The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-10-12
THE CI,OAK-CUBBY AND
THE BLUE-ROOM.
HOW WE LOST AUNT FANNY,

HOW WE LOST AUNT FANNY.
"The General Association" was to
hold its annual meeting of our church
10 A., and I, a hero worshiper of nine
teen years; was drawn to its first ses-
sion by the announcement that Prot.
K. would preach the opening sermon.
It was hot June day, aud as our
house was more than two miles out of
town, I was not little dismayed when
l came out of church, after service and
little supplemental gossip with Kittie
Winter, our minister's daughter, to 6od
that my forgetiul father, who had gal-
lantly conveyed me thither, had thought
lessly driven home without me-. This
was not at all an unprecedented occur.
renee, as I was apt to linge=, and be to
forget me.
l knew that he would remember his
offspring some time about midoight,
and come to mo forthwith for absolu-
tion. sroiling my scanty sleep with his
untimely remorse; but, meantime, 1
must walk home.
So it happened that when at last I
arrived, thoroughly heated, and dusty,
and cross, ] instinctively turned my
steps toward Aunt Fanny's room,-a
s,rt Of cave Adullam where "every one
that was in distress, aud every one that
Was discontentej gathered themselves"
for aid AMI comfort, as did the unhappy
Israelites to David's rocky den. But
when | found ehe refuge vacant of its
comic; ting genius, my present grievance
seemed. to swell and swell intolerably,
while memory bestirred herself t. heap
on, one by one, every bit of awkward.
ness and distress which my poor, busy
fathers special weakness had inflicted
on me in the past, until, under the 40
cumulated weight, my heart was be-
coming hardened like a mill tons TO-
ward any probable exhibition Of pater-
nal penitence.
Fortunately; Aunt Fauny's gentle
step was heard just then, and when her
sweet face smiled upon me, nay lm-
placabillty was as frost before April
sun. ~-r =. .r*.
But I suppose you would like to knov =
who "Auut Fanny" is. ]: % M. !,
Aunt Fanny had been grsndpapa'a
baby, and was his joy and pride till he
died in her arms, tivc years ago. Then
she came to Us, to abide, with us forr:
ever, as We: sfondIy believed. The
ground Of this reliance wasS* = certain
fatal facility" she had acquired in
early life for parying matrimonial as
saults and then, too, was she not now
forty-eight years old?-Se she said,
and grandpapa's< big Bible confirmed
the saying. =:
Yet her brow was smoother than
mine, and her limpid eyes with their
ta,homless depths Of blue, were border
ed with soft brown hair, far more child
like than mine. Now, as she came in,
with her cheeks ("velvet-cheek" was
one of my thousand pet names for her)
tinged BY the ardent sun, and her limp
white sun.bonnetyielding in soft curves
to the outline Of her face, she seemed
too lovely for ANYTHING, unless it we're
an incarnation Of Raphaeps: Mddonnia
del Lardel2ino.y -. u.
assaulted this gracious creature
With "You dear old darling !! how ex-
asperatingly pretty and all sereue you
look but what makes your cheeks so
red?" 49,. = = Il, s:s :: : II T.
"Strawberries, Pusskins." s
"Strawberries p I said.
eyes; l have been putting the Blue.
room 10 order for any minister whom
your father might happen to bring home
With him from town, and vent into the
garden for tew roses as a finishing
touch. | wanted some of the blessed I'D
oinnamons, which you know, dearie, I
love best of all, so ran down into the
vegetable.garden whittier Tom bas
banished them, and as L passed the
vbsrry-beds l saw the fruit was
ripening fast.- SO just came in and