The Grange advance., 1874-12-29

WDlCn Uncle James replied hastily,
''There, don't begin that catechism
again! I've told you all about that, a
hundred times. Very likely it is hard
on Mehitable, though. She always was
a good, faithful woman; III say that
for her. When Amanda had the drop.
sy, she nursed her like her own mother.
Well, we'll, let her preach: it's all the
comfort she's got, now her wits are
gone. But I'd rather have your mis-
chief, Betsy, than her goodness And
Grandmother Bright, falling back neat
Iy on her loss of memory, finished the
conversation with, ~You are so good.
natured, Jimmy; I think you must
have been getting married. Who is
she, James -
III. THE WILD IDEA.
One Christmas afternoon, it so hap.
pened that all the folks were out of the
house, and the two old ladies we're
alone, chatting away most comfortably,
and mixing up past and present in an
amazing manner as they exchanged re.
minisccnces and opinions. Suddenly
Grandmother Bright saw DIR. Hopkins
and his wife drive by, in the old shay
which had carried the Doctor, with his
bottles and plasters, for twenty years.
tie and his wife were on the shady side
of fifty; and their grown up son was
lawyer in Hartford; but to Grand.
mother Bright years was as nothing.
"Mehitable,' said she, s'there's that
young Hopkins riding out again with
Lucy Mather. 1t seems to me, if I've
seen 'em once, I've seen en- a dozen
times. Its high time he spoke out.
Folks have begun to talk already.''
Aunt Pickerell nodded gravely, and
muttered, elbow long shall the wicked
flourish - while Grandmother Bright.
who was accustomed to these Scrip
tural Interruptions, vent on: ssPoor
thing, she looks pale and thin. She's
getting old before her time. Tired of
waiting.'' To this Aunt Pickerell as.
sented profoundly, and remarked that
the days Of Methusaleh were nine hum
dred and sixty nine years.
"Her mother was an Endicott - con.
tinued Grandmother Bright, "and
recollect Lucy when she was q baby.
1t seems no longer ago than yesterday.
and here she is, a riding around with
Luther Hopkins! You recellect the
Endicotts, Mehitable p
Aunt Pickerell replied that she did.
and that all flesh was grass, and Grand.
mother Bright went on. ''Lucy's
mother was handy little body, but
she wasn't to compare with her sister
Isabella, she that married Oliver New
man. 1 stood up along. with her at her
wedding, and I've got picture of her
in my breastpin, that was painted in
Boston--just as she looked in her we'd
| ding clothes, the prettiest picture that
! ever was. l declare, l believe owe
Isabella Newman call. l haven't had
a chance to call on her this l don't
know how long, what with the darning
and mending and knitting. Mehitable,
let's hitch up the colt, and 60 and take
tea with her.
This astounding proposition aroused
no surprise in Aunt Pickerells mind.
though such thing as either of them
leaving the house alone had not been
dreamed Of for years. But she was
accustomed to respect Betsy's energy
and superior intelligence: and Oh this
occasion she produced an unusually apt
quotation, declaring, "Whither thou
goest I will co. And thereupon the
two old angels began to make active
preparations for visiting Isabella New
man, who had been dead and buried
dozen years. After getting on their
hoods, shawls and galoshes, they went
out to the barn to find the colt. What
Grandmother Bright called the colt,
every body else had long called the old
mare. She had been colt, o genera
tion before; but now she was toothless
and stiff, and had been retired from &C.
tive service. All summer she went
loose in the pasture, pretending to
prance occasionally in a feeble way,
and in winter she was honorably in
stalled in warm corner of the stable,
and fed on the choicest mash. She
whinnied with joy at seeing Grand.
mother Bright, who patted her fear
lessly, saying, "Whey, pony !''-and
no doubt the mare said to herself,
"Here comes my young lady," 1t was
wonderful how easily she allowed her.
self to be harnessed, putting out her
nose for the bit, and taking care not to
whisk her tail. And when the
two old ladies had lifted up the ''fills"
of the dasty and venerable shay, what
should the mare do but back right in,
as dexterously as ever a Duchess at a
Queens reception backed out Then
they climbed up into the vehicle, and
| when Grandmother Bright shook the
reins as If she were spreading table
cloth, and said ''G'dapp;'' the old
mare looked around, saw that every.
thing was right, and ambled rheumatic
ally through the barn door and the
open gate, cut into the high road.
There was little snow on the ground,
and Grandmother Bright, TRANQUILITY
triumphant so far, said she was half O.
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