Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-12-31
Aunt Betsy's Christmas Trip to
S'NeW York Town.
BY MARY D. BRINE.

BY MARY D. BRINE.
Tell We all about it, hey? Get We
larfn at an old creeter who's got more
sense, eff 1 du say it, than half of you
city gals. Wall, now, | don't know
as l mind tellin' on the story, arter
all but, thought it may be fun to your
giddy ears, all a gapin' to listen,
'twarn't no sorter fun to me, mind I
tell yer
Aunt Betsy, who, without kith or
kin, save bachelor brother, was yet
Aunt Betsy to the whole neighbor-
hood, settled herself back in her chair,
laid her knitting in her lap, smoothed
her apron carefully, and began.
Lets see, now, pears 10 me twas
nigh onto four years ago this very
Christmas time, when I sez to Lot, seq
l, Lot, Pm going to New York Town
to see the sights. They do say that
long about Christmas time the shops
in that are place do beat all for fine
things, and I'm a-goin' to take a look
onto 'em all for spell. 'Lor', now
Betsy, sez Lot, ,sez he, slor' now, you'd
sight better stay tn hum and mend
that there hole in my trowser leg that
has been waitin' most year for new
knee With that I riz rite up, and sez
1, Lot, don't you darst to say a word
agin my care of your old clos! Pm
patchin' and mendin' the hull time
and that there knee may wait till I
cum hum from New York Town fore
set stitch onto it. mind I tell voup
Lot he sat down and larfed to kill
hisself. That riled me, and | riz up
agin and looked him kind O. solemn
in the face, and didn't larf back nor
nothin', till he grew shamed, he did,
that he came down off his high heels
in way amazin to see, and seemed
quite meek like for a spell. Well, gals,
it didn't take long for me to pack up
my duds. My Sunday gown fit nicely
inter that hair kiYered trunk what
you're sittin' on this minute, Julia
johnson, a-spreadin' it over with your
founces and rigermajigs. La! eff I'd
a had sich doin's to my gowns. 'twould
a bin jist onpcssible to get 'em inter
that trunk. Wall, arter I'd a packed
my Sunday gown, and put my bunnit
in the band box, and got my gingham
ambril, in case of a shower of rain,
yer know, was all ready and a wait
in for the stage next day. O!Ihad
nigh forgot to say that 1 he'd about
twenty dollars tied in the corner of
ny han'kercher, and reckoned that
are would carry me through and paw
all my tavern bills, and mebbe I might
bring Lot hum present of suthin or
another. So when the stage driv ur
at last I stepped in, quite Important.
like. Lot he aOGrnted to kiss me
good by, but / felt kind a sneakin'
about it, rite afore the hull crowd oil
people, SO kind of edged off side
ways and got in, with a tear in nv
eye, for it was affectin' partin' with
my brother, especially when I was 90
in a little agin him, yer know
Wal, the stage shook my old bones
for well nigh onto an hour before ]
got to the place where the. .keers stop
: the keer-hOuse,t they callit, don't thev !
There was the big ingine snortin
and BLOWN and felt just a zeetZ,
afraid, but stepped right III like Other
: folks, and we started. 'Taint no mat
ter how l got to New York Town, bu
dW say the times was scarf to deatt
: was really surprisin'. My ambril was
well nigh broke to pieces, with every
1 body a-knockin' their knees agin it
snd my bandbox was rolled clean of
the seat and all unkivered, and my
best bunnit was exposed to dust Hk,
everything. And the conductor, h,
acted like all possessed, a-trying t.
, keep me out of the keer where
wanted to stay, seein' as I'd got seated
down. This is the smokin' keer
ma'am,' said he. larfed in his face
d and said, sez /, 4 reckon they're al
smokin' keers, ain't they?' said I
with that there engine a-puffin' smok
rite inter the Winders.' Wall, he founC
. 'twarnt no sorter use to arger with M,
for I'm the most sot woman, I am
when once am sot in thing, as eve
you see. And so the conductor he lis
stepped, kind of smilin' like away, an,
L felt like Queen Victoria a.having m,
own way.
Pretty soon lot of men came IN
to my keer, and ruder passel of mel
beat all how rude they were, to b
sere, l never see! They didn't seen
to notice my presence, but chawed an
smoked right before my eyes till
couldn't see mite And when I ri
up, remarkin' 4 object to smokin'
the sassy fellers larfed, and told me t
get out of the smokin' keer. Wit
that my dignity riz up, and 1 said n
more, but sot down mournful like
but it didn't tech their feelin's a mite
we got to New York Town when i
was nearly milzin' time, and, sake
alive the way great crowd of nois
men yelled inter my ears was awful
mind, tell you! I didn't know whe
they wanted me to do-a-talkin' all ,
once, and a-pintin' to a lot of kerriage
all in row. So up with nv am6r
and whacked at 'em all till they see
had spunk inter my natur, and left n
alone and finally nice-spoken gel
- tleman came up and sez he, 'Ma'ar
where do you wish to go? I'll driv
you to the spot So I dropped a cur
sey and said, 'Thankee, kindly, 81
I'd like to be driv to the best taverr
E. e. He smiled sweetly, and put my ba
gage on terhind his kerridge and hel
:, me inside, and we druv off. I leant