The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-10-25
MATCH ss~Ml4AhtktttAMG. ID tktttAMG


sewing. Through the light neshes
OF tho lace curtains, the bright sun
shine came in and fell upon her soft,
dark dress, smooth hair, and pretty
white work, while the fresh breeze,
floating in through the open window,
blew into bloom a carnation p ink
upon her cheeks. And sitting there
in the breeze and sunshine, 1 saw
that my Aunt Katharine was very
handsome. At first, I thought it
strange that I had never noticed that
fact before; but it was not strange,
Tor children seldom think anything
about parents or guardians looks,
except that they be pleasant or m
pleasant, and I was little more than q
child. Ever since I could remember,
Aunt Katharine, with her dark dress,
smooth hair and gentle ways, had
taken care of me; and when I grew
into tall girl of fifteen, old enough
to go to kissing parties and have
young beaux, she watched over me
still. She was my mother, my COM
panion, my friend. I never realized
my orphanage or want of other kin,
but had been the same careless, light
hearted, merry girl ever since
could remember, that I was on the
June morning / watched her at work
in the sunlight. She looked up at
last.
"Addie, isn't it most school-time?'
she said.
eyes, auntie, I am going in a
minute; but first tell me-"
s.What, child?"
Why you never were married"
Because I never liked anybody
we'll enough to marry him. Now go
and get ready for school,"
She smiled as she spoke, and after
glance at her face, I smiled too, and
ran off up stairs to get my bonnet
and shawl Coming down stairs
again, I put my head in at the sit
ting-room door.
"Aunt Katharine?"
"Welll"
eff you found anybody you liked
well enough, wouldn't you marry
him?"
sI don't know-I suppose so.
Why, what in the world has got into
your head, Adder"
I laughed, slammed the door and
bounded through the hall into the
road. Half way to the school house,
1 met roy teacher, Mr.. Charles Deve-
reux.
''Good morning, Miss Addie. Re-
citations all ready?"
eyes, SIR" I answered, and he
passed on ahead, I sauntered on slow
", thinking Of my Aunt Katharine.
I thought it would be nice plan for
her to be married. The next thought
was, who would she marry?
There were only half dozen unmar-
ried middle-aged men in the village.
Aunt Katharine was twenty-seven,
and of course she wouldn't marry q
very young man. I rapidly enume-
rated the half dozen eligible ones and
their suitability for my plan. Law
yer Hyde, thirty, rich, aristocratic
and stingy. MIR. Leighton, thirty
five, handsome, good, well of, but q
widower; and I've heard aunt Katha-
rine say she did not like widowers.
Mr.. Pierson, twenty-eight, hand
some, wealthy, but too fast; she
would not like him. DIR. Jarvis,
thirty six, small, grabbed, miserable,
and unbearable generally. Mr.. Howe,
too homely to be thought of; and
Captain Haynes, with his yellow,
bushy whiskers, and nine thousand
dollars worth of mortgaged proper
ty, which he is always talking about,
worse yet. Rather sorry array.
Just then the school-bell rang, and
l went in to my books, and Mr..
Charles Devereux, aged twenty-eight,
handsome, intelligent, well-educated
and unmarried. The class in intel
iectual philosophy was called first,
and though had carefully commit
ted my lesson to memory the evening
before, my late thoughts had quite
driven all remembrance of it from
my head, and my recitation was
imperfect Mr.. Devereux looked sur-
prisedly ut me, but said nothing. In
French grammar my performance was
still worse.
"Miss Addie," said Mr.. Deyereux
as / passed by him on my way to nv
sea-, "do you have any trouble with
those French verbs in learning your
1esson?"
eyes, o little" I replied.
"You want little reviewing, I
think. If I have time, I will call in
at your house this evening, and help