Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-08-14
Amt KEZZY AND HER FAIRIES
BY MRS. A. w. CURTIS.

BY MRS. A. w. CURTIS.
"Aunt Kezzy's coming! Aunt Kezzy's
coming!" shouted score Of girls and
boys just emerging from the door of the
little brown schoolhouse on pheasant
Hill" They all ran to meet the queer lit
tie old lady, and the boys shook hands
with her, while the girls Rugged and
kissed her as if she was the dearest friend
they had in the world.
"Well, declare! / do believe you've
kissed all my breath away!" she exclaim-
ed, seating herself on messy log under
the old pines that shaded the school
house. "And how are you getting along
in school, dears?"
ooh, finely, auntie. Do come in some
time and hear us spell and parse, and see
how well we behave"
"Ah, you rOgues, you behaved badly
enough when visited you las~''
"Well, you know, we had such horrid
teacher then, we couldn't help being
ugly" - .,
now. What do you suppose | climbed
this steep hill for this sultry afternoon, in
stead of sitting quietly in my cool porch,
as a woman of my age ought to?"
"For something good, I'll warrant"
said Joe Allen
swell, I'll tell you, dears. went in
to sit awhile with Grandpa and Grandma
Brown this afternoon, and, oh, it was
Just dreadful there! We have all got our
spring cleaning out of the way long ago,
and our homes, inside and out, all sweet
and clean. But you know Grandma
Brown has the rheumatism in her hands
and arms, so she can hardly use them.
They are too poor to hire any help, and
haven't child or chick in the world to
look after their comfort You cannot
imagine how uncomfortably dirty that
house is; and as sat there an idea came
into my mind, and I've come up here on
purpose to tell you about it. Suppose
next Saturday morning early some good
friend should carry the old folks off for
a good long visit, and you girls and boys
just take that poor old house in hand and
give it such cleaning as it never had
before! What do you think of the idea ?"
ats capitalv" "May we?' will you
boss the iob?" ooh, you dear, blessed
old auntie, you are always thinking up
something nice!" The girls fell upon
her afresh, with various hugs and kisses,
while the boys, big as they were, turned
somersaults, and stood on their heads until
their faces were as red as beet
"Oh, you crazy children! do be quiet."
said Aunt Kezzy, with ripple Of musical
laughter that set the robins overhead wild
with envy.
"Of course I'll help. What would such
aparcel of madcaps do without somebody
to keep you straight? But now listen.
It'll be anything but fin cleaning up that
filthy old house, only as you do it for
Christ's sake and to make the poor old
souls happy and comfortable for the sum
mer If you agree to try it, want to tell
you now what must be DONE"
$50 on; go on, auntie"
"Well, who will agree to bring pail of
nice whitewash and brush, and be re-
sponsible for that part of the work"
II will" said Joe Allen. II can do it
frstrate"
"All right, sir"
snow If we could manage to raise about
9 dollar and half, we could re-paper that
Gngy little sitting-room."
I'VE can! we can! I'll give quarter !"
"and >" "and l."
"Weil, that's settled. I'll find out on
sly Just how much it will take, and have
it all ready to whip on in no time. There
will be large washing to do, for we shall
find plenty of solled bed-clothes and gar
ments about the house. l think we had
better hire the Widow Malone to do that,
If we can manage to raise six shillings
more"
"Mother'll give me six shillings if ask
her for it," said Mamie ST. Clair.
But then it won't be all our work.
Couldn't you each contrive to earn little
money doing some extra jobs between now
and Qofurd oy ~
Al can,'a Yes" or course" was the
general reply.
"Then we can manage the washing
finely"
"I say, auntie, couldn't we boys paint
side? We've got q lot of it left that faith
er would give me, am sure"
"And we've got some, too" said anoth-
er; of course we can paint thedlouse /
know how, for tried it on the barn this
spring"
Aunt Kezzy got up and shook hands
with both the boys, her wrinkled old face
fairly shining with delight.
souls won't know the old place when they
get back to it. / didn't. dare think Of
that; but do try 1t by all means Now,
girls, you must be on hand bright and
early, with pail. soap, scrubbing-brush-
es and clean cloths. 1fany of you have
. pretty tidy. or any little ornament that
you can spare, bring it along to brighten
mp the house bit"
know what I'll bring, auntie: some
white curtains for the sitting room win
d0ws, to put in place of those torn paper
shades that have hung there ever since
can remember"
That will be very nice. I'm going to
stun and cover the two old rocking
chairs, SO they will be more comfortable,