Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-04-10
LANCASTER. WISCONSIN. THURSDAY APRIL TO- 1879

window watching an approaching fig
ure. Tall, gaunt, angular, dressed il
rusty black, limp sunbonnet on hel
head and black sa.chel on her arm
! Aunt Sally Raggles was as eccentric
| in looks as in character. She was
well known as an inveterate gossip
and not always an amiable one.
| who is coming Kitty?' asked
| Mary.
| sOnly Aunt Sally Aud the mex,
moment the new conner was in the
door nodding her greeting to all. She
entered with the slow step and air O.
fnnereal solemnity that made it neces
sary to assume in the presence of re-
cent bereavement, or Of an invalid
and accosted Mrs Payne in a voice
that was almost a iohine.
sAh. dear me, Mrs. Payne, / wuz
away to Huldah AIMS when all this
happened and never got hum till last
week. And this mornin' l SEE to Jane
SEE /, sI'm agoin' to see the widder
Payne this very day. for when PEG.
Pile is afflicted it's our duty to visit
'em.
sThauk you,' said poor Mrs Payne,
who had baen temporarily cheered
and interested by the lively chat kept
which Robert and Mary purposely
kept up with Somers, sank back into
her usual detection. st is an affection
indeed, Aunt Sally. This house is sad
ly changed now
| well, it's the common lot,the com
mon lot, Mrs. Payne There haint
nothin' come to you but what comes
to us all. And I'm sure you had warn
in enough after them two other
shocks
yes, but he got over them both
and he seemed SO well this summer,
sobbed the widow. 'He seemed so
hearty and cheerful, and l was so all
ing, l never dreamed Of his being Ia
ken 6rst; and now he's gone and I'm
left--no use to myself or any one
else!' And she began to rock to and
fro, with the slow bitter tears of an
uncontrolled sorrow.
| ooh, no, no, mother don't feel 80,
said Mary, and
No. mamma, said Kitty, why,
what could / do without you or any
of us ? and she cast an impatient
glance at the visitor; while Robert
put in,
Father is better off than any OF US,
think of that mother. how happy he
u.s.
sYea, yes, said incorrigible Sally,
that's all very we'll for you gals and
young folks to say, but there amt
nobody feels it like yer ma does. She
hez lost more'n gou hev; you'll git
over it, but she never will. He was
all she had; and now he's gone, all
gone; and she's glttin' Old
Aunt Sally spoke up Kitty, with
some Of her old spirit, don't you
suppose mother and all Of of us feel
all this quite az much as there is any
need of? We don't need to be told
now hard it is. And I do think if you
cant say anything to cheer and COM
fort poor mother you need not say
only what makes her feel worsei'
Upon my word, Kitty Payne!' was
all Aunt Sally could say, lifting up
both her black-cotton gloved hands
and transixing Kitty with a stony
stare.
Somers coughed discreetly behind
his bat to hide smile; and Robert,
darling to the window on pretense of
looking to see if the horse stood still
found an opportunity to whisper,
Good for you Kit! Hit her again =
Poor Mr.. Payne had already err
treated to her own room to recover
control Of herself.
Excuse Kitty, Aunt Sally said
gentle Mary; SHE don't mean anv
harm; bat mother takes her trouble so
hard and i. wears on her so, we all
have to try to divert her from dwell
ing on it too much
Oh, wal, her sass don't alter the
case none as knows on. Truth is
truth is truth. and troubles trouble,
and you KANT get rid on it by kiver-
in on it up out of sight, and maxim
b'lieve faint there! Kitty alIer was
q spilled child; but she'll find trouble
come to her too. for all her uppish
ways
Mary flushed little but made no
reply; Kitty thought with a pang,
Have | not trouble, sure enough
And after few minutes silence Aunt
Sally began on a new tack, with a
covert, malignant glance at Kitty,
now spiritless and silent again.
| sHeerd anythin' about John Holmes
| yit! What you haint? None on We?
That duz beat all Thought Kitty
must heerd anyway.
why, what Is it, Aunt Sally?' said
Mary finding occasion to step to an
other part of the room so as to screen
Kitty tor moment from Aunt Sally's
eyes.
| why no one haint heerd word
from him since he left fur Rier Jan.
cry. And now the news comes from
New York that the ship he tuck has
been lost at sea and not a passenger
saved but some of the wimmen and
children
oh, no, Aunt Sally, not so bad as
that, broke in Robert. The vessel
has not been heard from, it is true.
| Ned told me before we came in. But
she may he safe for all that
| 'Humph, wal, mebbe you know!
Young folks nowadays know more
than their elders--er think they do
| tell it as twas told to me at his I'm.
Gle ElDah's where he use ter live.
They made no doubt he's lost did
think mebbe Kitty had heard from
him.
Somers now took his leave and in
the little diversion thus created Kitty
succeeded in making her escape. As
Mrs. Payne, now with recovered
emotion emerged from her room Mary
was soon at liberty to follow Kitty
and found her in her room, sitting
white and fearless in the grasp of this
new terror. Putting her arms ten.
derby round her the good sister said
softly: Don't look so, Kitty dear
Perhaps it is not true at all-only q
report. Aunt Sally always tells the
worst side out, you know, anyway