Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-04-29
AUNT HILLARY'S LEGACY.

"Oh. dear, dear!' said Aunt Hillary,
in tone of despair; "oh, dear, dear,
whatever shall do with him?''
She was looking at something which
the expressman had just deposited on the
floor of the back porch-a stout wooden
cage, within which appeared bright
eyed, pink-faced monkey.
Why, he'll murder US, shouldn't
wonder continued Aunt Hillary, draw
ing back as the monkey stretched forth
his little black paw, q or set the house on
fire, or something else dreadful. What
am j to do with him?" she concluded, in
II tone of distress.
Give him away, aunt, or sell him, i
suggested, poking my school-umbrella
between the bars of the cage.
mo, no; l couldn't think of that
He was such fayorite with poor Janet.
And she left him to me because she was
sure, she said, that l would treat him
kindly; but how to manage him | am
sure | don't know. What do monkeys
eat, Rose?n
"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,
larry, YOU Try him with a 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
gusto. He also accepted some milk
which Ephraim courageously put be
tween the bars; and then he crouched
down in a corner and looked so quiet
and Wistfll that Aunt Hillary quite
pitied him.
"He does look innocent and lonesome,
poor little thing" she said 81 dare say
he misses his old heme and his kind mis-
tress; but he shall have at least plenty 10
eat and drink here. "Only," she added.
hesitatingly, II do rather wish that
Janet Waters had chosen anything but a
monkey for pet
When two or three days after this,
stopped on my way from school to see
Aunt Hillary | found her in great dis
tress. Jackey Chat was the monkey IS
name) had turned out a 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, where he
wrapped himself in a roller-towel and
pulled Tabby's tail, and upset a can OF
kerosene oil on Puff, Aunt Hillary's little
white poodle. Thereupon Ephraim had
tied him in the garden, while he pruned
the currant bushes, and after while re-
turned to find all the young radishes
pulled up and Jackey industriously
searching out the garden peas which had
been sown on the previous day.
Finally a 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, alasl even this expedient failed, for
in two hours he had pulled up half the
grass and scratched innumerable dust
holes
What was to be done with the monkey:
:" don't know which is the worst. ;
said Aunt Hillary, with tears dimmine
her usual bright brown eye" the boys
or Jackey.n
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 anC
threadbare, and with the manners of !;
perfect gentleman" as Aunt Hillary ad
miringly observed.
But the boys! the whooping, yellin,
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 stol
her choice plums and cherries in summer
and at all seasons enriched her gardel
with old shoes, tin cans and discarde'
hoopskirts!
All, what pathos there was in tina
simple remark Of Aunt Hillary's: Idon'
know which is the worst-the boys o
Jackeyi"
She was the most patient and good
humored person in the world, and th
last whom any but a schoolboy woul
have taken pleasure in worrying. 1
neat, trim little woman about thirty-fvt
with bright, kindly eyes, fresh complex
ion, and face still so comely andexpres
sive of gentle and womanly feeling that
often wondered why she should be an ol
maid
Once. when Expressed to her this wor
deH she colored ike girl, smiled, an
ans{vered frankly that no one had eve