Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-23

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looking persOn-perhaps more so from
our associating him with the poetry in
Aunt Helen's life, and making him an
object of wonder as to whether or not
now they would ever come together again.
But there was little chance of that.
We had met Mr.. Thornton elsewhere,
old since the day he went out with his
brides ring. And Aunt Helen's pecu-
liarity was that she never forgot. Could
she, then, forget the words he had spoke
to her in his anger? Could she ever for
get his marrying another woman in less
than week? 1t had been in that week
and a few following that her hair had
turned white She had suffered mex
pressibly; she had never slept night;
but she kept up a gay face. Perhaps
she would have suffered longer if it had
not been for our growing up about her
Her life was thus filled, every moment
of it; she had but very little time to be
! lonely, to brood, OF mourn. She forgot
herself in us. 1t gave hera quiet happi-
ness, and kept her comedy. And then
she was too proud; whenever the thought
thrust up its head, she shut the lid
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But one day-after the time when the
doctors had said Harry was hopeless
cripple, and must lie on his back the rest
of his life-Aunt Helen brought home a
little basket from the county fair, and
took from the wool within it two of the
cunningist mites of chickens you ever
laid your eyes on. a hate them," said
she; they make me crawl; but they
will amuse the dear child. They're
African bantams." And so they did
amuse him and delight him, as he lay on
his lounge in the bay-window and
watched them growing up, full of bust
ness. And that was the way, blythe
way, that we came to have chickens
round the front piazzas. One night, a
year afterward, when, the bantams were
quite grown people, somebody dropped
over the fence pair of big black Coch-
ms, that stalked about as if the earth
was too good to tread on, or as if they
were afraid of crushing bantam with
the next step. OF course we knew where
the Cochins came from-for nobody else
in town had anv-but no one said a
word. Only it was sport on the next
day to peer round the corner and see
! Aunt Helen, with a piece of bread in
her hand, in doubt whether to have any
thing to do with those fowls or not,
twice extending her hand with the
crumbs and snatching it back again. and
at last making one bold effort, and
throwing the whole thing at them, and
hurrying into the house. But from that
moment ever hungry Cochin seemed
to regard her as their patron saint. She
never appeared but they came stalking
gingerly along to meet her, and at last
one even made so bold as to fly up and
perch on the back of her chair on the
piazza. OF course he was shooed off
with vigor-with little more yigor, per-
haps, because Mr. Thornton had at that
moment been passing, and had seen this
woman who would never keep hens pre-
senting that tabieau.
In two or three days after that Aunt
Helen, coming home at twilight from
one of her rambles by the river bank was
observed to be very nervous and flushed,
and to look much as if she had been cry
| ing.
It's all right" said our Ned, coming
in shortly after her. IS 1 know all about
/ it; I've been setting my eel traps; and
what do you think-she met old Thorn
! ton
"Nedr' III
"She did indeed. And what'H you say
to that mans cheek? He up and spoke
to herE' -
ooh, now, Ned. Before you!'
"Fact. Before me? No, indeed;
lay low" said Ned, with a chuckle
'.:But, bless you, they wouldn't have seen
me if | had stood high"
+" For shame, Ned. Oh, how could YOU
and Aunt Helenw
Guess you'd have been no better in
my place." said the INSCRIPTIONS boy
"But, there, that's all. If [ couldn'
listen, of course you can't"
Oh now, Ned, pleasen' we all chorus
ed together.
well, then. He stood straight before
her 'Helen,' said he, have you forgot
ten me?' and she began to turn white.
have had time enough, SIR said She"
Oh, you ought not to have staid,
Nedr' = e.. ~z-~T-}
:" You may find out the rest by your
learning" said the offended narrator, :"
should like to know how I was going to
leave. Only I'll say this, that if Aunt
Helen would marry old thornton to-day
she wouldn't touch him with walking
stickn'
To our amazement, on the very next
afternoon who should appear at our gate,
with his phaeton and pair, but Mr. Thorn
ton; and who, bonneted and gloved and
yelled, should issue from the door, to be
placed in that phaeton and drive off with
| him. but Aunt Helen. Ned chuckled.
but the rest of us could do nothing but
wonder. Has she gone to be married ?"
we gasped. And Lii and Harry began
to cry.
"Well, I'll tell you," said Ned, in
mercy. "He said there'd never been a
day since he left her that he hadn't
longed for what he threw away"
Oh, how wicked!"
She told him SO, very quietly and Sc
terely-I tell you Aunt Helen can be
severe-and to be silent on that point.
Forever?' said he. And ever said
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