Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-12-09
AT NORMAN HALL.

it's the pleasantest old countr
!, house in the world, with its cd
corners and garrets, and empt
rooms, where we boys coul
make 10 end of u racket with
out troubling other folks. Un
cle and aunt always let US d
just rs We please, for yor
see they live alone, and whel
: New Year comes around, the,
, are glad enough to have a littl
} life in the old place.
Aunt Norman makes pies AM
cakes and puddings that make
J your mouth water to think a
bout, and she doesn't stint then
either, or wink at fellow ant
tread on his toes, when he'
!. il, danger OF over-eatIng, ShI
is a nice old lady, only she's al
ways crying. The tears hay,
Just worn a channel down he
poor old pale face. They have
truly; and its because Of Cous
in Cecile.
Cousin Cecile was uncle anC
aunt's only child, and six years
ago she ran away and got mar
ried to a music teacher, named
Arelil. Uncle is .ters;bly pas.
sionate, and he was SO angry
that he told aunt if she ever
dared mention Cecile's name t.
him again, thai. bed never for.
give her, or do something des-
pcrate | don't remember which,
| only know it was something
desperate for when hes in a
temper he's worse than q wild
animal.
Cccile and her husband went
off, and no one ever heard where
they went. That, You see, kept
Aunt Normah,s poor eyes for
ever dripping when uncle was
not around. Everybody said
she was fretting her life away,
but uncie didn't seem to isec
that she was getting weaker
and paler every day.
Well, that was pretty bad,
but it didn't hinder Norman
Hall from being the incest kind
of a place for us boys and girls.
Uncle had disinherited Cecile,
and we nephews and nieces-
there were six OF Sus--didn't
know but what one. Of us would
own Norman Hall one Of these
days; at least our parents SO
thought, and the way they used
TO lecture us before we went to
the Hall, not to make dear un-
Gle angry, was amusing, 4 can
tell you.
/ was a good ways ahead of
the others somehow, in uncle's
good graces, because he used to
say, "MordaaAt is a chip Of the
old Norman block, sir. Hos a
stubborn, independent chap, that
would go through a stone wall
to the dogs, sir if il suited him
to travel that way. Just AZ /
used to be myself l1
USED to be, ,Yibdeeds as il be
wasn't then, the very stubborn
est old fellow who was travel
ing, desperately fast, 400, ON the
other side of L the Istpneo wall.
But / liked him; couldn't help
it, hala9las ite 9 has 1lss ~ 9 sIaf
/ got to Norman Hall a day
before the others came That
night uncle and aunt We're sit
ting before the fire, and as j
was in the big Ibay-window,
watching u boat coming down
the river in the moonlight, i
reckon they thought they were
alone. ! AllG R ~ tilU
Aunt never did talke7much
and they two sat silent long
time. All of a sudden she drop
ped her knitting and said, soIt-
iy, "A.nother New Years Eve
tomorrow" and there seemed
to be Il kind OF sob she was try
ing to keep down.
"And what of that, HelenY
said uncle, as sharp as a razor.
.1Don,t you expect a New Il ear
every fst of January '-A 'A'-
"It's come TO me six times,
six woIiil times, since the New
Years night that"--and then
her voice ialled.D. XII
"Since you lost your disobe-
dient daughter WHO has dir
graced us, madam" Uncle
pushed up his bristly gray hair,
till it looked just like pictures
oi hedge hogs and polcupines.
"But Pm SO = lonely - An
dreWY she went on, with her
voice quivering, and her poor
eyes streaming, ILL 1 wanted to
fog nrcie, and 10 cry myself
for company.
aissYon told me never to men-
tion her, and / haven't until to-
night, ebnt somehow 1 must
speak. I can't forget the only
Ebsing1 cyercheld to. my, bosom,
the only voice that ever called
ms mother. / can't put the
mothers love away, and forget