The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-10-23
Pleasures of Memory.


the fondness with which old age clings t.
the recollections of the past, when mem
DRY with her magic wand has called w
the scenes of years gone by-years which
rounded and sealed, have lain since theil
death in the tomb of eternity.
We have a venerable grand-aunt-
Mrs. Betsy Parsons-whose unimpaired
memory thus often delights those of us
who revel in the stories of the past gener.
alton, and one day we invited MIR Char
don, who is collecting material for a
forthcoming book, to come over and see
the old lady and listen to some of heI
Old-time stories.
He brought with him Miss Peters, to
whom he is engaged, and we introduced
them to Aunt Betsy.
Chardon, Chardon," murmured the
old lady, as she scratched her head re-
fectively with her knitting-needle-
"lemme see. There was a Sam Chard'n
lived over to the corner nigh to forty
years ago-'member he stole some pork
outer Deacon Haines' cellar-hope 'twant
you, was it?"-and the. old lady smiled
pleasantly, and Mr.. Chardon, who was
twenty-six years old and painfully mod
est, blushed violently as he said that he
didn't remember of ever doing anything
of the kind.
No-come to think of it, it couldn't
"a ben you-this ere ChardOn was a
dre'dful hansum Teller, praps twas yer
father, or mebbe yer uncle" said Aunt
Betsy, placidly, as she resumed her knit
ting.
This wasn't very pleasant for Mr..
Chardon, especially as Miss Peters, who
had never been in our vicinity before,
began to look somewhat dubious, and SO
we mildly suggested to the good lady
that Mr.. Chardon was born in Mobiles
boro'. a long way from the corner, and
that he was going to write a book.
claw, yes" said Aunt Betsy, "curi's l
shouldn't a known We. | was brought
up to Nobleboro', an member now all
about yer family. Yer pa failed, didn't
he, when you wos goin' on fer niniteen
year old, an Nancy Cousins Civ We the
mitten on count of it? That was jest
afore you had the scrape with"
Just at this terrible crisis, and while
Mr.. Chardon's face seemed as though a
match might be lighted at it, and Miss
Peters majestically gathered her shawl
around her, we trOd on the old lady's foot
recollection nigh be cut short.
"O-w-w-wW exclaimed Aunt Betsy,
who's that a treadin' on my foot don't
We know no better" and she regarded us
with such a vindictive glare over her
spectacles that we have no hope of ever
being remembered in her WILL
81 think, Mr.. Chardon, we had better
be going" said Miss Peters, in an i'm
pressive voice, rising from her seat.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Miss-Miss
i don't quite git your name," said our
worthy relative.
Peters" we suggested, as the young
lady stood undecided, and the wretehed
Mr.. Chardon made frantic effort to
smile pleasantly.
What, one of the Peterses to Sheep
scot ?" said the old lady, eagerly; ''the're
r lashuns of mine"
My grandmother and father lived in
said the young lady, frig-
idly, "but it was many years ago."
Bless you, child" said Aunt Betsy,
81 member all bout 'em,
m y'r mother too; she never freckIed as
you do, an her teeth was as white as
yourn. Yourn amt false ones, be thew" |
aid our relative eagerly, to which query
Miss Peters shook her head family, and |
aid she really MUST go.
"Why, never see no one in such a
hurry, remarked Aunt Betsy, OBTAINING |
he young lady by her shawl, while Mr.
Chardon looked as cheerful as though he
lad killed some one. GLOW old be your
With some hesitation the young lady
" twenty-three."
Lemme see" said the old lady
sam, he marri'd yer ma-she was old
Billy Bixby's darter-in forty-five-I
p'ticulerly N account of Sans
orryin' $40 dollars of my husban' to go
n a honeymoon with; you was born
Ugh about a year after, an now it's sew
nty-five, an accordin' to that you mus
e, femme see" and Betsy commenced
bunting her fingers with mathematical
RECESSION that would speedily have
volved thirty years from the past had
G not contrived to recall her attention
slling her that Miss Peters was go g.:
g, anH hat she had better say good