The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-05-08
MY DEAF AUNT'S DEAF LOVER.
By ELLA NJ. HALp1NE.

= to the window quick, and tell me VIII
is this antiquated specimen OF human
ity that has stopped just outside til
!, gate. Saint Jeromel he is actuall
=, getting off his horse to come i'll
:" quick, Evelyn, who is he?"
"That," said Evelyn, coming neal
i. er to the window, "why, Kitty, tina
is old Simon Hornet"
"And who, in the name of wonder
is old Simon Hornet?' l inquired.
, 80, he's IA wonder, and the yer
Oldest mortal you ever saw. He live
just over the hill, in that little oil
fashioned red house that l pointed t,
U you yesterday, when we were riding
horseback"
"I should have guessed as much,
/ replied; ''the house looks as thougl
it was built some time before th,
flood, and old Simon Hornet, a
you call him, looks comical enough
to be father Noah himself. Blu
, what on earth can the droll old fel
low be cOming here after?"
"Ah, that's the funniest of it,
laughed Evelyn. "You see, Kitty
he's lived there nearly twenty years
and never stepped his foot inside o.
our house till three months ago, anG
, now he stops here almost, every timt
he goes past, on his way to town.
For long time we couldn't imagine
what it meant, till all at once we dis
covered it's Aunt Sarah he's after. .
"Aunt Sarah!" / exclaimed, per
fectly astonished. "Aunt Sarahp
re-echoed Jane, and Rebecca, and
Richard, and Harry, as they all
rushed to the window to catch view
of the audacious parsonage who
threatened to "molest the ancient
solitary reign" of our venerable and
highly respected aunt.
We-that is, myself, and the said
Richard, Harry, Rebecca and Jane
had just g& home from school. We
had been away nearly three months,
and had, of course, on our return
lots of news to learn about matters
and things at home and in the neigh
borhood. But nothing we had heard
had SO completely astonished us as
the fact Of Aunt Sarah's having a
lover.
Aunt Sarah had been O fixture in
the family ever since my earliest re-
membrance. She was very tall and
uery straight, Uery eccentric and Ue,y
deaf. She was moreover, extremely
averse to all society except her 0,ols,
which she seemed to enjoy vastly; for
many time l have watched her with
childish awe, as she would sit in her
rocking-chair knitting, and all the
while talking to herself as busily, las
uncle used to say cas- ten bumble-
bees in a pumpkin blossom"
Sometimes used to ask her who
she was talking to, but this enquiry
always offended her, and as l was in
variably sent down stairs as pun
ishment for my inquisitiveness, I
soon learned the policy of repressing
my curiosity.
Mr.. Simon Hornet was also very
tall and thin. We watched him with
breathless interest, while he fastened
his sorrel-colored nag to tree out
side of the fence, and then opening
the gate proceeded with slow and
solemn steps across the lawn to the
side entrance. I'D
Like old Grimes, che wore long
blue coat all buttoned down before"
with bright brass buttons. The bot
tom Of his snuif-colored pants tucked
carefully into his boots, and on his
head he wore a "stove-pipe" hat,
pitched back from his brow in such
manner as to bear striking resem-
blance to a leaning chimney. He
wore around his throat white era
vat, tied in front with double bow
knot, and i'll his hand he carried q
heavy whip, which, regardless of the
bell, he applied to the door with
laundering force.
"Come, Kitty, you must go to the
door," said Evelyn; "for Margaret
can never make him hear in the
world"
"Not hear" I exclaimed in amaze
ment, "what, he isn't deaf, is heP"
eyes, deaf as a post" laughed
Evelyn. "But there, he's commenced
knocking again! Run quick, Kitty,
or he will batter the door down"
Away / few, and in a moment la
ter stood vis-a-vis with Aunt Sarah's
nondescript suitor.
"Is yur Aunt Sarah about hump
he enquired, stretching his neck for
ward and raising one hand to his ear,
the better to her my reply.
eyes, sir; will you walk in ?"
"Ain't in, hey? Expect her back
before long?"
81 asked you if you would walk in
and take seat" l replied, raising
my voice.
30! coming back in a week?"
ri say, sir, she is at home. Will
you please to walk in and take a seat
in the sitting room p l fairly scream
ed, turning purple in the face with
the exertion; while a suppressed
laugh from the adjoining room warned
me that my companions were highly
enjoying my embarrassment.
"Ho, hal" he exclaimed, finally
comprehending; "thank ye mum,
don't keer eff l dew. Sometime, I'm
leetle hard O. hearing"
''No mistake about that, +" thinks l
to myself, as 1 returned to the draw
ing room.
"Bravol Kitty, you did frst-rate, "
exclaimed Richard; 81 really had no
idea your lungs were so strong. Up
on my word, / believe he is deafer
than Aunt Sarah.
II should judge they were Just
about on a par in that respect"
laughed Harry. "By Georgel it's !
a most capital match