The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-06-14
aI'm only goin to church, aunty, .

sermon"
eve haven't any sermons, aunty."
81 could preach one myself, I dare
say" said aunt Grace, ambitiously.
swell, go just for to-day. Next
week I'll order down Blair, Chan
ming and Spurgeon."
"They are men, too, l suppose,
aunty, said Gertrude, a little mis-
chievously.
But Miss Pennybacker thought
proper not to answer her, and went
gently on her way.
"My birthday" she thought as
she leaned back in the rocker, as
Gerty's departing footsteps died
away on the ear. "Well, well, how
the time passes to be sure. 1t seems
but a day since 1 was as young as
Gertrude there, with Harry Ames
drawing my picture, in rustic dress
and a wreath of corn flowers and
wheat as Flora. believe I should
have married Harry Ames if it had
not been for the meddling of Sarah
Clifford. He did love me-and-
yes, I do think loved him. Well,
perhaps it is better so, and yet"
"Hallo-ow shouted deep grufi
voice over the hedge of arbor-vita
that separated Miss Pennybacker's
domain from the eccentric disciple
of Galen, who kept house with a Sc
lect corps of men; Il wish you would
keep your hens at home, scratching
up my strawberry beds"
"Hens yourself" somewhat ironic-
ally responded Miss Grace. "How
can they when I don't keep any"
"Whose are they then?"
"How should know! Who are
you?"
"Pm Doctor Ames! And 1 wish
you'd tell your servant girl to leave
off flirting over the fence with my
stable man, at least until he gets the
wagon wheels washed"
"If you are Doctor Ames," philo
sophically responded Miss Penny
backer, 81 think you might be better
in making pills and powders, than
quarreling over the fence with YOU
neighbors."
There was a moments silence theI
q rustling among the leaves of the
arbor-vite hedge, and a round, good
humored face appeared above the
green luxuriance.
81 do belive you areGrace Penny
backer," said the adjurer Of woman
kind.
"Of course I am, said Miss Grace
sand you are Harry Ames, grow
older and not half so handsomep
"Shake hands," said Docto
Ames.
81 would if could reach, saiC
Miss Grace.
'Hold on a minute, Pll come roun(
by the gate" exclaimed the doctor
And this was the unromantic way
in which the two lovers, separated
for eighteen years, met again.
Gas brisk as ever, eh Grace?" salt
the Doctor, "and not married yeti!
81 should think not!p Miss Grace
announced emphatically.
"And why not?"
"That's my business
The Doctor looked roguishly up
Miss Pennybacker laughed; sh,
could not help it.
When Gerty came home, eastin.
about in her mind how to tell he
aunt that she had promised the Rev
Carlos Canterbury to take charge o
a class in the Sunday School, sht
found aunt Grace chatting familiar
ly with the ferocious medical MAJ
who was the terror of'half the coun
try.
81 needn't tell her just yet,
thought Gertrude.
But the catastrophe couldn't bt
put off forever.
"Auntyp' gasped Gerty, running
in to Miss Pennybacker's room the
next day, "the Rev. Mr.. Canterbury
is trying to open the garden gate
May l go and unlock it?"
"Yes,child, yes" said Miss Grace
scratching her nose. These mer
will somehow work their way in, anC
1 don't see any use to struggle
against fate.
So while Gerty and the Rev. Car
los Canterbury mingled romance and
theology together in the front garden
Harry Ames and his sweatheart
talked a melody of auld lang synt
and asparagus, rhubarb plants and
reproach, over the hedge in the kit.
chen garden.
"Ifs all nonsense, 1 know" sale
Miss Pennybacker to herself, "but hC
certainly has improvedw
"Aunty, DEAR" said Gertrude, one
day in October, 81 wish you would
tell me what you really think of mat
rimony; am l too young for it?'
'Am 1 too old?' demanded aunt
Grace, turning with look of conf
cal perplexity to her neice.
81 dont't know what you mean
aunty"
"What do you mean, Gerty?"
"Mr. Canterbury has asked me to
marry him. faltered Gerty, growing
pink.
"And I've promised to be Doctor
Ames' wife," said Miss Penybackel
striving resolutely not to be embar-
rassed; $50 vile we are about it we
may as well have two weddings"
ooh, aunty?" whispered Gertrude
nesting close up to Grace, "I'm SC
glad!-because 1 really don't think
l should have dared to get married
unless you did too"
"Child," said Miss Grace, smooth
ing the girls golden hair, ''here's an
end to our independence"
mo, aunty," said Gerty, coming
boldly out with her first original
opinion; "it's only the beginning OF
it."
And Miss Pennybacker did not
contradict her niece.
The True Man.