Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-11-15
AUNT PArT's HUcLLEBErRY PIE.
DY MRS. II. 4. DEsIsos.


Aunt Patty was forty, and cheerful, neat
old maid. Elder Perkins was sixty, and a
widower without children. A large hncklc-
berry patch with few houses tered here
and there was nearly the extent of the Elder S
| parish.
| The meeting house was square, brown, solid
and ugly-ful of wasps in summer, full Of
| draughts in winter. Its windows had quaint
| and famished look--its doors gaped suncom-
fortably-eyen when SHUTS pulpit, high
and awkward, seemed pcrpctually to be ask,
ing to be put somewhere else. In it, little
man could not be seen below his neck ,tie il
he wore one, and tall man lowered almost
/, out Of sight Of the sparse congregation below.
Elder Perkins was an inoffensivc man,
meek Of prodigious in mouth and hands
| "Finally, my brethering," was a favorte cx-
preston Will, him when about half through
his sermon, and zone word morc,' served for
the heading of all his divisions. From hi.
perch one Sunday, looking down straightly
into Aunt Patty $ pew, he saw sweet. rosy
face with dimples in its chin, and bright,
wavy chestnut hair framed about it in CLEANS
that took on tn:s Of gold, sometimes. Elder
Perkins was wonderfully impressed with that
almost childish vision. Though lie was no
poet, he watched the sunshine after he had
given out the hymn, and compared it to the
brig lit locks Of Nelly Darlington that was
in reality her name He even blundered in
his sermon, though he was not conscious why,
poor man, and Aunt Paty's tmiI heart fut>
tered not little at his frequent glances in
that direction.
Aunt Patty's straw bonnet, with its pearl
gray ribbons, was rs demure as her face,
which nobody, seeing in reposc, could call
pretty. And yet if she were pleased, or ami
mated, color would flush her delicate check 8
and deepen the light of her gray eyes 50 that
she looked almost handsome. A tcnder-Eeart-
cd creature she was, in spite of her lonely
life, and woull have been no one knows how
happy II, despite herself some worthy man
had picked her up and carried her off a
wife.
$50 that's your minister - Nelly Darling
said, as they left the old meeting house steps,
pretending, shy rnss, a total unconsciousness
that everybody was trying 10 get peep at her
sweet face .Well-l-l should guess he was
a good man.
"IIe is, indeed" Aunt Patty replied ear
ncsty.
"Why, Aunt Patty-why don't you set your
cap for him ?" This was after they had walk
cd some distance in silence.
".Ne r cried Anut Patty, almost stopping
short.
''Ics, you: yon re good enough to be the
ministers wife--only in large parish they d
work you to death To be sure, Aunt Patty,
you should set your cap for him
Aunt Patty laughed little short, shy
laugh it was.
Il don't know, child, how people 60 to work
to yet their caps she said.
80! various ways Nelly retortcd: "if
dame Nature never taught you any OF them,
why then must say she has failed in her
mission. But you must have noticed, Aunt
Patty, that the elder, good man, frequently
looked in our pew this morning Does he ais
ways do that r
81 cant say that have observed it before"
said Aunt Patty, flushing little under the
scrutiny Of her niece, whose pretty rosy lips
were pressed together to keep them properly
in place. = ~ @A So. 80 ss..,,-
"lexpectlth poor man is bashful," Nelly
ran on, poking the .parberry blossoms with
the point of an elegant little parasol; "such
good souls always are. Why, Aunt Patty, do
you know you re the very pink aud pattern Of
q minister's wife ?"
Aunt Patty opened her gray eyes wide.
"why, Nelly, child-rm not a minister
wife,"
Il predict that you will DC, though before
tho year is out - 3'fg
Nonsense, child-and remember it's the
Sabbath day. We ought not to indulge in such
trifing conversation"
20! but Tn out Of my parish" replied
Nelly, roguishly, but she did not allude to the
topic again that night.
A few days after, a neighbor called ia on
her way to the village-a blowsy, puffed-
checked. black.cyed news mongering woman,
whose presence always created stir, and
whose gossip was always welcome.
'Youll get visitation to-day, suppose.
My good man said the elder told him ycster-
day that he was coming this away, an SO
you may be expecting of him."
"Deary me- cried Aunt Patty, in furry.
"And perhaps he'll stay to tea
.Iiuckleberry pie is his falling" laughed
the good woman, sand nobody makes hucklc-
berry pies like you, Miss Patty. wish
knew the secret. Huckleberry pies is huckle-
berry pies here. La and that's tie little
thing that used to run round the door-steps
with her head all snsrl of curls T. she cried,
as Nelly Darling entered at that moment
"Why how she has growed. hear that Bijah
prospered properly in the city she added,
turning to Miss Patty as Nelly, after greeting,
shook hands with her and went out after
black berries.
"Yes, Bijah's got rich there, expect said
Miss Patty, but her face wore such . preoc-
cupied expression that il was plain her heart
wss not in the answer. For (shall unvcil
the weakness Of Aunt Patty, spinstcr--aged
forty n che had been dreaming of good lank,
Elder Perkins all night. Not for years had
such visions invaded her peaceful slumber.--
Not for wears had thon rhts of love crossed her