The Red Cloud chief., 1880-12-23
JACKS "AUNT SOPHRONY."

OhS1 AsNA sSOA IIubVNI
JACK HARDING'S mother was out O
health, and his father thought a vOyag,
to Europe would do her good, so die
] the doctors; but what was to be done
with JackP 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
Cor taking the boy to Europe. a pet
monkey, q young gorilla OF a small
grizzly bear would have been just as de-
sirable a companion as a boy who never
had been made to mind. and who was
bubbling v g 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 bows. 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 saf established in Bassett.
his fathers native village. rs a boarder
in the house of Deacon Peleg Hills, his
Grandmother Harding brother.
The deacon was the youngest of the
family and, though he seemed very old
indeed 10 Jack, considered himself in
the prime of life at ilfty-six, while his
wife, some ten years younger, was, in
her W eyes, a young woman, though
she was, or protested TO be, an invalid.
Bassett was a 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 ont the cows and
struggle back on to that slippery emf
hence for the homeward ride.
But the ke3n air Of the hills gave him
a tremendous appetite; he was hungry
all the time, and never had enough to
eat. The deacon was a poor man and
a stingy one besides; and his wife was
as near as he; the fare was of the
p%lainest; 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 a boarder. while Peleg
and Liza. Josh and Eben, were de-
MED. and looked at Jack with longing
eyes.
Jehiel, a youth Of nineteen, 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.
Il can't make nothin' out of that are
city boy, deacon, eff I've got to give him
pie N cake moaned Mrs. Hills, when
Dick came there.
He does eat the awfulest! There
wa N t a scrid o the billed pork left YES
terday. and you know when / have nv
neurology spells l do lot on cold billed
pork; it kinder salty, and relishes; nor
we didn' hev but one potato lett for 10 |
chop for breakfast. l b'lieve he's holler
all the way down"
well, well, Sophrony, l guess he's
got ter hey some pie: We needn't bake
up no cake rs | know of; rye ginger
bread is real film, and l 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 paws pretty
well for his board, md he's got to hey
suthin' or he'll up an 90 off. / know
its kinder hard on We, but say, can't
you keep him to hun more? It's kitin'
raOund in the lots makes him SO all.
fired sharp for v%ittles; eff he STAYED
into the haouse, he wouldn't want so
much"
why deacon. how YOU talk, Me
with my neurology spells an neryous
headaches, and my spine in nv back.
SOS It can't bear no noise whatever
most days, n hev to keep the children
in the barn when they amt in school
Why, l should 60 ravin' distracted TO
hev that boy round. He's a livin'
storm out o doors; seems as thouob
should give up when he amt no nearer
N the hum-lot; how do We s,pose 7
could bear him in the keepin-noomon
Well, well, well, Sophrony, reg'late
it as you've a mind to; l s'pose he is a
bother"
And so he was; but he was ..botb.
cred" too. No mortal boy can endure
life without making a noise: sit is their
nature to-" A boy who cannot whistle :
yell, stamp, rattle a stick on the fence, !
pallngs, or between his fingers, is a how
forlorn, but no boy or girl was allowed
to give way to these natural impulses j
where Mrs. Hills lived; she narced /
them all the time. I
"Peleg, stop whistlin' this minute, /,
Your poor mas heads jest ready to {
I
Peleg. Jr., rushed out doors with a I
bang. 80 Lily, don'tsye rock! seems
as though them rockers was a-poundin'
on the spine o. my back every indiyid- /,
ooal moment. l never did see secb !
young ones! Josh N Eben. YOU shet ,
right up a spellin' over them lesson
books. or 60 out to the barn; seems rs .
creation was against me TODAY. I
when I've got the neurology like sixty. !
Jack Hardin, you NUT take off them !
boots o your'n, or keep ont o the {
house. 1 can't STAN it.
"Well, give me a piece O. bread n 4
butter, Aunt 'Phrony, md I'll 20 to the q
,arn long of the boys" h
81 sha'n't give We ~nothin' betwixt q
meals; 'ta'nt hullsome, the Doctors 1
looks all say SO. and you're a-goin' e1t
!. mere js2yhow, or / shall hazeAaH