Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-10-18
PLEASURES OF MEMORY.


which. rounded and sealed, have lain
since their death in the tomb of eternity. |
We have venerable grand aunt
Mrs. Betsey Parsons-whose unimpaired
memory thus often delights those of US
who revel in the stories of a past gen.
eration-and one day we invited Mr..
Chardon, who is collecting material for
a forthcoming book, to come over and
see the old lady and listen to some of
ksr old-time stories
he brought with him Miss Peters, to
whom he is engaged, and we introduced
them to Aunt Betsey.
'Chardon, Chardon," murmured the
old lady, as she scratched her head re-
fectively with knitting needle-''lem-
me see. There was Sam Chard'n lived
over to the corner nigh to forty years
ago-'member he stole some pork outer
Deacon Haines' cellar-hope 'twan't
you, was it q and the old lady smiled
pleasantly, and Mr. Chardon, who is
about twenty-six years old, and pain
fully modest, blushed violently. as he
said that he didn't remember of ever do
ing anything of the kind.
"No,-come to think of it, it couldn't
"a been yOu-this ere ChardOn was a
dreadful hansum feller, praps twas yer
father, or maybe yer uncle said Aunt
Betsey. as she resumed her knitting.
That was very pleasant for Mr.. Char
don, especially as Miss Peters, who had
never been in our vicinity before, began
to look somewhat dubious, and so we
mildly suggested to the old lady that
Mr.. Chardon was born in Nobleboro',
long way from the Corner, and that
he was going to write book.
"Law. yes" said Aunt Betsey, ecu
ri's | shouldn't a known ye. 1 was
brought up to Nobleboro', an member
now all about yer family. Yer pa fail.
ed, didn't he. when you was goin' on
fer nineteen years old. an Nancy Cous-
ins Civ yer 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 if match
might be lighted on it, and Miss Peters
majesticallY gathered her shawl around
her, we trod on the old lady's foot with
desperate hope that the tide of recol-
lection might be cut short.
"0-w-w-w exclaimed Aunt Betsey,
'fwho's that a-treadin' on my toes? and
she regarded us with such 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 hurry, Miss
Miss-I don't quite git yer name"
said our worthy relative.
"Peters we suggested, as the young
lady stood undecided, and the wretched
Mr.. Chardon made frantic effort to
smile pleasantly.
"What, one of the Peters to Sheep
scot?" said the old lady, eagerly, '.they
are relashuns of mine"
"My grandfather and father lived in
SheepscOt," said the young lady frigid-
ly. "but it was very many years ago"
"Bless you, child" said Aunt Betsey,
contentedly, Il member all about EN-,
and yer mother too; she never freckled
es you do, and her teeth was as white
as yourn. Yourn amt false ones, be
they 2" said our relative eagerly, to
which query Miss Peters shook her head
family, and said she really must 60.
'Why, never see no one in such a
hurry" remarked Aunt Betsey, detain-
ing the young lady by her shawl, while
Mr. Chardon looked as cheerful as though
he had killed somebody show old be
} you?"
With some hesitation the young lady
murmured twenty-three.
"Lemme see," said the old lady,
e "Sam, he married yer ma-she was old
! Bill Bixby's darter, in forty-6ve-I re-
| member p'tickerly on account of Sam s
borryin' ten dollars Of my husband to
S 60 on honeymoon with you was born
: nigh about year after, and now it's
e seventy FIVE, an, aceordir' to that you
mus be, lemme see. and Aunt Betsey
i commenced counting Der fingers with a
/ mathematical precision that would have
n speedily evolved thirty years from the
d past. had We not eontriyed to recall her
i attention by telling her that Miss Pc
: ters was going and that she had better
/ say goodbye.
i "Wal. if you must 90, said our rel
atiye. reluctantly. II suppose you must
y That's a proper pOOty dress you're a
e wearin' but what made the dressmaker
d cut it so scrimpin ? Tain't big nuf
a round, an it's too tight
d "YOu amt had a fever nor Dothin
have ye?" continued the old Lady in :
loud whisper, glancing to the lower par
: of the young lady's form. which her pull
n back skirt displayed to excellent adyan
q. tage. you look awful thin, yer limb