Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-11-01
TIE MANAGING s1oruEE.

TIE MANAGING MOTHER.
/ Coming TO visit u.s." cried Mrs
1 Brewster in accents OF tragic despair
| as she elevated her two hands in tn
air and rolled her eyes heayeuward.
Coming to visit us,' echoed III
randa, her daughter. MAMA, never!
Read the letter for yourself % sail
Mrs Brewster.
And Miranda, taking the cpistI0
gingerly between her finger auJ
thumb read:
DEAE CoUsIS:-Bu=iEes5 bringing
me to New York about the middle o.
June, I shall visit you, # agreeable
at that tine.
Truly yours,
''H. SToEEGTOS.'
.'The horrid old nuisaucer she
cried as she dropped the note. Ma
ma, what are we to do? Aunt ElgiI
says he's iutOlerable. He wears q gin.
ger colored suit with patches on the
elbows; talks through his nose; reads
Blair's sermons aloud in the evening,
and insists on coming in to see every
one that calls, and telling 'em what
miserable sinners they are.
'He's only a second cousin, after
all said Mrs Brewster musingly-''Ou
your papa's side"
and has nothing 10 leave us, 50 add
ed Mirinda, 81 don't see why we arc
to victimize ourselves on his account,
Mamma, it does seem to me as if we
were tormented to death with poor
relations. There's Patty now-papa' S
sisters step-daughter - she's been
here a month and she don't even try
to get a place as goYCrness.
"She has advertised
Eyes mamma, I know, but nobody an
swers her advertisement. Why don't
she go to an Educational Bureau, or
apply to some Board of Trustees or
something? It's my opinion she would
rather live here and DO nothing than
to earn her bread"
Miranda look herew cried Mrs.
Brewster, her face ightened up with
a sudden inspiration. "We never re-
ceived this letter.
''Eh, mammal
We never got it, 1 tell you, said
Mrs. Brewster impatiently, as she
tore it in pieces and threw the slips
into the scrap basket. "Well start
for Newport tomorrow, you and l.
Aunt Elgin can easily secure rooms
for US if we telegraph at once, and
Patty shall stay and keephouse-itis is,
all she's good for"
''Shall you tell her that Cousin Ha-
bakkuk-"
"AGd betray my whole scheme?
That's so likely isn't it? No, Move
are not responsible for the company
that arrives during our absence. Pat
ty viii make as good an audience as
anybody for Cousin Habakkuk's SER
mons and lectures, she can do the
housework too. I'll take Jane with
me for n maid and so the matter viii
be nicely arranged" >"
Miranda jumped up and clappcd
her hands.
':Mamma," she cried, "what man
ager you are! You ought to have
been a man, and Minister PlenipOten-
tiary to some SQUIRT or other. You
would have made q splendid diplO-
matist.
"Never mind that just now" said
Mrs. Brewster sharply. Let us see
about packing our trunks
''What fuur' cried little Patty
Brewster, tiptoeing about the big,
empty drawing-roOm, and peCpiuT
slyly into the depths of the great
mirrors above the mantle, where her
plump face was reflected, with all its
ringlets and dimples, and varying
shades of rose and pearl. 'And |
think I've got 1t all to myself. I'm all
alone in this great house with the
crickets, and the shadows, and the
winking gas lights in the streets. I'm
glad there are no ghosts in New York.
l declare, It makes one feel like q
grown-up Young lady in good earn.
estI'
And to carry out the delusion, Pat.
ty scumpered upstairs and dressed
herself in one of her cousins blue
silk dresses, with 4 floating scarf, &
grenadinc over-skirt, and a not of ar
tifcial blue violets in her hair.
Now I'm Miranda" said she un
| consciously initiating before the glass
/ Mss Brewster's drawing-rOom air.
| and graces. ''Oh, how nice it mus
be to be a fashionable young LADY,
And Patty went down stairs to sc
in the balcony and watch the passcrs
by half frightened at her own termi
tv in playing Miranda" half lie
lighted at the novelty of the situa
ton.
Miss BrewsteT?'
It was a tall slender young man
very handsome, with dark eyes an
hair, and dressed with an cEcelleu
taste, who came up the steps, carry
ing Il portmanteau, and paused hall
wsy at the blue silk apparation whic
glimmed on the balcony IN the tTl
light.
YES" faltered Patty, adding {
/ herself, 'it's the gas-mau, 1 suppos
or the taxes or something.
Il am so glad" said he frankly
reaching his hand over towards he.
y am your cousin StokiUgton." "
care you?" said Patty, wonderin
who on earth he might be. 'WII 70
/ please walk imp
q suppose your mother IS at home:
he kindly asked
''No, sir, she isn't, said Patty.
y
ceive my letter.
q have seen no letter, said Patt,
but there's some mistake, dal
say. Please to walk in. 1 an Il,
Miranda. Tn only Patty, and thcy'l
all away from home. But / dare 81
l can cook you some supper.
Mr.. StokingtOn, not Cousin Ia5al
buk at all, but Hartly StOEngto,
quite 4 different parsonage, stood
minute ponderinC. Evidently tLGl
was some misunderstanding.
I'm q capital cook myself, sal
he suddenly rousing himself from h
; reverie. u have b-oiled trout on Il
, / banks OF the Thames, and pic-nicC
, on the Nile, on dishes that won
. make your hair stand on end. I
help YOU Miss Patty.
''But," hesitated Patty, remambs
3 ing sUrdry lectures delivered to h
Gt various times by Mrs. BreWJ
e would It be-would II be quite
: proper?
: '.Why not:7
: I'm sure I don't know, said ?.
} II dropping her long lashes, and c.
9 oring a pale pink, like 2 sweet-r
flower.
Neither do I, said Mr.. Stokir
ton. 80 come on.
It "HartIy StokingtoU's name on ;
% hotel register said Miss 1Iirau
IS Brewster. Mamma, # that isn't I
10 luckiest combination Of circu
-e stances. Why he's q millionaire. q
lust returned from the East. Let