The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-10-12

divided my roses between. the Blue
room aod my own, and then went back
to the strawberries and picked fully a
quart"
"But Auntie, you never should have
done it yourself in this heat"
"Oh, l don't miod extremes as you
do, dear, and then you know I have q
special tenderness for this fruit. and
fancy that it likes to be gathered by a
lady's fingers. I certainly couldn't
have trusted Tom or Jane to coax
from the vines the COY frst-fruits of
the season. I shall be as fresh as the
berries after my bath. But, Puss, how
flushed and tired you look!"
"Well I may, Auntie. Father for
got me, as usual" said I, half crying,
as my mischances came back to mind !;
"aud 1 had to walk all tho way home io
this vile dust ); just look at my pretty
new suit"
"Poor child :! But I can brush it
nicely for you, while you put on this
dressing gown and lie on my lounge
until tea time"
ut is inconvenient at times" ( I
should think so !! "to have your father
SO oblivious Of little things but how
thankful we ought to be that he has
never by any chance forgotten a client
or any business of importance"
~ don't know what you call impor.
tant business, Aunt Fanny" said l
tartly, for lhad come to bury Caesar,
no: to praise BIN, and my disrelish fol
this unreasonable magnanimity vas just
then stimulated by the cloud Of dus,
which rose from my dress as I threw it
| off.
"Just look at that horrible dust!
should think taking decent care of his
only child might we'll come under the
head of business cf importance T."
My "David" shook-not me, as she
ought to have done, but one of her
| finest handke' chiefs out Ct its soft folds,
moistened it with her choicest eau de
Cologne, and with gentlo touch subdued
the rash choler which my fathers for.
gettuluess had raised within me, as she
cooled my halfgrllled face and neck.
"Don't lie there, Puss," remonstra.
ted Aunt Fanny, as, after giving her a
peintentially grateful kiss, I threw my.
rself on her lounge. "You are directly
in the draught. I have opened the
doors through the closet into the
Blue-room, you see, and that gives US
this delicious breeze. But you mustn't t
lie in full range Of it. Keep still and
will trundle you back against the wall
There now, shut your eyes and say you,
multiplication table till l come back. y
She then disappeared through her
dressing room door, which opened on
the opposite side Of the room from the
breezy closet, After long absence she
peeped in with my suit on her arm,
both she and it locking as fresh as she
promised. $50 you are not asleep p
Then I'll brush my hair 10 here and
have little gossip. You haven't told
ne a word about the meeting. I sup.
pose your father brought home no one
with him, for met him alone in the
garden, aud he talked of nothing but
strawberries.
"Was Professor K. as grand as evcr'
Tell me all about it,"
"Profrssor K didn't preach after ALL -
said I, rather sleepily.
"Poor child What a disappointment
for you it is no wonder you came home
so disconsolate, if you had to listen to
dull substitute this hot day."
"But he wasn't dull at all, Auntie,' y
said I rou.ine little.. my horrld
tramp home had almost driven it out Of
my head, but it really was splendid,
and he had such a magnificent gray
moustache, and great kind eyes like
yours, only black-blue-black, or brown
black, and he isn't married at all, and
Kittie Winter says there are all man.
ner of romantic stories about him but
bis 'ermon was just gorgeous, and if ii
xere'nt for Charley Coates, and you
hadn't warned so me appalllugly against
| marrying a minister"
"For the minister's sake, Pussy, you
know" interrupted Aunt Fanny.
"-I don't know but l should have
surrendered unconditionally." =,
Aunt Fanny was SO thoroughly accli
mated to my torrid rhetoric that sht
only smile1 and brushed away her ,sofl
locks.
: "But you haven't told me al this
time who preached, my dear. Who il
this new light that almost outshone our
Charley 2" .::
"Dr.-, let me see, Hooper ! Good.
ness. gracious me-" =.
As surely as 1 live it was immaculate
Aunt Fanny who used these imprope,
words =; she denies it to this day, but
she it was who said or rather shrieked
them, in as shrill tones as her mleow
voice could assume. Her face was all
adame-is could not be :::'strawberrles'
uow and her brush fell from her hand
in her agitation. :~r =. :.
Isprang up~iu quiver o: delight
"Oh Auntie, how jolly Are you at
the bottom of this splendid old fellows