Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-01-14
FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS.
Another Letter from Aunt Ems

CHARLES CRY, Dec. Both, 1869.
Dear Children II see you are sticking
out your eyes in great surprise at the dat'
of my letter, and l don't blame you, afte
settling it in your minds that you had go
| an Aunt EN- costly established in Indepen
dence, to find that she had gone OFT tt
some other place, and shouldn't blame
you SO Gerry much, if you got almost angry
and were tempted to make up faces behine
her back, but of course you if are such wei
behaved children as take you to be, yor
would never yield to the temptation under
any circumstances.
think you will be vet more surprised te
hear that Aunt EN- came all this long way
alone, with no one to pick up her cane OF
carry her cap-box while she got in and Out
of the cars, but very fortunately, she reach
ed Charles City without any broken bones,
and with cap-ribbons in flying order.
Well! Christmas is over; and from the
number of presents which were hung on
the beautiful trees in Independence, think
there were but few Of you who did not have
a merry Christmas, unless some we're in the
sad condition of the little boy | heard OF at
Waverly, who cried and made himself very
unhappy because Santa Claus brought MIN
beautiful silver cup instead of the II"
whistle he had set his heart upon, but
trust that none OF my little boys and girls
are so ungrateful as that. What do you
think children?
believe Santa Claus must have read my
letter in the BULLETIN, for on one OF the
trees was hung present for Aunt Em-a
nice, warm pair of mittens, and | hardly
know whether | am to understand that he
gives me the ''mitten" for the future, or
that he wishes to make up for past neglect,
by showcring his acarmest favors upon me.
Which DO you think?
OF course you all know, that one week
after Christmas, comes the happy New
Years day, and we must not forget that it is
not only the one pleasant holiday, but the
beginning of whole long year.
What its fortunes may be we cannot tell !;
many of YOU who read my letter, may be
singing angel songs in Heaven before an
other New Years day shall dawn apon US,
and Aunt Em,-Mho can tell where hel
tired feet may be straying But one thing
we DO know dear little ones,-the present is
ours, aud We can try to improve every day
| and hour of our New Year. Won't you
try with me to make this year the best and
happiest one that ever passed over oui
heads, so that whether it is life or death
with us ''Al shall be we,l?'
| | have been afraid you would think from
my last letter. that Aunt Ems home was
not very pleasant one, but You must re
member that there is no unmingled good in
this world, and to show you that the lack
Of merry Christmas is only a drop o.
bitter in good deal of sweet, | think wi.
take YOU down to the Empire State, anc
show you my very pleasant home and its in
mates. You will find books to read, pic
lures to look at, and music to en(iven the
! dull hours, and with father and mother, sis
ter Una and little Mary, l am sure you
could not be lonely.
l expect little four, year-old Mary, will al
most take your breath away with that swift
| little tongue of hers, and | am morally GER
| tain she will have shown you all her doiles
and every picture book in the house, before
half an hour is over. She has funny
thoughts in her head sometimes, and think
l will tell you one of her odd speeches to
prove it. One day she was going through
some rather remarkable gymnastic eXercis-
es, when remarked. "Be careful Mary or
you'll lose your head up went TIE little
nose in dersion, as she scorhtully replied,
"No won't either.--my heads on tight
the Lord made me-
Last, but not least, in the family, is the
old black kitty. know you all have kit
ties of your own, and love them too, at
least hope you do, for Aunt En- loves the
kittics dearly, and has many tale of cat
wit and wisdom laid up beneath her cap
and border.
Of course we think our black pussy is
the bright, particular star among the uni
verse of cats-you know every one thinks
their own possessions just a little better
than their neighbours, and if ever a puss
mcrited the love and respect OF her friends,
our "Biaeltie' does.
l expect Mr. Ton1an will be saying,
Poor Aunt Em is getting old and prosy,'
bu, | must tell you one anecdote oil Blackie.
Once on n time she had two children,
ami one grandchild, the youngest child and
tie grardchild being about the same age,
and Blacke and her daughter took great
delight with their little ones for time, out
alas sorrow came, and one morning we
found Blackie's kitten stretched out "very
dead
1t couldn't be said that Blaclie pnt On
mourning, for she wore all the black she
could conveniently. hut she seemed to
grieve for season, but, like sensible cat,
she finally made up her mind to adopt her
grandcbild in its place, and thus soften the
blow.
From hence the care of Kitty Junior was
divided between mother and grandmother,
and it was interesting as well as amusing to
see them maneuver.
One day we had the little kitty in our
room, when the mother getting anxious
about it, came in, and taking it by the neck
in that mysterious way peculiar to feline
mothers. was going on her way to its bed,
when she was met by Blackic, who, with
a new and a snuff, took hold of the little
one by the tail, and side by side the two
eats marched out with the kitten bourn be-
tween them.
hope your imaginations will picture the
scene to your minds. for pen and ink can
not do it Justice. l have several other anec-
dues of this remarkable cat in my mind,
but suppose it will not do for us to take
~ too much time talking about our pets,
FIR our elders viii be scoding, and telling
MS we h i better be im proving our minds
than talking about cats and such "trash, y
so l will let kitty's virtues and peculiarities
remain untold, 40 bring my long letter to
close by wishing you all good night and
pleasant Dreams
From your alTecticnate
AUNT EN-.
ExpERIENrIA DocET.-Yes sure y expert
ence teaches those who use DIR. Morse's In