The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-10
AN OLD MAIDS LECTURE.
BY AUNT NANCY.

Households have their disorders like
children. Ours had passed through
series of commissions that might be COM
pared TO teething or whooping- cough,
and things were just settling down again
to their own comfortable, easy fashion,
with what Bob called "three square
meals day
James came back accommodating the
ground, to see whether he could venture
to stay over night in his own house, and
finding the coast clear and all pleasant,
his heart expanded toward us in an UNI
usual manner. Things were lovely, and,
as Bob said, the goose hung high"
which, in imitation Of "truthful James"
/ haven't the remotest idea of what it
means.
" can't bear to live in ,jerky sort
of way" said Grace, in her pretty, posi-
tive little manner. /" If the servants all
take it into their heads to leave, it's Just
like a horse-car when it gets off the
track one never knows when it will get
on again."
Yes" said |, land there's a good
deal of hard pushing and tugging in
volved." 4" don't mind the work, re-
turned Grace. g rather like that.
Now that | take lessons at home this
winter, | mean to do some Of the bed
making and busting for exercise. Mann
ma says, when she was young it was a
common saying that homework is the
healthiest kind Of labor, and | don't
know but it is just the same nowadays,
even if we do keep pack of servants"
" And you think you would like to do
it, said !, coming in with my little dish
of cold water. But wait till you have
tried it awhile, and it has got to be an
old story. Things would come along to
interfere, and predict you would soon
be satisfied to see Ann taking upon her
self your self-imposed tasks"
" need not let them be interfered
with unless choose" said Grace, in a
tone indicating what the Rev. Robert
Collyer would call "clear grit"
"But how about your friends?" | in
quired. "Would you like to let the
girls see you in a pair of old gloves, and
with your head tied up in a handker-
chief, busting the parlor p
Indeed, | would y cried Grace, with
spirit. IF they liked me any less be-
cause they happened to catch me doing
something useful, why then | should
know how to prize their friendship.
hope my mother has taught me little
independence"
I" If you are not good, sensible wo
man, Grace" said |, thoughtfully, il
will not be your mothers fault"
She was standing by the sitting-roon
fire, looking like a picture in her pretty
comfortable skating suit of black anc
scarlet, with pert red wing sticking VI
in front of her cap, and the golden tress
ss showing underneath. Her skates wer,
on her arm she was waiting for Bob anC
a friend, and her trim light-buttonet
boots seemed fairly to tingle with antici
patton of the gloriour fun in store TO
them.
"There is Minnie Thayer ringn!
now" said she, as the door-bell tingled
"What lazy-bones Bob is. I'm afraic
the ice will be cut up before we get t,
the pond"
The door opened and Miss Thaye
walked in, and came shivering up to tn,
fire. She was not a pretty girl, bu
stylish, if anybody knows what tina
meaos; am sure / don't unless it i
asca to describe a bundle of artificial
airs and graces. She was dressed lik
any other fashionable idiot of the time
with an untidy cascade Of hair rolling
down the back of her head low necl
saque, necklace, gewgaws and bows
n and pair of long gold earrings. don
Aremember the rest Of the costume. Tn
iact of it is | can't take in the whole o
4 one of these girls rig at once.
"Oh I! said she, holding out he
hands, that were squeezed into kid
gloves at least size too small, hoy
awful cold it is to-day. ! was awful sicl
J yesterday, and mother did not want IN
to come; but | knew you and Bob woult
be awful sorry, and then it's such al
! elegant day, and the skating is periectl
splendid. Jenny Fink says we shall hav
a lovely time She ran on with he
conversation thickly peppered wit
"awfuls," and elegants," and "pel
fectly splendids, until she was forced t
stop Tor want Of breath.
Where is your shawl to wrap up i
when you come off the ice?' said j, 1
my abrupt, old maidish way, glancing a
the slender thing that looked as ii sh
would snap in two in the middle.
go, | cannot bear TO carry shaw
round with me; mother is alway
preaching about shawls and wraps; bu
! of course, a girl don't want to bundl
heIsclf up like sausage" Then wit
rnother little shiver she got nearer
Nc fire.
" No, of course she don't, - said !, wit
oppressed indignation. She'd
ating the graveyard. Mime Thaye
hIye known you ever since you wei