The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-04-02
THE C0HANSEY TEA,FIGHT.
ny IUcY EGLEN eUERSsES


storm. There isn't bit of use IN thi,k
ing gift, is there aunty,
should say notn' answeFctl Aun
Elisabeth. To I've sure H. nav clear M
before five O'Clock, bnt unless the weatbe
up 7''0
Give up what?' asked Grsnamothe
Howell. ''''
Going to AnEabella Ffoyd's tea-tight
grandmother" | answered,
My dear - Ssid Aunt Elisabeth. Sb,
had horrcr of slang. and She had nevoa
heard this particular phrase, which ha,
Esst begun to come into use twenty wear
age.
: A tea-fieht! Aud what Is a fea-ael,t.'
slske.i grandmother.
:. Oh, little sccialle tea-partv all O.
girls, you Know | explained. "An
nabeila Floyd, across the creek. has on,
fh's afternoon, but l am afraid we cam
gO.1
Umph!" said grandmother. Il re
anembcr tea-fight on Cohansey Greek
worth going to,-but it was a mans tea
gigbt, not a girls, though girl helped get
5t up. after all.
oh, please do tell us about it, grand
tnaS" said Violet and I together: and
Aunt Elisabeth added: "Yes, Do, grand.
mother; 1t viii help 10 make the time pass
pleasantly"
Niofet and myself were making orr An.
unai visitation to Aunt Elisabeth IN Green.
wich, New Jersey. We had been there 50
Uatcn that it was like another home ~ ms
7nd we knew every house aaa store and
Tree in the broad, quiet Street and every
face in the meeting -hOuse, for Aunt Elisa
beth was Friend, and we always went TO
mceung with her. These visits were
Ssinong the happiest times Of my life.
soved Aunt Elisabeth dearly. and all but
Sldored my grcat-grandmother Howell. |
liked the place and tho people and the quiet
friendly wayS-SFtS. and the meetings too.
even when utere was no preaching and we
tlad silent season. Violet sometimes
sound L rather duh, but never aid,
Aunt Elisabeth lived near the landing i'm
q wide, comfortable stcne house. Shaded
by such enormous aud aged willows AS /
think grow nowhere else. From NV win
dow could see the green at the end of the
StTee', With one gigantic buttOnwood grow
ing TN the center, the river, or creek as we
always called n, and the schooners and
steamers on their way up TO BridgetOn,
The metropolis of West Jersey; and a won
deriul, quaint, pretty, hospitable little me-
fr0pciIs II Is, have not seen that pros
pect for many long wear, but | have only
10 SHUT my eyes To cali it all up before me
as plain rs day,
This particular day We were engaged at
a small tea-party at Annabella Flcyd's.
over across TIE river. We We're very
much bent upon going, but during the
moruing such storm of wind and rain
Tad set in, that even Violet confessed the
expedition muSt he abandoned. Under
1heSe disastrous circumstances, IL NAV be
beifoNed that we hailed with delight the
prospect of a story from grandma.
Grandma Howell was past ninety. She
was somewhat infi,1n, bat her mind was
as bright and her Feelings as keen as they
st'ia ever 'etsc'l. She had not the absolute
patience and self-restraint of Aunt Elisa
Sleth, hVr granddaughter, AND wctld some
SlhleS wax warm in Z debate While her
sarcasm was not weapon to be lightly
EncountcIed bat nevertheless. everybody
loved and respected Grandma Howell.
wei, get your work and sit down. and
II hell you the story - said grandma.
who never could bear to see any one idle.
=, ii all happenedin the year l774. Think of
that, children Those willows over there
were quite small trees. | remember. All.
well, it seems & long time to wait.
. 1t wss ln the beginning of that same
year that Aunt Betsy broke up house-kcnp-
ing and went to live with her nephew.
.Abiram llasllinS, taking ME with her.
Aunt Betsy was widow, and Abrams
mother had died not long before: and as
he was bachelor and had large farm,
he uceded some woman about the house
80 he asked Aunt Betsy to come and take
charge, and she consented. His house
stood near the end of the street, a little
back, and not far from the creek. The
house was burned down afterward. but if
YOU look sharp you may see traces Of the
cellar in Richard Shepherds field to this
tlav. Ii was a good house with roomv
cellars and chambers, and large rooms
down stairs; and when Aunt Betsv's fur
niture was put in, 1t looked very well,
only there was always stiff. scrimDed
look and musty. woolly smell about it.
Ahiram was a Friend. as his father had
been before him, but he wasn't very zeal
oUs in religious matters, and had the name
of sitting very close to the world and its
goods. However, his character was good
at that time, though | don't think any,
body liked him but Aunt Betsy.
had lived with Aunt Betsy ever since
any father died. and when she moved
went with her. didn't like the change at
all, and said ali could against it, though
! knew all the time that | might as well
talk to die winds. Aunt Betsy was very
quiet tempered. but she was more set in
her way than any person | ever saw.
- Thee is wasting thy breath, Sybillar
said She at last. Il have made up my
mind and | shall act upon it. If thee
doesn't like the change. thee must find
home somewhere else
This threat. as | considered it. shut my
mouth and reused my temper at the same
time. | said no more. but | made up
my mind that | I0ould seek a bone
somewhere else pretty speedily. You
see, | didn't like Abiram. / thought
him heard-hearted and miserly. and be-
sides, though he had never said so i'm
words, l knew that he wanted TO marry
me, and that Aunt BetSy's heart was seton
the match. Now. if you don't like a man.
the fact that he wants to marry You makes
you dislike him all the more. Moreover |
did like somebody else, and | knew that he
liked me. That somebody was Lewis
Howell. We had been neighbOrs always
till father Gied, and [ think our love grew
up with US. for don: remember when it
began. All well. children. Lewis has been
dead SiXty-iiye years. The little oak sap
iitA- AitslA Sllputttl bAA VI Ills 1Idht bNtI III
Eairtown burying-cround is a big tree
REV. Ii can't be long before they lay me
beside him.
"Aunt Betsy did not like Lewis. She |
said he was worldly and UnSteady-that |
his father had been a soldier in the old !
French War. and that Lewis was Just like |
him. Then Lewis wasn't a Friend. but I
went TO the Episcopal Church, for there /
was one here then. Aunt Betsy would /
never let NE see him if she could help it, |
md never would allow that we were en- |
gagged. 1t was just a boy and girl fancy, |
she said. and would soon pass away. She
had an inward persuasion that she should
see me married 10 some steady Friend, Who
was able to take care of me, and not TO
Wild. worldly young man, who cared more
or fishing and shooting than for anything
Use. Now when Aunt Betsy had an In
ward persuasion of anything she was
mighty apt to bring it to pass, and that was
,ne reason why disliked the idea OF going
o live at Abrams. | was determined to
marry no one but Lewis. knew that he
vas neither wild nor worldly, and that he
Was LAYING up money to make home for
me, though he couldn't lay it up very last
because he had TO help his father, who was
ame and good deal past his work. My
ather had always loved Lewis. and ! well
hearing him say that he wouldn't /
want me 20 do hQftar than ,narrx- him 4