The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-22
Pleasures of Memory.

There is something very touching in
the fondness with which old age clings to
the recollections of the past, when mem
DRY with her magic wand has called up
the scenes of years gone by-years which,
rounded and sealed, have lain since their
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 reveI in the stories of the past gener-
alton, and one day we invited Mr. Char
don, who is collecting material for a
forthcoming book, to come over and see
the old lady and listen to some of her
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-
flectively with her knitting-needle-
"lemme see. There was Sam Chard' n
lived over to the corner nigh to forty
years 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 50
we mildly suggested to the good lady
that Mr.. Chardon was born in Mobiles
bOrO', long way from the corner, and
that he was going to write a book.
Law, yes" said Aunt Betsy, Courts
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
match might be lighted at it, and Miss
Peters majestically gathered her shawl
dIOullu llCI, VIC IIOh Ol JlIC OlNl 1dCN > lOOb
with desperate hope that the tide OF
recollection Nigh be cut short.
9 O-w. w-wp' exclaimed Aunt Betsy,
"whO's that treadin' on my foot don't
We know no better?" and she regarded us
spectacles that we have no hope of ever
being remembered in her will.
81 think, Mr. Chardon, we had better
L. ID
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 wretched
Mr.. Chardon made a frantic effort to
smile pleasantly.
What, one of the Peterses to Sheep
scOt?' said the old lady, eagerly; ''the're
r'lashuns of NINE"
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,
an y'r mother too; she never freckled as
you do an her teeth was as white as
yourn. Yourn amt false ones, be they?"
said our relative eagerly, to which query
Miss Peters shook her head family, and
said she really MUST go.
"Why, l never see no one in such
hurry" remarked Aunt Betsy, OBTAINING
the young lady by her shawl, while Mr..
Chardon looked as cheerful as though he
had killed some one. GLOW old be your
With some hesitation the young lady
twenty-three."
"Lemme see," said the old lady.
g Sam, he marri'd yer ma-she was old
Billy Bixby's darter-in forty-tive-I
member p'ticulerly n account of Sans |
bOrryin' so dollars of my husban' to go |
On honeymoon with; you was born
nigh about year after, an now it's sew |
an accordin' to that you mus
De, femme see," and Betsy commenced |
counting her fingers with a mathematical |
precision that would speedily have
evolved thirty years from the past had
We not contrived to recall her attention
~ telling her that Miss Peters was 60
ng, and that she had better say good
~"