Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-01-04

a!i the company "a be.n with, tha
the old couple s,.hed TO stay and Y ;si
with them, and I did. staid there -,
"ecn, all by myself and | never had
such a splendid title in my life. The,
wanted me TO promise TO spend Christ
mas with them, and | told them
would, if possibly could; and | can
Just as we'll as not-so I'm going Now
mamma" as the elder lady was about tc
speak "you might as we'll let me 20
for. it you forbid it, I'll snub that horri
bic old Marvin go that he'll never come
near the house again."
Mrs. Avery knew her daughter
thoroughly-knew that when she said
a thing she meant it, and it was, proba.
bly,, owing to this knowledge that the
next morning found Miss Maud Avery
on the steam cars, speeding along to.
ward the rambling old Connecticut
farm house.
81 told you I'd come, if could and
here ! am" she said to the pleasant.
faced, buxcni old lady, who met her at
the door, with cordial handshake and
motherly kiss. "Were you expecting
me?"
Wat" said the old woman, leading
her guest into the cheerful sitting. room,
where a wonderful log fire blazed and
cracked in pleasant Righteousness, 81
was speakin' to Hiram about 1t only
this morning, and he sorter thought you
wouldn't come. He said you city folks
alwus had your hands full about this
time of the ye: r; an 'twasn't likely
young thing like you wauld want to run
Oft from the fin and frolic, just to see
US, two old folks. But I'm powerful
glad you've come and you won't be SO
lonesome, neither, for my nephew's
comin' either to night or tomorrow
morning; an he'll be company fr you.
He's as likely young man as you'd
wish to see,''
Maud began to wish she had staid at
home! Farmer Seymour and his wife
Nancy, she really liked; but their
| "likely young relative she had no de-
sire to cultivate. But her dissatisfac.
ton soon vanished under the influence
Cf the pleasant December sunshine, and
the strange quiet and peacefulness,
which was part and parcel of this New
England homestead.
The likely young man was not forth
coming that evening, and Maud noted
his disappearance Nth sigh of re-
lief
One evening without strangers"
she murmured, in satisfaction. " And
that is considerably better than none at
all; = and so, at " Uncle Hiram's" las
she had been desired to call him) re.
quest, she seated herself at the old
piano, and sang for hours the simple airs
which the old gentleman selected.
Bonnie Doom" and "O.d Hundred,n
Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Lennox, ;"
followed each other in quick succession,
and she was just in the midst of Hail
Columbia !'' when in burst Aunt Nancy,
all of glow with excitement ard exer-
else.
whats the matter, wife 2" ask. d the
old farmer, breaking off from Heaven
born Band" with suddenness which
caused Maud instinctively to follow his
example. Anything wrong?'
ooh, dear yes" said the old woman,
energetically removing her woolen hood.
"Sallie Browns sick, and can't come to
help me tomorrow in my baking, and
there's nobody else in the neighbor.
hood | can get, and what on earth |
shall do, it's beyond me to imagine. l
can get along we'll enough in the regu.
lar Christmas dinner; but one pair of
hands ain't nowhere in the baking that's
got to be done beforehand" and the
poor woman very dsconsolately gath.
cred up her wrappings, and rose from
her chair.
Mercy, Aunt Nancy' said Maud,
cheerily, "don't worry about that |
don't believe but I'm just as good cook
as Sallle Brown and was going to ask
you, anyway, to let me help you to NOR
row. Mother laughs at me, because
like the kitchen, and bribe our cook to
let me make a cake or pie once in
while, but tell her | was born with
knack for it, and ought to put it to
some account; but | don't get much
chance home, and III be perfectly de-
lighted if you'll play am Sallie to omor,
row."
To this a. rangement the old lady made
| few objections, and the next morning
found Maud dulysnstalled as assistant
cock in the house of Seymour. Mrs.
Avery would have wrung her hands in
holy horror at the picture presented by
her lovely daughter, on that eventful
day. Her soft quilted merino wrapper
Aunt Nancy Immediately vetoed as too
nice for the "mussy" work on hand,
and for lack of anything else, brought
forth one of her own dark calicoes.
Three Of tiny Maud Avery could have
occupied it comfortably, but, by dint of
a pin here, a loop there, and general
taking-in all over, she at last declared
it able to "stay on" This was then en-
veloped and covered by voluminous
white bib apron, which, although serv-
ing.to hide sundry plaits, etc, did not
take from the general dumpiness; her
abundant wavy brown hair, concerning g
whose reality there had been standing
disputes ever since her debit, was tightly
coiled round about her dainty little
head, and, altogether, Uncle Hiram's
criticism was just.
"You don't look 50 citi6ed; but, ac
cording to my way O. thinkin', you are
good sight prettier."
Aunt Nancy was busy in an animated
lecture on pumpkin pies, box of ginge,
in one hand and box of cinnamon in
another, when her liege lord hurried in
with the information that Hugh was
, coming up the road. Both boxes were
dropped in .jitiy, and with hurried
"Now, child, don't forgetl only half o
7 the pumpkin is to be seasoned witt
ginger, cause some folks don't like i
y and some folks do" she rushed to tn,