The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-05-15
AUNT HILLARYS LEGACY.

"Oh, dear, dear" SAID Aunt Hillary,
. in a tone of despair; "oh, dear, dear,
whatever shall do with him?"
She was looking at something which
the ex xpressman had Just deposited on the
floor of the back porch-a stout wooden
cage. within which appeared bright
eyed, pink-faccd monkey.
why, he'll murder us, | shouldn't
wonder continued Aunt Hillary, draw
ing back rs the monkey stretched forth
his little black paw, "or set the house on
fire, or something else dreadful. What
pm to do with him?" she concluded, in
e tone of distress.
Give him away, aunt, or sell him, !
suggested poking my school-umbrella
between the bars of the cage.
No, no; | couldn't think Of that.
He was such flvorite with poor Janet.
And she left him to me because she was
sure, she said, that ! would treat him
kindly; but how to manage him | am
sure | don't know. What do monkeys
eat, Pose?"
"Oh, cocoanuts, and bananas, and
oranges. and cake, and sugar, and such
things" replied, confidently.
Pretty dear boarding." said old
Ephraim, limping up from the garden,
hoe in hand. "S'pose now, Miss Hill
larry. YOU try him with piece O. bread.
It's plain, but healthy" -.
The monkey eagerly grabbed the light
roll which Aunt Hillary presented on
, the end of fork, and devoured it with
gusso. lie also accepted some milk
(which Ephraim courageously put be
tween the bars; and then he crouched
down in q cdner end looked so quiet
and wistful that Aunt Hillary quite
piticd him.
"IIe does look innocent and lonesome,
poor little thing" she said. Il dare say
ne misses his old home and his kind mis-
tfess; but he shall have at least plenty TO
eat and drink here. Only" she added,
hesitatingly, II do rather wish that
Janet Waters had chosen anything but q
monkey for pet"
When, two or three days after this,
stopped on my way from school TO see
Aunt Hillary, l found her in great dis
tress. Jackey (that was the monkeys s
name) had turned out perfect little
demon, and was giving no end Of trouble.
He wouldn't stay in his narrow cage
in fact, he wasn't used to cage, except
in travelling; and when she, with Ephra-
inns assistance, let him out and tied him
TO the bedpost, he had ripped open the
pillows and investigated their contents,
which he afterward strewed literally
about the floor. He had then been con-
fined in the back porch, wheye he
wrapped himself in a roller-towel and
pulled Tabby's tail, and upset q can Of
kerosene oil on Puff, Aunt I1illary's little
white poodle. Thereupon Ephraim had
tied him in the garden, while he pruned
the Icurrant bushes, and after while re-
turned to find all the young radishes
pulled UP and Jackey industliously
searching out the garden peas which had
been sown on the previous day.
Finally tall pole was erected in the
midst Of the grass-plot, and to this
Jackey was secured with rope long
enough to admit of his running up and
down and around in limited circle :;
but. alas. even this expedient failed, for
in two hours he had pulled up half the
grass and scratched innumerable drst-
holes.
What was to be done with the monkey? ?
Il don't know which is the worst, "
said Aunt Hillary, with tears dimming
her usual bright brown eye-"th the boys
or Jackey."
There was an old schoolhouse on the
big lot adjoining Aunt Hillary's pretty
cottage at the end of the village street
The teacher was tall, thin, grave-look:
ing man of middle age-"very neat and
threadbare. and with the manners of Q
perfect gentleman" as Aunt Hillary adj
miringly observed.
But the boys! the whooping, yelling
crew, who made twelve o'clock hideou!
with unearthly noises, and who climbed
Aunt Hillary's garden-palings and snow
balled Puff and, .,Tabby in winter and stole
her choice plums and cherries in summer
and at all seasons enriched her garder
with old shoes, tin cans and discardet
hoopskirtS!
All, what pathos there was in tina
simple remark ofAunt Hillary's: II dom
know which is the worst-the hoys O
Jackeym
She was the most patient and good
humored person in the world, and tn
laSt whom any but schoolboy woul'
have taken pleasure in worrying. !
neat, trim little woman about thirty-five
with bright, kindly eyes, n fresh complex
ion, and face still so comely and,expres
sive of gentle and womanly feeling that
often wondered why she should be an oil
maid.
Once. when expressed to her this wor
der, she colored like girl. smiled, an
answered frankly that no one had eve