The Iola register., 1880-11-12
JACKS AUNT SOPHRONY."

JACK HARDING'S mother was out of
health, and his father thought voyage
to Europe would do her good, so did
the doctors; but what was to be done
with Jack? There were no grand
mothers and no maiden aunts in the
family on either side, a state of things
much to be regretted, but quite impos-
sible to remedy on short notice; and as
for taking the boy to Europe. pet
monkey, young gorilla or q small
grizzly bear would have been just as de-
sirable companion as boy who never
had been made to mind, and who was
bubbling over with mischief from morn
ing till night.
Mrs. Harding could not bear to leave
him; he was her only child, and conse-
quently spoiled, but she loved him as
mothers will love even bad boys. How
ever, for once, his father was not to be
moved by Jacks sulks or coaxing; it
was a matter of life and death to Mrs.
Harding, and before they sailed Master
Jack was safely established in Bassett.
his fathers native village, as boarder
in the house of Deacon Peleg Hills, his
Grandmother Harding's brother.
The deacon was the youngest of the
family and, though he seemed very old
indeed to Jack, considered himself in
the prime of life at tfty-six, while his
wife, some ten years younger, was, in
her own eyes, a young woman, though
she was, or professed to be, an invalid.
Bassett was stupid little town, but
boys of all kinds love the country-if
they do not live in it. Everything was
new to Jack; he was overjoyed to get
away from school, to hunt hens nests
in the barn, goDble at the turkeys till
they were frantic, chase the calves
round the home-lot and see their awk-
ward knobby legs and heavy tails fly
this way and that in their efforts to es-
cape, and above ali things, it was his
delight to ride the aged horse to pas
ture, slip off his high back and let the
bars down, turn out the COWS and
struggle back on to that slippery emi-
nence for the homeward ride.
But the keen air of the hills gave him
a tremendous appetite; he was hungry
all the time, and never had enough to
eat. The deacon was poor man and
a stingy one besides; and his wife was
as near as he; the fare was of the
plainest; pork, potatoes. beets and rye
bread were the staples, and pie the
luxury; the deacon would have it, and
Jack was allowed a small segment be-
cause he was q boarder. while Peleg
and Liza, Josh and Eben, were de-
MED, and looked at Jack with longing
eyes.
Jehiel, a youth of nineteen, son of the
deacon's first wife, helped himself, but
he did not care for anybody but himself;
and he could be so cross and so trouble
some his stepmother dared not provoke
him.
81 can't make nothin' out of that are
city boy, deacon, ef I've got to give him
pie n CAKE" moaned Mrs. Hills, when
Dick came there.
He does eat the awfulest! There
want scrid o. the billed pork left yes
terday, and you know when have my
neurology spells I do lot on cold billed
pork; it's kinder salty, and relishes; nor
we didn't hev but one potato left for to
chop for breakfast. b'ieve he's holler
all the way down."
"Well, well, Sophrony, Iguess he's
got ter hev some pie; ye needn't bake
up no cake as know of; rye ginger
bread is real film, and I guess it's
'baout as cheap as bread n butter when
We come to it, and you can't eat nigh
as much. Jonathan he pays pretty
well for his board, md he's got to hev
suthin' or he'll up an 60 off. l know
it's kinder hard on ye, but say! can't
you keep him to hum more? It's kitin'
roourd in the lots makes him so all.