Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-11-20
AUNT PRUE'S KINDNESS.

lou sec she was such m ODSrarVant Der
con, was Aunt Prue, and, she took sucl
kind interest in her neice, Helen, and tn
lattar,s husband, Jack. that it was NOR
than she could do to sit silent when sh,
saw things going on round her will
which she disspproved. And she disap
proved of most things. Her sense o
right and wrong was very straight, ant
she scorncd the conventional cowardic,
Of tolersting those social lashes which
she believed to be deadly sins. Thil
does not mean that she made frequen,
reference to Holy Writ in her homilies
for In truth the canon law which she laic
down for the guidance Of her young rela
tlves seemed to be altogether Of her owl
making. She would say: ~ have found
by experience that this or that course il
foolish, aud leads to mischief" and some
times she would add this clincher: "a
wish to act kindly, and feel it would be
mistaken kindness to bequeath my for.
tune to persons who do net understand
the science Of life" meaning by these
persons Jack, and her neice, Nell.
Hero is the cat out of the bag; Aun,
Prue Lad money, and it was the hope Of
being made her heirs which exercised, il
must be feared, an ascendancy over the
two mercenary souls of the Merrydews
husband and wife.
1T it weren't for her money I'd kick
the old cantlng trump out Of the house, y
bawled Jack, losing all patience one
day, about six weeks afier Aunt Prue's
arrival.
"Hush, dearl' exclaimed Helen, hor.
rifed. "If auntic lett us she would go
back to the Moliers, who would intrigue
10 get us disinherited; and how silly we
wonld look then!''
Allusions to his cousins, the Moliers
always had the effect Of quietlng Jack,
who would have put up with a great
deal from Aunt Prue merely to spite he,
other nephew and niece, whom he hated
These relatives were undoubtedly ang-
hing for Aunt Prue's fortune. After
harboring the old lady in their house fo1
three years they had, at last. offended
her, and she had stamped of in a dud-
geon; but since that day they had been
iawning IN many sycofantic ways to get
her back; and it was the invariable
threat of auntie, when thwarted in any
of her whims, that she would return to
the hospitality of those Moliers, who
Judging by her description Of them on
hese occasions, seemed to be paragsns
of all the virtues and graces. There came
a day when even the gentle soul of Hell
en- rebelled against the oft-repeated eu
logy of tho Moliers. and she said to he,
husband:
"Jack, can't stand this any longer
let her cut us off without shilling if she
ploases, but I must turn her out Of the
house. I have had enough of being this
old woman's slave"
"Hush, my dear, said Jack, taking II
10 his turn to play the peacemaker
"Just read this; be quick" and be pro
dueed folded paper of legal aspect.
20, Jack, it's suntie's will Where die
you get it}" exclaimed HELEN, whose frs
breath was cut short rs she read the first
line.
II found 1t on the table In her sitting
room; make haste and readit while tho
old girl Is in the garden" answered Jack.
who was himself much excited.
Poor Helen turned quite scarlet
and her hands trembled from nervous.
ness as she read the following words:
~ constitute my beloved niece, Helen
Merrydew, sole heiress of all my proper
ty, personal and real--to wit: certain
lands in tho, county Of s., yielding
$4,000 year, and sum of 100000 in.
vested in three per cent. consols, along
with my plate, jowelry, pictures, and
furniture"
10, Jack, how very kind! calculated
Helen, as ahe dropped her hands Into
hsr lap and looked at her husband with
trimming eyes.
eyes, the old lady is worth pett,ng,
answered Jack Merrydew, reiolding thu
will.
"How cruelty we have misjudged
herp said Helen. II feel as if the devo
ton of lifetime, would not be enough
to pay for all this kindness" -.
"Well, we'll, she is seventy now, 80
hope our patience will not be put to the
test too long," muttered Jack, candidly
"Oh, Jack, how can you talk sol" re
piled Helen, In scandalized tone; anG
from that time forth she would never
heat word uttered against Aunt Pru
dence. Ste endured all thelatter's groans
lectures and menaces with the equanimity
Of an angel: and Jack found all OCCASION
al tendencies OH his own part TOWARD
mutiny repressed with the everest cold
ness. -. .,-z-..
He had, indeed; done very bad day.
work In showing his wife Aunt Prue'
will: At first hs was rather pleased will
the consequences of his proceeding, be
cause Helen vastly improved the domes
tic commlssariat with a view to pleasing
her generous relatives palate. She be
gan to give excellent dinners, and allow
ed her husband carts blanche in laying il
in . stock of highly priced wines. Blu
In proportion as Helen became more sub
servient 80 did Aunt Prue grow more Ell
achng not willingly, poor old lady, fol
to use her own term, abe was pcrso
"of q lowly taste, thankful for trifies,
but then twas her maxim that peopl
should do their best to please those the
loved; and her standard of best happen
ed to be very high one. So Jack sot,
got irrltated at observing that his wife
sSesAAoN OAon WoAO AOS 1eA0uWoU Dy Aun
Prue with csntentmenti but with perpet
nal grumbles. Moreoves, in her quiet wal
the cid lady gradually unsurped CON
plete EDITORIAL authority over the house
hold. s..s. 81
Helen was 50 afraid Of giving offcnc
that whatever Aunt Prue said was m
mulgated as an edict against whic
there could be no appeal. Am
Prue took a sudden object ton against 4
bacco; SO Jack, after first being 1orbidde
70 smoke IN the house, was told that b
must not puff hia cigars 81 the open q
because the smell Of than fingered III Is
hair and clothes. Ankered ~ thiS tyraf
NJ, Jack one day appeared sc dfn1rIstI
with . red face, which the yieilant aul