The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-05-08
AUNT sARAH's GHOST.


ITS all very well to laugh at ghosts
and spirits" said Aunt Sarah, looking
solemnIy at us, but, my dears, there
are more things in this world than you
know of. y @
:" That's from Shakespeare, Aunt
Sarah"
lady, adjusting her cap it's true,
nevertheless.
"Oh, it's quite true; but did you
ever really see a ghost I? " we asked, all
anxiety to hear her strange expert
ence.
"pve seen a ghost" answered Aunt
Sarah, slowly, just as plainly as 1 see
"0h, how dreadful" we all ez-
claimed. "Tell US about it, Aunt
Sarah" And we drew our chairs
closer around the table, and wondered if
Thomls wasn't coming soon to light the
gas.
Amt Sarah smiled upon us with the
conscious superiority of wisdom, but,
well pleased to be the center of so at
tracbive a circle, put aside her knitting
and commenced as follows:
GA great many years ago I was stay
Sg
a friends house in the country. Among
the various people, old and young, who
were gathered there, was a maiden lady
of rather mature age; in fact, she ought
long ago to have taken her degree as q
confirmed old maid Some people so
dread the approach of age that they
cling to the semblanee of youth almost
with the tenacity of despair. Miss Big
low-that was her name-was one of
this kind and so, by the aid of pains,
powder and false hair, she really made
herself look twenty years younger than
what we knew to be her actual age. It
was even whispered that her cheeks
owed their seeming plumpness to some
mysterious cause not attributable to
nature. Now, girls" said Aunt Sarah,
pausing for a moment, and looking
sternly upon us, Sc hate this deception,
and hope none of You paint, or powder,
or wear false hair. "
6 Goodness, Aunt Sarah You don't
think we wear false hair, do you ?'
cried Bessie Gray, putting up her hand
to ascertain if her chignon was in its
right place.
81 am sure I don't know, my dear,
but hope not. Well, one day an elder
ly gentleman arrived at the house, in
tending 10 spend week in fishing,
hunting, or idling about, as most of us
rich, and avowedly looking for a wife
Under these circumstances it is not sur
prising that he at once became the lion
of the day.
"The evening on which he arrived
saw Miss Biglow painted and powdered
TO the verge of Observation-Disclosures
that may be-and looking, to an unprac-
tised eye, almost girlish.
:" It was really wonderful, my dears,
to see how the eligible bachelor-Mr.
Goodman-took to her from the first.
We really became afraid that she would
carry off a prize for which so many
blushing young ladies had angled in
vain.
Miss Biglow seldom came down
stairs in the morning, and when she
ventured out always wore a thick veil
| to protect her skin, which she said was
very tender indeed. OF course we knew
| the reason, but Mr.. Goodman, like all
other men, was as blind as a bat, and
as easily taken in by woman as any
| child would be. It would not haYe
been fair for us to undeceive him, you
know, for think women ought to re.
! snect each others little secrets.
! g Honor among thieves" " murmured
Bessie.
60 My dear, that is not a pretty sim
lie, 3" said Aunt Sarah, gravely. "Bui
! let me go on with my story. One even
ing we were all sitting at the open win,
dow, in the moonlight, and, by some
means or other, the conversation turned
upon the habit of wearing false hair,
and other deceptions of a like nature.
"' never want to marry woman
who would wash out like q cotton nm
brella in the first shower, said Mr.
Goodman.
"' 1 quite agree with you, answered
Miss Biglow. It must be dreadful tC
use all those things that you were talk
ing about
Mr.. Goodman glanced approvingly
toward her, but Gertie Edmonds pinchec
my arm and whispered:
I'll bet pair of gloves that she
won't stand washing.
I'd like to try it, answered.
Girls are always thoughtless anC
foolish" said Aunt Sarah, sagely, " anC
I was no exception to the rule. Tha
speech OF Mr.. Goodman's suggested ;
wicked thought to Gertie Edmonds; i
was that we should all go out in th'
boat next day, taking, if possible, Aisl
Biglow with us; and when in quite
shallow water, manage to upset tht
boat"
"And then" said Gertie, " it wouIt
be such fun to see the paint wash off he
face"
81 regret to say, my dears, that en-
tered into this wicked joke with a hear
| tys good viii, but was repaid for n.
share in it by what happened afterward
as you viii see by and by.
At first Miss Biglow absolutely re
fused to 60 on the water at all, but b,
MIR. Goodman's earnest solicitations sh
at last consented to make one of the party
Besides Mr.. Goodman there were tw,
other young gentlemen, cousins of Ger
ties, and I need scarcely tell you tia
they entered with delight into our plo
against the unfortunate Miss Biglow.
Next day we dressed ourselves a
plsinly as possible, not caring to ruil
our best things by our contemplate
dueking IN the lake. Everything wen
on as we'll as could be-wished, and "
pushed out gently from the SHORE wit
our unsuspeci ing victim on board. W
had agreed to row along the shore to
place where We girls sometimes went i
bathing, and then, at a given signal
manage to upset the boat
Mr.. Goodman was whispering som
soft nonsense into Miss Biglow's ear