The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-16
GrandmOther's Story.
BY GEORGE MARSH.

BY GEORGE MARSH.
"Well, Aggie, you want me to tell
you about your Aunt Agnes. 1t will be
hard for you to understand about her,
because times have changed since she
was little like you. Let me sect was
twenty years last fall, since she died.
ave lived on a farm in Central New
York, about two miles from a little viii
lage, where we went for groceries and
to meeting, when the roads were good.
Your Aunt Agnes was our youngest
child. She was a strange girl. We
kept good many men, and there was a
great deal of work. The boys, that is,
your father and Uncle Giles, were away
at college, and they were costing your
grandfather sight of money. We had
to be saving; not that we did not have
what was good enough, but we could
not hire girl, when we had two of our
own. My health was poor. Your grand
father was always scolding me for work
ing so much, instead of making the
girls do it.
"Your Aunt Susan would take hold
and work lively, but Agnes had no am
bition. She would drag about all day,
as if she were dreaming. All she cared
for was reading. Every time she got a
chance, she would take a book, go off
by herself, and read. She had been to
the district school, and had as good an
education as any one; but she was not
satisfied; she wanted to go away to
school. | don't know what would have
become of her, if We had let her have
her own way.
"After your Aunt Susan married, Ag-
nes grew worse. We began to be afraid
she would be an old maid. The summer
she was twenty, Mr.. Green came to
preach in our church. / think he made
up his mind to marry Agnes before he
saw her, for he took no notice of her in
difference, and asked her to be his wife.
But la! she wouldn't marry him! Then
your grandfather and l got out of pa
thence with her, but Mr.. Green kept on
trying to court her all winter. He was
having hard time of it. His wife had
just died, and left little baby, besides
three other children; the oldest wasn't
nine years old, and he had no one to
look after them. He hired girl, but it
was expensive, and she would not take
care of things. They did have the most
distressed housekeeping l ever saw.
Well, he needed wife, if ever a man
did.
zone Monday Agnes wore a very long
face. She did not say anything, but
saw the tears run down her cheeks and
fall into the tub, as she stood washing.
knew she was mad. I just told her
she ought to be ashamed of herself for
being so ungrateful, when she was hav-
ing SO much done for her; few mothers
would stand what I did; people didn't
expect, when they had girls, that they
would be obliged to keep them always.
She did not answer me.
THAT night I heard a noise. I got
up to see what it was. l looked through
the key-hole of Agnes door, and there
l saw her in her night-dress, walking
the floor and crying as if she were crazy.
heard her say, % God, let me die'
opened her deor and told her to stor
such nonsense and go to bed; that
guessed she would find God did not LET
people die just when they wanted to. ]
heard no more from her that night.
'The next day she looked awful glum.
At night, when she had finished iron-
ing, she came out where | was sitting,
and said: Mother, you may tell Mr..
Green that | will marry him as soon as
you like. You know [ have never
asked for anything but an education, a
chance with my brothers to make nv
way in the world. You, for the sake OF
little money, have doomed me to a
life of drudgery and isolation, and you
will be responsible for the consequences.
81 told her 1 knew her wiekedness
would bring some awful judgment upon
her, and it did. Well, we sent for Mr..
Green, and told him just how it was
Agnes was willing to marry him, but
she had dreadful temper, and he would
have to look out for it. Mr.. Green was q
pretty-spoken man. He said, The fail
sex must be INDUCED in their little
Whims'
FPhey were married in two weeks
Your grandfather gave them the hand
soonest house and lot in the village, and
great piece of woodland besides. He
said it was worth five thousand dollars,
altogether. That was what he paid fol
the boys places. He always said he
would treat his children alike, and he
did.
'"The church couldn't give the minis
ter much money, but we saw that they
had things comfortable. Agnes and the
baby seemed to take to each other right
away. [ was very busy that summer.
had hired girl, but she would not do
anything as | had been used to having
1t done, so l didn't get down to see Ag-
nes more than twice during the sum-
mer. remember some one TOLD me
they thought Mrs. Green looked con-
sumptive. said, She always had a
pale look, but she was well aud strong. F,
zone night, late in the fall, one of
her neighbors came and woke us and
told us to get into his wagon as soon as
possible. Agnes was very sick. The
moment saw her, l knew she was dy-
ing. 1 thought of her unprepared soul,
and said, Agnes, let me send for some
one to pray for your salvation
Mother said she, L am almost
gone. want to see the baby. Leave
me alone with him for little while.'
II took the baby to her and went into
the next room. saw him put his little
arms around her neck, and pat her
cheek, and try to make her play with
Mimi but she only hugged him closer
and kissed him again and again. I