The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-07-13

own account, she went ons But do
mind, Sebastian, that you arc particularly
nice to her, and very attentive and differ
ential, and"
"Oh, please don't give me any more
directions, mother" l answered, stopping
my ears. Z" shall get so confused
shan't know what to do at ALL" So say
ing left the room and went to tell Clari-
bel what was about to happen.
| This important letter had come on a
Wednesday. The day intervening between
its arrival and my aunt's was spent by my
thoroughly clean rooms, and in preparing
all sorts of nice things for the expected
guest. In looking back now upon all
these preparations and remembering why
they We're so very carefully attended to,
can't help thinking that we were rather
Of the nature of toadies; but still it hap
pened, and in my character of faithful
historian must tell the truth,
At last the time when the ininoftant Wis.
| itor might be looked for had COME, and
| we were all in a tluttef Of expectation. Nv
mother had put on her best dress, a steel
gray silk, and a cap trimmed with cherry
coiorcd ribbons, that was supposed to suit
her better than anything else she had. l
had yielded to the advice and entreaties of
my surroundings and had dressed myself
very carefully in new suit had just had
made.
We all lowered about near the door,
trying to look unconcerned, but failing
signally. After u time the sound of ap-
preaching wheels told us that the person
| for whom we were looking was near at
hand. Another moment and the ep,nibus
which piled in the neial,bofhood drew up
before our garden gate, and lady, that I
rightly supposed was my aunt, alighted.
She was small, spare woman, with
| somewhat severe expression of face, and
sharp, piercing eye, that seemed at once
to take stock of everything within mile
of her, and that had the effect of any
you at your ease, 1t was with an inward
trembling-hy no means concealed from
one another, if hidden from her eyes
that we went forward to receive our new
ly-arrived relative; but we managed it
pretty WE'LL and before long she was safely
installed in the smaller parlor. Then af-
ter the interval of few moments, my
mother suggested that she might like to 60
| to her room and remove her travelling
| dress, and as she at once took this sugges-
ton the rest of lis were left with little
breathing time.
As far as was concerned, however,
this respite was a very short one. In
| drawing up plan of the course of action
| to be pursued, which had been done in
family conclave with the utmost amount
of care and deliberation, it had been ar
ranged that as my aunt might like a pri-
vate interview with me, should be, APP
parcntly by accident, in the best parlor
| when she came down stairs again, and
that my mother should adroitly with
draw, of course also by accident, and leave
us there together.
Accordingly, not long after the two Ia
dies had gone up stairs, went to the APP
pointed spot and assumed what seemed to
me the position of spider in web
looking for flies. The position was by
no means pleasant one to me, but I
consoled myself with the reflection that
on this occasion at least the fly was by no
means an unwary one.
| had not been waiting many minutes
| before the ladies came down again. l
went to the door of the room us gracefully
as l could, and my mother, upon seeing
me, remarked, with an air of impromptu
tlIttt NlN uCl
"Oh, here is Sebastian; will you eX-
cuse me for few minutes if leave you
to him: ~
My aunt, little suspecting that this was
part of deep-laid plot, bowed with old
| fashioned politeness, by no means want
ing in stateliness, and surrendered herself
to my care.
| There was something in the solemnity
of the whole proceeding, coupled with
the knowledge of what designing hum
| bugs we all were, that made keeping
properly grave very difficult to me- But
with an effort managed to repress the
smile that tried so hard to rise to my lips,
| and went forward to take possession of my
aunt
On each side of the fireplace, which
was filled at this moment with gaily col
Ored paper-for the time of the year was
summer-stood an armchair, very old
fashioned, like the rest of our furniture,
with thin, spindley legs and wide seats
covered with chintz. AS these were the
most dignitied looking objects in the
room, thought the best thing would be
to offer one of them to the lady to whom
was doing the honors. Accordingly led
her up to one of them, turned away with
the most courtly bow l could manage,
| and going to the one opposite to her, sat
down.
But, oh horror! in the course of the
rummage that had taken place in this
room to prepare it for the expected guest
the seats of these two chairs had been ia
ken out, and, little as we suspected it,
mismatched. No sooner did my weight
come upon it than the treacherous foun-
dation on which had hoped securely to
repOse, gave way, the seat tilted up, and
in an instant l found myself sitting
through the framework, my knees and my
nose almost in contact, and utterly unable
to extricate myself.
1t had happened so suddenly and un-
expectedly that at first l was too much
astonished to think of anything but my
self; but in an instant remembered my
aunt and looked across at her. MY feel
| ings may be imagined when l discovered
that she was in exactly the same position
as myself, as utterly unable to help her
self, and evidently as much astonished as
was. Just as | caught sight of her,
however, her self possession seemed to re-
turn, and, in angry accents, rendered
somewhat uncertain by the inconvcnient
posture in which she was, she said:
| so, Mr.. Sebastian! this is the way in
which you treat your relations?
have all my life been possessed of a
very keen sense of the ludicrous. Wheth-
er that possession be an advantage or not
have never quite been able to determine,
| there is so much to be said on both Sides
The position in which we now were, and
which, indeed, was funny enough to have
tickled the gravest of mankind, amused
me so irresistibly that, regardless of the
consequences, l burst into hearty peal of
laughter.
OF course the madness of this proceed
ing became apparent to me at once, and,
making desperate effort to check my
mirth and to speak gravely, began:
Il assure you, Aunt Gregg
There's no good in assuring me any
thing" interrupted my aunt. 8" If you
were to 60 on assuring me from now till
the last moment of my life, should not
believe you.''
But, my dear aunt"