Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-05-12
How Aunt Mamie Came TO Marry
MIR. Marshall.


had called her SO for years, for She was the
kindest and truest friend | had ever had
She sat silent, knitting busily and smiling
little, before she answered me
1t al came Of shaking crum.cloth -
said Aunt Mamie.
What, did you trip him up in its folds,
and bring him down on his knees to you2'
No; IN tell you When was four
years old my mother died don't know
whether children of that tender age remember
their mother as ! remembered mine or not
but when was so little that ! sat in a high
chair at the table, would watch the chairs
filling up around it with the persistent hope
that my mother would come to sit by me
and did not relinquish this hope after I was
old enough to comprehend death but clung
to it, praying Christ to work a miracle, as in
the Old Bible times, aud let my dear mother
appear to my longing sight.
Never was there a more attectonate or
imaginative child, and my youth was dreary
time, My grandmother, who had charge of
me, meant to do her duty by me, and in the
usual acceptance of the term, she did it,
was fed aud clothed, aud she taught me as
well as her limited means would allow. But
She never msnie.sted nnv affection for mo
Sho was one or those ind of nconlo Who tb;nl
lis..s and c,resses e,ol;sbnoJs dnd ,honrb
car i,ol h,ct now and rc,ncnher root of
e1...t ,o,Ior,,,ss sL, 80. I;ssod -, ,.'ros.oJ
me when | was child.
f,rr,etn yo,rt w. oid grew y 10 loot c,r il FROM,
'o"' 'oo" e'.o o'H s'o" ooN 'yl ~ 'io','
""o,''0 an gus 'I0s ~. ''o', " 'o'o',
rcII ronia1'os' pun ar cas''IS-ye' so
wen hau l Dccii 'rai1ou III prHc.ioa' ways anu
haoi.s that no one Dreamed oi the turn my
iill"u was '1Nuig Wy io'iuVs' urealli was I'
,ne tilne "'en ihar'l"i ngur', WIN WI! polu,
bright eyes ana gay apparel snoulu' seated
on miik-whl'e charger appear before me as
| spun IN the porch or gathered berries IN
the heid' ana iolulhg me TO MS heart WIN
tender ana assuring WORDS leap upon MS
steed' nhd WIN me III MS arms ny 70 some
unknown country wneTe ne would MAKE me
queen oi nus castle l never realzed' ugy
,gh1ran. cn'1u 'na' ! w1s' 'na' 'hls was pesu-
marry apsuru nS appneu 70 me uu,'l one uay
something occurred ",ieh destroyed my oeau-
tllul Ill nlus'oh' anu 'l'aue uie "ie'onou'
| iuere was "'""ys seNe''' WoeSs III 'l'
iall' When II 'he crops were goou, l was al
most incessautly employed ln gathering Der
ries, which my grandmother preserved fol
winters use. My only companion in thi
work was my cousin Stephen, "a boy two o
tlrSe years younger then myself
" One day when thus employed, we caugh
glimpse Of mau in regimentals, riding
swiftly through the woods.
Who can that be z SAID stephen
Oh sald l. IN delight, perhaps It Is
my loyer-kplght coming from tue wars 10 ma
me Let US watch until ne comes around
inc penu OF tne roau' II Is nc ne WIZ
axe on ms pluineu nat anu wave !, ioI Wu'
lhGn ne wlll gall9P up ana MT me 10 MS morse
ana carry me 10 Moateu uastle'
a nee glrl you are lot u Nnigh' 70 run W
OH With' amt you \ nahdscme lauy''o'c
yond MAKE WIN your pIaGS iace ana hyihg
ni,lr IKE "I'u lnulan . ana NOUN az s,5lu'
cd up WIN berries no no "oulun
you look grand nyihg away Oh a norso' WIN
your oid calico dresS nying ana your snoes
ialling on cause they are so p'g ia just
llNe 20 sec you
NY eiouu-ianu was ucs,'oyep ioru'Gr
FROM mat moment Hhe" that l was ugly
uncou'h ana una'tractlve' ana my nero lover
never came l ceased TO expect nun.
grew Older, l was pale plain' awk'
"9raly sny Iel' my personal ueleels 10
painful degree ana shuhneu "ha' society
was attalna0le 70 me-
When l was eighteen years oiu recoiVeu
an invitation from an aunt VINO l'yed IN pos
ton to Vis''her' l had never seen ner' ana sn'
knew me only py report one Wlsnea me ''
come ANA spend the winter wi'n her'
My grandmother was wiling mat
should CO. but we were very poor ana II re-
qnred a great deai oil economy ana manage
ment to furnish me wardrobe NJ to Vis'
the city with AT last my outh' was com
pleted, however, and went to Boston
The family OF my aunt Caroline consisted