Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-13
The Story Teller,
AUNT DINAH,
AND THE FEIGNED MARRIAGE.

:" Have you heard anything more about
that philanthropic old aunt of yours, Bob
cunsldine? Is she really going to found an
hospital for incurable Wclshmen at Plmmt-
chilymo?' asked my friend Frederick Pom
sonby.
so says the Morning Post, rejoined l,
curtly.
Whats her estate worth?"
I've heard it called close on three thou
sand a year, but she has got tin-mine be-
sides.
And she has no nephews nor nieces to
provide for, that she must needs go abroad
for her charities p
Scores of us; hut we have all displeased
60 into the Church, and some would go into
the lnsolvcnt Court; some married and some
remained single; some were cxtravagant,
and some were misers-none of us hit it off
right. And !, who used to he her favorite,
who all said was sure to be her heir, refu-
Scd to marry Welsh parsons daughter-a
little dumpy damsel, who rode man fashion
and smell of mushroom catsup. Aunt Dinah
turned me off with fifty pound note, and
told me never to see her again"
Had she, then, taken such violent af
iccion for this girl ~
No, it wasn't that; she's strange old
lady is Aunt Dinah. She was crossed in
love herself when young. She wanted to
marry poor subaltern in marching regi-
ment; her friends forbade it, and she lived
to sec this man General, X. G. b., and,
what was somewhat harder to bear, the hus-
band Of u very beautiful woman of high fam
ily This soured her and softcned her at the
same time, and her whole life has been pass
cd between paroxysms of revenge ofromance
now doing things old money lenders would
be ashamed of, now yielding to impulses OF
sentiment worthy of an exalted young girl
IN her teens. It's the most complete lottery
In lhe world how she will accept any Incl
drnt that bcfalls one of us-so that my broth
er lem, in a fit of impatience, once asked
her, Would she like him better if he was to
commit capital felony2"
you hSNSl tuiHSu buCh u tCui-
permanent to account
How could I-how could any one? Who
was to forsee in what spirit she would re.
'eve any tidings? She was as likely to send
you chcquc for five hundred as to scratch
you off her will for the selfsame action"
ia have taken my chance, ut all events
Where the ticket cost nothing, I'd have beer
always in the lottery"
Anything like importantly would hay,
been certain ruin. In fact, our best policy
was to write seldom and Jem never sen
her any news Of himself except by para
graphs out of newspaper"
And you-when did you last write t,
her?'
- wrote to her after my grand smash.
was on my way down to see her-by invita-
uon too, rather rare thing, for on my ar
rival from India had simply reported my
sell and she replied in these terms:-
- DEAR NRpHEw.-If little mountain
ar and Welsh ale might be deemed goo,
a,i'efiatiye after Indian heat and curry pow
o ue,, come down and spend month witt
your aiiectionate AUNT DINAH.'
There's the whole epistle; and when
ieau II valued it at about thirty thousan
pounds laid out in land"
iou thought you were about to be mad
her heir?n
\ was certain of it. Not one of us ha
e''f neen asked to Crwnwbiollych Castle.
What namei"
=, i could soon give it pronounceabl
Fred"
wen, you said you wrote again"
ies, after my disaster in the Oaks
",o.e few lines to say that had come t
s.'ei that when had sold out Of the sci
,se' ana converted into cash a few bonds
nciu IN the Agra, should still be deficient
oup'e OF hundred pounds, and consequent
sh - no mood to inflict her with my compan,
"o SIMPLY sent me for answer cheque f
.,,ee hundred on Coutts, and the words
our excuse is more than sufficient. Yol
,en-grleved aunt, Dinah Pritchard'r
~ !, declare, like that old damsel!" cris
her. VI e''"' ao'0i "oo
ike her too, and it she wasn't rich |
y VI 70 see her tomorrow, and ask her