Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-01-16
LOCKED IN A CLOSET.

tea.
| Aunt Clackett lived all alone in little
gable-ended cottage, with turkey-red
curtains to all the windows, velvety
mass of fine gcraniums in the easements,
and odd little three cornered cupboards,
with glass fronts, whose shelves were
piled with old china, curious specimens
of japanned ware and pieces CT brocade
and satin which belonged to century
gone by.
| Aunt Clackett was one of these odd,
original old ladies who, having contrived
to wreck their matrimonial bark early in
life are continually steering off IN all
sorts of unexpected directions. She had
espoused the cause of a woman's indie
pendence with great vehcmence, joined a
debating club and quarrelled with the
Vice President at the second meeting.
"a fig for woman s rights" said Miss
Clackctt. They've more rights than
they know what to do with already"
Then she devoted herself to philan-
thropy, turned her house into minia-
ture orphan asylum, and went prowling
about the lanes and cutters in search of
proteges. But after she had been robbed
twice she abandoned the whole thing
and went for the natural sciences.
Mature can't disappoint one,' said
Miss C:ackett.
But nature did. The little fishes in her
aquarium died, the stuffed animals fell
to pieces, and the rare specimens of plants
in her herbarium turned out to be poison
ivy: and had nearly been the death other.
So Miss Clackett took to literature.
Shakespeare is eternally DIVINE said
Miss Clackett. ''And the creations of
ones own brain are pcrpetually new
So that now she went about with inky
fingers, a portfolio under her arm, and
rhyming dictionary always in reach, while
her niece Dorothea did the housework
Or at least the girl whom she called
her niece, for Dorothea Dodd was no act
! ual relation t. the eccentric little old
| lady in snuff-colored front and twinkling
spectacles. She was the last lingering
relic Of the philanthropic scheme, dark.
skinned, solemn-cyed little orphan, whom
Miss Clackett had ished up out of rag
and-bottle cellar somewhere, and had
hid and refused to go when the other or
phans were banished, en- masse, to the
care Of public charities and corrections
"Please, ma'am, can't I stay?' said
Dorothea. II won't he no trouble, and
I'm good 'un to work.
"Bless my soulv' said Miss Cackctt.
"Where have you been all the while"
''Please, ma'am, in the shcd,' answer
ed Dorothea, promptly.
"Well, then, l suppose you'll have to
stay" said Miss Clackett.
And SO Dorothea stayed.
"Dorothea,' said Miss Clackett, on
this particular aitern Don, us everything
ready2.'
And the Dorothea who responded to
her summons was as unlike the weird
looking little creature who had hid as
was the cinnamon rose at the window
from the leahess stem which had tapped
against the easement at the rude touch
OF the February blast. For Dorothca,
like the rose, had blossomed out fair,
slight maiden, with FAINT glow on her
olive cheeks, very black HAIR, growing
low on sweet forehead. and the softest
and most appealing of eyes, which were
neither black nor brown, but melted into
the deepest wlne-lights at every emotion
Of her heart.
Everything is ready, Aunt Clack ett,'
said Dorothca. 'Cold boiled tongue,
lobster salad, buttermilk biscuit, pre-
served plums and curraRt Jelly"
Eyes, very nice, very nice!" said Miss
Clackett, absently. "What do you think,
Dorothea2 Would you call the heroine
of my new story 'Dulalia' or 'Lucetta2'
II don't know-Lucetta, I think"
said Dorothea, assuming the air of
critic. /
"It IS to be published in the San 81
said Miss Clackett, trlumphantly. 81
am to pay all expenses, and reserve the
right of dramatization!
,"But I thought" said Dorothca,
"that people made money out of such
things. But you are spending money,
aunt
"Money" repeated the old lady, loftily.
t'But who wants to make money! It is
fame that sigh after. And"
"But you've got to change your dress
and do your hair yet, aunt" suggested
Dorothea, gently.
$50 have-so I have" said Aunt
Clackett, II do declare to you, child, I
had nearly forgotten about the tea par
ty. Let me see--whom have we in
vited?'' 1.-
"Your cousin, Mr.. Folkstone, and his
wife," said Dorothea.
"oh, yes, remember now" said Aunt
Clackett. "Fanny Folkstone, who is al
ways sending me jelly and embroidered
slippers, and writes me such loving let
tiers every birthday - ~
"And Mr.. Mole, the clergyman"
"Such pious, delightful young man p
said Miss Clackett. "And the Misses
Walker, who enjoy hearing portions of
my new serial SO much, and my cousin.
Theodore Teft, and old Mrs. Rapidan,
and seringa Pole. Yes, yes, I remember
them new.n
And Miss Clackett trotted up stairs to
put on her black silk dress and gold mo.
sale set, to do honor to the guests she
had completely forgotten.
I In the middle Of her toilet, however,
a literary idea occurred to her, and sit
ting down to commit it to paper, she lost