills now, on the old Weatherbee farm,
and it was grand, good fruit place, can
tell you.
"One time he invited all US young folks
there TO eat cherries. He had a noble
cherry-orchard, and he went and cut down
some of the best trees, SO we could pick
the cherries handy and at our ease. Then
if he saw any body getting an uncommon
nice bunch he would say, No, no, that is
for Miss billy Let Miss Oily have
that Molly Holster was a real hector,
so she would try to get the best ones on
purpose to plague him; then she would
ask, why couldn't she have them? She
wanted good cherries as will as Dilv!'
Yes, | suppose | might have gone up
there to live IT | had run of that notion
but Leach was as gray as a rat .hen, and
he want considered over bright neither.
SO | didn't give him no encouragement,
and he got to going with Hepsibah Hitch~
cock after she come In town and set up
tailoring; and finally he didu't marry no
body. but went out west and died there"
:" But didn't you have An offer from any
body ?" quer!ed little Lucy, who sat on
the floor with her lap full of kittens
greedy for anything which sounded like a
story.
"Tchis " calculated Aunt Oily, by
which she meant to say Yes. 81 had
offers plenty-or might have had if I'd
wanted them. The young fellows under
stood that | was smart TO work besides
being lively company and didn't pass
for anybody's fool, | can tell you. | sup
pose likely | might have married to De-
phas johnson If I'd been a mind to. He
run after me till he saw 'twan' of no fur
Their use. | broke him up of it finally
one night when whole string of young
folks was coming home from an apple
pairing at Uncle Josiah Chandeliers.
We had been having a high time all
the evening naming apples and cracking
our jokes, and We felt pretty full of the
matter and ready for moet anything-all
but Cephas. He was trudging along So
Der as a Judge, and by and by what does
he do but come up to me and ask if he
should have the pleasure of my company
home2 So | picks up an old broomstick
that happened to be lying there, and hold
ing it out, says, says |, Take that if you
want something to walk with = He ap-
peared real dashed, and went off without
saying another word. | was most sorry
did it; but if he hadn't been gump be
would have known better than to step up
that way when we were all walking along
in a crowd together. He aods a little lack
ing, but he had a nice farm, and | should
have been sure of good home all my
days if had brought my mind to marry
him. He took the hint though upon that.
and didn't tag after me any more, but
married Judith Gloucester, of Porterly,
right away in a few months, as soon as
ever she could fix.
"They were married at Porterly, in the
morning, and had house warming here
at LambertoD, that same evening. All
the young fellows snd girls that Cephas
used to go with were invited and made
great houseful. We played plays and car
rled on pretty high till, 10 one OF the plays,
somebody happened to tear one of the
muslin window curtains and then Cephas
made such dreadful to~do that it spoilt
everything. Judith had wit enough to be
ashamed of him, and she tried to turn it
on ane say 1t wasn't any matter, she could
mend 1t well enough; but he kept break
Ing out every few minutes, saying it was
great pity to tear new curtain like that.
and the one that did it must have been
very careless. He just about spoilt the