Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-09-12
For the Vermont "
Aunt Kizzie's Story.


shouted Katy Gray at the foot of the stairs,
" it's two o'clock and we are all ready to sew"
"Well, I'll be there in minute" was the
pleasant voiced reply from upstairs.
While they are waiting let me tell you a
little about Aunt Kizzie. She is an old
maid and not one bit afraid to confess it.
She looks as fresh and sunny as June
morning and no wonder, for she is brim-full
of love and good deeds for everybody. She
is aunty to all the children. | don't know
how they find it out, but directly they
see her they know it, and she knows it. So
you see she must be double aunt to the three
girls waiting for her in the sitting-room, be-
cause their mother is Aunt Kizzie's sister.
She is staying with the girls while their
father and mother go to the Vermont CEN
tennial. She proposed that they should
piece up cradle-quilt for poor Mrs. Firms
wee bit of a baby, while their mother is
away, and so it came to pass that every
afternoon they were all as busy as bees in
clover, and as happy as birds in spring-time,
cutting out and piecing together bits of gay
print, under the supervision of Aunt Kizzie,
and this afternoon III act as reporter for
your WATCHMAN children.
"Well," began Aunt Kizzie, Z" think I'll
tell you centennial story to-day"
is it about yourself ?" asked little Katy.
at can't be, you little ninny" said Fanny,
she amt but thirty-fve years old, and she's
got to be hundred fore she can do that"
"You needn't snap me up so; don't
b'lieve you knew, when you want bigger'n
me" retorted Katy.
"No, shouldn't wonder if she didn't"
said peace-loving Carrie, "and | know |
| didn't; but come, we are ready for the story,
| Aunt Kizzie"
at wasn't quite one hundred years ago that
your Great-greataunt Grover went to Yer
mont to live, but she and her husband were
among the early settlers of the state. At
the time of my story they had cleared few
acres of land, and considered themselves
rich in possessing COW, a pig and few
hens, and as snug a log house as one could
| hope to find there was a large fireplace in
logs, of winters evening, it was as jolly
sight as you could possibly wish to see.
Thanksgiving was near at hand. Piggy
was fat as pig should be at this season, and
they had raised corn and potatoes, and what
was still better, wheat for seed, and half
bushel to spare; the three children were
well, and they had everything to be thank
full for so said your great-greataunt; and
supper of "white flour" and fresh pork, and
askin' Uncle Eds folks over 2
Uncle Eb was your great-grandfather,
and he lived about half mile from Mr.
Growers" 0his Aunt Kizzie said to the girls
in a parenthesis)
And so it was settled as matters usually
were in that house, according to Aunt Grow
ers mind Uncle Eds folks were invited,
and Mr.. Grover had taken the wheat on
hand sled and gone to mill, eighteen miles
away, leaving his wife and children to keep
house."
"Want they fraid of tramps 2" inquired
Carrie.
8. Rless Won no. child there were no tramps.
nor much of road to tramp in; they went
by marked trees mostly in those times. No,
this aunt of yours was a brave woman, and
when it grew dark she put the two little boys
to bed and sat down to her knitting, while
Rible and read aloud the story of .Josepb :.
for tbougb she had meyer been to school n
dav in her life she conld read AZ well AZ
most girls of ten can NOWADAYS. and she
never tired of reading those Bible stories.
Girls didn't have AZ muoh time to read or
play then as they do now. They learned to
knit and snip when unite youno. lydia
could spin when she was so small she had
to stand ON a nlank to reach the wheel. But
I must o., an With NV story Nbe, bod.
time came Mrs. Grover .raked mn the fire ,
and nulled the latch string in. and she and
lydia were sound asleep in half iiffy.
" About MIDNIGHT Mrs. Grover was awak-
ened Inv hearing the MIC soueal as if in great
distress. She Jumped up, and taking fire
brand in the tones. went ont to see what was
the matter. She held the fre.brand-which
the air had freshened to a fIame--down close
IN the n;o and there right hold of nipqv's
ear was a monstrous black bear: the fire
seemed TO frighten him and he let 90 of the
pie's ear"
| uoh Jaort Lno,y eba ,,oo af,a;J noun ;,