The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-31
NUMBER SEVEN.

duA hVdips Wv n"fAhS pCt-
yersity for procrastination, she failed to
make up her mind upon the subject OF
marriage until it was too late; SO one
after another of her admirers fell off,
and left her alone to ponder on tsWhat
might have been," if she had only given
a timely and serious consideration to
their proposals. ees I
No one who regarded Aunt Lucretia's
placid countenance would ever suppose
that the fact OF her becoming an old maid
had in the least degree. rendered her
days less happy, or had given her one
moment Of regret. She moved on in her
accustomed way, and never seemed to
cast look back to the pleasant times
when she was the ere dr9eigning beauty of the
town, with $4,000 invested In good
mortgages upon the properties Of her
| neighbors.
| or all the slow women have ever
seen Aunt LucreHa was the slowest.
She was never in time for anything ex-
cept ner bed and rocking chair. But her
sweet and easy temper atoned for all the
other defects of her nature. 1t was i'm
possible to excite her anger. No matter
what occurred, Aunt Lucretla was al.
ways ready to turn it to the best account.
From my boyhood to my manhood, yis-
tied her regularly ever summer, and
during all these years never received a
harsh or unkind reproof, though many a
time, no doubt, merited sound thrash
ling.
The good old lady weighed two hun.
| dred pounds and fraction, but she
moved ON her feet with the nimbleness
of a girl, ana nothing pleased her better
than, when at seventy-three, to hear her
younger friends assert that she was
as agile as the best OF them.
OF course, Aunt Lucretia had some pe-
| culiar traits; it would have been strange
had it been otherwise; for a woman like
her who had read strange books in her
youth and led a solitary life, could
scarcely fail to have peculiarities in her
old age. AS a dreamer of dreams and
beholder OF visions, Aunt Lueretia had
no equal, at least in Banford. IL fol-
lowed, of course, that she was a little
superstitious. The women used to come
to her to interpret their dreams, and to
explain mysterious noises which were
regarded as omeus, and Aunt Lucretia
being exceedingly religious, was always
able to open her Bible and peint out
passages where such things were pre-
dicted in the "latter days."
1t is strange how little it requires in
some cases to get up reputation for
knowledge. Auntie Lucretia was an
example of this kind. Among the nu-
merous friends who visited my aunt's
house was Mrs. Ruth Smith, widow of
about thirty years, whose husband had
lett her only fifteen thousand dollars,
which she had been trying to double ever
since the poor man had ''shuffled off his
mortal coil" But Mrs. Smith had never
been able to accomplish her lauuable
purpose, notwithstanding the sundry
lottery tickets she had purchased, and
the various other devices she had tried,
One day she came hurrying into my
aunt's presence in the greatest excite
ment.
''My dear Miss White" she exclaimed,
.what do you suppose this means? /
went to call on friend this morning
who had recently arrived in town, and
found the number of her house was sew
en-. After leaving and while passing
down the street, 1 was accosted by a
poor beggar woman who solicited aims,
saying she had seven small children.
Well, | got into the street car, and hap
seven. l began to think these coinoi-
dences strange, when a hands ems child
attracted my attention, and on asking
the woman whe had it in charge its age,
she replied Seven Now, MY dear Miss
White, can endure it no longer, SO |
determined to seek you at once; for
don't believe this thing was the result of
accident. What does this seven mean?'
Aunt Lucretia placed her spectacles
upon her nose, and with much gravity
replied:
t'Seyen is a sacred number.u
81 know it," interrupted Mrs. Smith,
who, by -the-by, had very limited khowl.
edge of Scripture. II know it; there's
the seven commandments"
"Ten Commandments" said my aunt.
by way Of correction.
comp replied the widow, care there
so many? Well, it's all the same. Con
tinue, my good Miss Lucretia, and tell
me, ii you please, What'th frequent re-
curfence of the number seven means?v
Aunt Lucretfa put ON the mysterious,
as she replied; II can not imagine what
1T means, perhaps nothing at all."
'Ohl but it does," persisted the
widow, 81 know it does"
"Then why do you come to mef" she
inquired.
Mrs. Smith here became perplexed,
s'Oh, dont mean that comprehend
the signification oil the thing-nothing OF
that Kind, but l do know that you. my
dear Miss Lucretia, seem to understand |
these matters better than any one else |
here among US, 30 / beseech you to give |
me your opinion on the subject"
"All through the Scriptures" )" says nv |
aunt, 'we lind the number seven spoken 4
Of; 90 often, In fact, that 1t would be un- |
necessary to mention it to the Bible |
reader. Now, tell me, Miss Smith, can
you connect the number with any desire 1
you have? Is there anything that &C.
ours to You that you think the mystical |
number can control or infiuenceW AS
my aunt spoke fancied could detect q |
quiet smile about The corners OF her,
mouth.
Mrs. Smith pondered TOR few mo-
nents, then suddenly sprang from thef
chair. 4
.'Bless my SOUL" she cried, show fool
sh in me never to have thought of it.
Z ou are correct;" and she caught my
lunt's hand in both OF her own. HYes,0
,he continued, II see it now, shall
make my fortune. / shall draw prize.
Bhe lottery fer the Propagation of Use
i'll knowledge Among the Heather at
dome' draws this week, and Imust have
he. ticket number SEVEN"
i. My aunps colntenance fell to zero.
II have certainly been unfortunate In
ny speech, II gave you reason to sup
Jose looked with favor ON any such |.
inholy practices. My dear Mrs. Smith,
did not have money in my mind. 1
. = Il