The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-30

state. ''''' -Oie'ei' in my
In truth, Della soon discovered that
me under amt Hitty's roof-tree was
not likely TO prove q holiday. She
could only wheel herself about in her
cnsir1 on account of rheumatism: while
her asthma kept her awake nights. and
when she couldn't sleep she allowed no
one else the happy privilege. When
Della was obliged TO hint that the gro
ceries or the Goals were out, she would
wonder where under the sun the next
we're coming from.
J." We must economic, she would de-
clare It's only a step from wanton
waste to the almshouse.
But, after a great deal of searching
IN all the pockets of her old gowns. in
alt the bureau drawers and mysterious
crannies of the family desk, she would
nnally produce a bank-bill of modest
| pretenslons, which she made believe TO
have found slipped under the facing of
| a cast-oH dress or overlooked in some
pigeon-hOle. II was worse than work
ing on the road to expect enough money
from Aunt Hitty's hoard for " human
natures daily food ;" and Della soon
wearied of the novel exertion, preferr-
ing to resort to her needle and the
slender bank account she had laid bv
for the sunshiny day that was not to
dawn. that she had ceased to expect.
We git along a heap better than at
hrst," Aunt Hitty remarked, one day.
:" If there's anything do hate, its
money dealings among blood relations. %
Sometimes, when the season was
hard, and work slaekensd, and neces
sities increased, Della Ventured 10 de-
mand a trife to exc things out
would reiterate. " I believe you don't
think OF nothing else. Anybody'd
s'pose 1 was made of precious metal.
I'm most sorry 1 sent for Won. you're
that unthrifty. You'd sell the teeth
out of my head, if they'd bring any
thing you're that mercenary." But
after much tribulation, it would pres
emily occur to her that she had put a
bit of money into her best china cream
jug for a rainy day, and like the coniurer
who pulls yards of ribbon from his
mouth, she poured gold and silver from
empty cream pitchers, or she found a
bank bill forgotten between the leaves
of Baxter's "Saint's Rest" and she
would spend half day turning over
new leaf.
The one CLEAN ct sunshine shot
across Delia's life was the occasional
receipt of letter from Mrs. Car
ruthers.
"I'd write more oftener. she some-
times apclogized 80 but somehow, when
] git set down to it, feel like Keziah
Kole when she found herself singing
Coronation all by herself in meeting,
and the preacher awaiting to begin the
long prayer. And then things don't
sound the same when they're writ as
when they're spoke out, and the spell
Inns in the ways, and the grammar
amt allus handy, and the ink up and
blots and Paul he comes in whilst I'm
about it, and the bread has burned
brown, and the potatoes has billed dry"
Even the baldest facts of Pauls' ex-
istenee made Mrs. Carruthers' letters
more gratifying than the most elegant
English of the essayists.
Sometimes she wrote, 'Paul is
ploughing in the burnt lard, or "he's
gone to the farmers club" or she took
a premium at the county fair and is git
ting forehanded all illuminated par
agraphs to Della. Once she wrote that
he had been at the county ball and led
off with Squire Somebody's daughter;
and poor, foolish Della lay awake the
next night faneying the picture and
blotting it with her tears. How her
heart ached to be Squire Somebody's
daughter just then-to be young and
rosy and coquettish in the grand right
and left. Alas ten years with Aunt
Hitty had added nothing to Delia's
physical charms. She was tbirty-eight,
with hollows in her cheeks and silver
among her braids and absent-looking
eyes, from which laughter had departed.
All the years she had lived on the pos
sibility of Paul coming over to High
A.. J.. h ,rs.1
perhaps with some kind and tender
word, to show that, at last, he had ap-
preciated her motive and though she
had come to wear an air of expectancy,
she had in truth given mp the feeling.
when letter from Paul reached her,
which simply related the facts of his
mothers death and asking her TO the
funeral. He met her at the stage-door.
They drove together to the grave as
chief mourners. They returned to-
gethcr to the vacant house.
"It isn't home any longer" said
Paul, as Della paused in the porch,
hesitating to make her gOod-byes.
"Tom has gone to Australia, Sue is
teaching in Minnesota, and Nell is mar
ried ont in California. Yet you and /,
Della, are more divided than all the
rest"
You will send for Sue, suppose,
said Della, fumbliDg with her bonnet
strings.
"Delia," +" he cried, 81 are not ten years
long enough for you to spend in having
your own way? Won't you stay and
make it home for me ?"
Aunt Hitty needs me more than
ever, She is feeble as a child.
"And hired hand could serve her as
-. Hhnw1-l~eu sAfffna NlntTQ
you are making no one happy-not even
yourself"
zone ouRht always to enjoy ones
duty" sighed Della, wishing she did.
Z" Well, You have had your choice of
duties, and it's only fair to believe that
YOU have chosen the one you like best,
returned Paul, grimly.
"I 'spose," said Aunt Hitty, after
Delia's return, a. 'spose that You and
Paul Carruthers are putting off your
weddin' till you git me well under
ground. Folks don't wait ten year for
a gurl for nothiu', without expecting
ter git suthin' along with her more.n a
thimble and darniDg-needle. But I've
heerd say il was i'll waiting for dead
mems shoes-they mostly pinches.
THEY'RE like CinderalIy's slipper-either
too long or too short. Heigh-ho give
me nv smelling salts. Della, you're
Getting to be an old maid. You amt
plump no longer. When I was your
age I'd he'd more chances than You could
shake a stick at. And you amt my
heir, neither-if I he'd enything to heir,
which I hain't for there's my boy Reub-
ing that run away to sea when he was
shaver. haven't never heerd tell OF
him since but it's likely he'll come to
light when there's anything to be made
by il"
Thus day by day spun out the sum OF
fifteen years, in which Della had been
Aunt Hitty's slave, and Aunt Kitty was
near ninety. as Paul had predicted. when
A rumor reached Highgate that Delia.s
old lover was going 20 be married. he
was going to marry a young girl, too,
the gossips said, and Aunt Hitty caught
the tune and played variations upon IL
con GuaOre.
"I 'spose he thought it want no good