Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-06-21
The Maiden Aunt.

Inc I4dAGNA &AtsALs
mercifulIy ordered Ia the great scheme
of existence that nearly every person should
have an aunt who Is willing TO grow into an
old maid, and sacrifice her lie TO tue good Of
others-those others beiul generally her ne
phews and uieces. Auuis are the fairy good
god-mo,l,crs Of society, the supplementary
mothers who are often more kind and indul-
gent to the children than their parents are
There is not a single person anywhere who IS
not familiar with this idea Of good aunt
We sometimes hear Of clid'ea who never
knew father or mother bat where is the child
who never knew an aunt When the father and
mother disappear Ind leave the poor infant to
the mercy Of the world, who Is it that takes
the little waif in and feeds and clothes it, and
sends it to school? Who? The aunt. The
good. kind, tender-hearted soul, who, perhaps,
has been passed over in life, who has toied hard,
who has suffered much, who at any rate, has
never tasted the joys Of maternity, who has
certainly never incurred its yexations.
1t is really wonderful, under such crcum-
stances, that these women should retain 50
much humanity that the iire Of love should
not be quenchel in their lonely hearts that
the milk Of human kindness should not have
dried up in their breasts long ago We should
/ be thankful to heaven Tor these maiden auu,2
of ours; they are legion Of angels upon earth,
forever lowering about Us, to pity and to sue
cor. II the natural history Of aunts were
faithfully and accurately followed out, | am
inclined 20 think that the auuts Of whom
speak would be found 10 he dstinc. species
Of the genus.
There are points of resemblance in all aunts
Of this class, which are not to bo observed in
persons who stand to society in other relations.
There aro many varieties Of mother; some
bad, Indifferent there are also many varieties
of fathers, brothers, sisters, aud uucles. There
is a kind udulgent father but quite as often
there is the harsh and tyrauice father There
is the afIectouato brother and jealous brother;
the loving sister aud the spitefuI sister. Then,
as to the uncle who should be a counterpart;
of the aunt in everything, being the masculine
Of the species, is it not proveTbial that while
some of them poke their ncphowl in the ribs,
call them sly dogs end give them no eud OF
bank-notes because .hey would not sell their
uucles pictures, the.e are others, cruel, blood
thisty-rapacious unsles, who take their ne
phows into dark woods and leave them TO do
If hunger. But our aunts Our aunts arc
always good. Who never heard Of wicked
aunt? Be it understood, however, that do
not reckon among ny bright particular aunt
the sister Of your father o! mother, who mar
rics and has children Of her own nor the lady
whom your uncle may take to himself with
the same commonplace result. We don't
think Of her, be she tie one or the other, in
true aunt sense.
Do you ever call her auuty," and 90 and
sit in hcr lap, and put your arms around her
neck 2 Answer me that. No, no. She Is
auut-mark bow cold the word is without the
ondearing diminutiye, Aunt Charles or Aunt
D. james WIKI Iots Ol lltIc D-D"ttN VI H~' ""'
dipping into the well Of her affection; aud sho
has not drop for you. Dare TO sit in her lap,
and she will push you radey and coldly away,
Venture TO PIT your arm round her neck, and
she will probably stand upon her propnety.-
The person whom you call "auuty dear is
quite another order Of being. She is your
fathers sister or your mothers sistcr-occasion-
ally the wife Of your uncle; but, in this last
case She is only your aunty dear" when sho
has no children Of her own. As 10 her natural
disposition she is born to love and to be loved
born to deny herself, to suffer patiently, to
toll and spin, not for herself, but for others
born, above all, to rear the weakly sheep, aud
20 rescue the black ones who % astray.