South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-06-16
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AUNT JBM,s bonnet.

AUNT JEM'S BONNEf.
II -HTrErE
DDyct ever watch canary flying abor
IN Its cageand turning its head knowingl
from side to side, as if it were in deep meC
itation upon some subject through all il
restless hurry? Well, very much afte
that same fashion, Miss Jemima Veer wer
fitting about in the little drab house t1nde
the hill one bright spring morning Sh
shook out the white muslin curtains WI
a tender respect for their old age, aud Al
ranged them so that the darns should nc
show, placed a cushion carefully owe
damages wrought by little feet in the sea
of the old-fashiOned rocking chair, an
busted the tall clock in the corner as faith
fully as if its long hand were not MISSING
In truth, that room was a sort of hospita
for disabled furniture; but then the. in
!. valids all had such a cozy, well l-cared-fo
lock that one never thought of NOTICING
their deficiencies; and the little brown
! eyed, brOwnrhaired WeBan who bustlet
about among them was as bright anC
CHEEKY as. need be. But this day thert
was an unsolved problem looking out from
the eyes, and now and then Miss Jen1ims
would come to momentary pause in hel
occupation, and strike an interrogation.
point attitude at the-end of some mental
question EAt last Bhelstopped by one OF
the windows, and drew from her pocket q
somewhat faded green and silver purse-a
lean, dyspeptic-looking purse, that Topped
about in downcast way, as if aware that
il would be called upon TO deliver up what
I It had not got. Miss Yeer's thorough fin
gers searched its utmost depth, then
turned it wrong side up and shook it, that
no shirking penny might be hidden away
in its corners. The amount in her hand
was small enough, when all was done. She
counted it forward and backward, but it
didn't grow any either way +; so she closed
her fingers over it, with the faintest breath
of a sigh, and said, with decided shake of
her head: N-
~ ean'tde it, Teddy wants new shoes,
Rob mus have a jacket and bonnet isn't
to be thought OF
Which didn't follow at all forshe thought
of it more vigorously than ever after hsv-
ing aseertained- beyond adoubt that there
was no money to buy new one, She did
not need tolook at the one she had worn
all winter to see how Shabby il was; she
could feel that, even with it away up stairs
in the bandbox 1t had been twisted and
turned, made and remade, from year
respectable" no longer, besides being
all out of season > and $50 her head,
bereft of its ancient shelter, went seeking
a new covering When the house was al
in order, and Rob and Teddy laudably en-
ployed in trying to plough up the back
yard with the -four scoop, she went up
stairs, and from among the cast-of treas
ures of a certain old red chest in the attic
fshed up straw bonnet-immense In size,
yellow in color, and of shape indescriba- !
bic. She laughed at the effect as she tried |
it on before her tiny mirror; but, after |
all, it was not laughing matter; indeed,
it seemed more like a crying one as she 4
turned the antique affair on her hand, and |
wondered soberly what it would be possi |
bic to make of It - 80 !
Upon her meditations there suddenly
broke the slight rustic of a stiff dress, and
the sound of footstep that spoke of dig
nifty and one hundred and fifty pounds, and
the coming of Aunt Hester.
1t was the only announcement that lady
thought IL necessary to make; for she en-
tered without the formality of a knock,
seated herself in the rocking chair, or at
tempted to do so, but Immediately re-
'umed herfeet again. Il
Hutnl l advise you to put that chair
1ut of the way, Jemima One can't be
always remembering that the bottom is
broken out, she remarked Severely 'un-
ess, indeed, youintend it as trap to catch
your friends in"
"If that was the object, I'd set it just
outside the gate, and try to catch them be-
ore they got in, Miss Jemima whispered,
ebelliously, to herself, as she arose to
,ring forward another chair-a sound, sub II
tantial wooden one.
Aunt Hester surveyed it doubtfully, as
she suspected some deception, but final
y settled herself in it, shook her black
lpaca into into proper folds, and said: |
q | thought would call'to see how you ]
we're getting on." " ~ 3 -,
1t did occur to Jemima that if she had
,nown of her coming she would have got J
o far ca as to be out of sight; but she
My answered quietly, 80, ]
about as usual we are, thank you, !
Aunt Hester. - Fiio4E s5sif SO fa-t !
/" Aunt Jem Aunt Jemr' cried Rob and q
eddy, making a rush from the yard, get {
ing terribly mixed up in the door way. and l
ach trying to eeyplainl the others re-
larks before he had made any. "'Deed, a
Lunt Jem, we won't hurt it any-a rum {
Keller to build a barn with; cause we g
ant put our horses nowhere; and we O
ant it top O. the chicken coop. Say, '
nay WEI" /
"Yes, dear, yes; but don't be so noisy j
oy. Don't you see Aunt Hester is here?"
nswered Aunt Jem, inoulgent but dis f
,essed. a1r,t q
" Yes; that's what we don't want to v
ome In for, answered Teddy, with re- C
eshing frankness. won't you please to
~ L., n
Aunt Jem produced the umbrella, in,full v
onciousness that her visitor was watch r
q with grim disapproval, and was pre- Ii
lred for the speech that came next I
You are spelling those children, Jemi-
ally astOnished at you" asE il
1t was a point upon which the lady's as q
nishment had become chronic, so Jemi- Fl
a did not attempt to lessen, it, and mo- Il
entary silence ensued. b.
+" Ah y said Aunt Hester, in more gra- OF
GUS tone after her eyes had scanned b
cry other article in the room, and rested e.
lallyon the bonnet. I" What do you pro- n
)se TO do with that, my dear?" z-s "
F" don't know" answered Jemima, rath- 81
disconsolately. - Il
a" recollect that bonnet | thought it di
oked familiar, and remember now. 1t de
As one my daughter Susan wore for sea- "a
n or so and then gave to your mother" W
lrsued Aunt Hester, growing compla- d,
Mt over the memory of by-g gone be1ievo-
nee. "a 1t is very excellent braid, with in
great deal of wear in it. Out of shape, tr
be sure, but think it could be made r.
-er into very suitable bonnet for, you" a,
The Every excellent" article had ap- al
ared old and ugly enough before, but it a
Oked trifie aolder and uglier to poor bl
mima now, though she scarcely knew oi
by. She turned it about on her hand, T.
d fell to wondering little drearily why ci
was she never had anything newLany- Ee(
ing all her own. 1t seemed to her that ia
her life she had been obliged to build lie
on other peoples foundations, to make 70
-aigf1t where others had blundered, and W
ke up things where others had stopped. of
er work never came to her in the raw W
sterial; it was always what somebody pl
e had used, or spoiled, or begun. Back eI
rough the twenty eight years of her life, 81
nearly as she could remember, it had bl
en- the same. Housekeeping cares had
len early upon her childish shoulders, W
len her invalid mother died. Then &C
ere had been the constant planning and Je
lrkiQQ to DrOcure what her CARELESS inn .hs