The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-24

qulslte del1ght or miserable, exactlng,
feminine nature,-the knowledge that
one thing in the world loved her bet
ter than anybody else. Sorry am 1
to betray this weakness of Aunt
'Viny's,-sorry to know how many
strong-minded, intellectual, highly ed
ucated and refined women will object
to this mean and jealous sentiment in
a woman Of like passions with them
selves. I know, myself, that . lofty
love will regard the good of the be-
loved object frst and itself last
that jealousy is a paltry and sinful
emotion but. my dear creatures, I
can't help it,-so it was. And if any
one of you can, with a serene counte-
nance and calm mind, see your hus-
band devote himself to much pretti-
er, more agreeable, younger woman
than yourself,-orhear your own baby
scream to go from you to somebody
else,-or even behold your precious
female friend, your "congenial SOUL"
as the Rosa Matilda literature hath
it, fascinated by a young woman or
young man to the neglect of yourself,
although in one and all of these
instances the beloved object seeks his
or her best good,-then let that su-
perhuman female throw a stone at
Aunt Viny;-but for the present
she will not be lapidated.
Never, indeed, had she been quite
as happy as now. Her life had been
routine Of hard work. Love and
marriage had never looked over the
palings at her; and-to tell the truth
she hand not suffered by their
their neglect, in her own estimation.
She was one Of those supernumer.ry
women who are meant to do other
peoples work in life: servants, nur-
ses, CONSIDERS; accepting their part
with unconscious humility as q mat
ter of course; quite as good Is the
Santas and santissimas of legend and
chronicle, and notnearly so intrusive.
So this new phase had it's own sweet
ness and special charm for Aunt
Why; the happiest hour in her day
lying between daylight and dark,
when waistcoats and jackets and
trousers were laid aside, the dim light
forbidding her to sew, and economy
delaying the lamp,-so she could with
clear conscience spare half an hour,
while the tea-kettle boiled, for ua-
dressing "baby," rubbing the little
creature down,-much as groom
might have done, only with 8 loving
touch not kept for horses enduing
it with long night-gown, and toast
ing its shell-pink feet at the fire, till,
between the luxury of ease and
! warmth and tending. "baby" coed
herself to sleep, and lay along Miss
why's lap like pettedo kitten, tbs
freight playing soft lights over its
fair head, sealed eyelids, and parted
lips, tinting the relaxed arm and fun
ny dimpled fist with a rosy glow,
while Aunt why's face took on a
tender brooding CLEAN that nobody
who had seen her in church on Sun
day, severely crunching fennel, or
looking daggers at naughty boys,
could have believed possible. But
| this expression is an old wonder-work-
er. I saw but the other day a bad
eyed, bronzed, "hard-favored" Yam
kee, with head all angles, a dirty
face, the air of terrified calf and
the habiliments of q poor farmer; I
looked at him aristocratically, and
thanked the Lork for my mind, my
person, and my manners, in true
Pharisaic triumph,-when his little
blue-eyed daughter came round the
corner and pulled at the tail Of his
ragged coat. Why, the man was
transfgured! I wondered he was vii.
ling to shake hands with me when
left him !; Iknew before that his hands
were brown and big and dirty, and
mine we're little and white and soap
scented; but thought afterwards I'd
as lief have been Peter as myself just
then,-and I think 80 still. Where
fore, young ladies all, learn from this
that the true cestus, fabled-No
I shall make an essay on that matter
some day; Twill not inhict it here.
So, by dint of hard work, Aunt
Why brought up her dead sister,
child in the way it should go, nor eve1
for one moment grudged her labor Of
her time. Neither did she spoil Con
tent by overindulgence; her gooe
sense kept the child unharmed
taught her hardy and self-reliant hab
its, made her useful all the time, and
even if Nature had not been before
hand with her, would have made he]
happy. But 'Tenty had her father
firm and sunny character; she ueve1
cried but for good reason, and the1
screamed Justify and was over with
it; fretting was out of the question:
she did not know how; her specia
faults were a strong will and a doggee
obstinacy,-faults Miss Why trained
instead of eradicating SO that 'TentJ
emerged from district-school into The
"'Cademy's" higher honors as healthy
and happy an individual as ever ar
rived at the goodly age Of fourtee,
without silk dress or French sho,
to peacock herself vithal. Ever,
morning, rain or shine, she carried
her tin pail to Doctor Parker's 70,
| no;lL hnnn ON tho foo l1o44lo so4 A.