Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-04-15

perfect dayS-cfoudieSs, serene ana
balmy-which only the month of June
can bring to earth, I took my sewing
and started over to my Aunt Mona's.
We lived nearly half q mile distant, in
the old Manor House. As I tripped
lightly over green meadows, past fra
grant orchards and blooming gardens,
laden with the perfumes of ''incense-
breathing june" l said to myself,
surely, upon such day as tLis, even
Aunt Mona must be well and happy"
All, vain deIusion! The idea of health
and happiness connected with Aunt
Mona was simply ridiculous. mamma
is never happy unless she is perfectly
miserable said her eldest daughter
one day-saucy Kate-and no words OF
mine could better express the state OF
things.
Passing through the garden I found
Louisa and Kate sitting under the ar
Dor of roses and honeysuckles, Smelling
a dish of early green peas for dinner,
and chatting and laughing very merrily.
Phillis, the dairymaid, was churning in
the clubhouse and keeping time with the
rise and fall of her churn-dasher with
the most blithesome of soft melodies.
The cat lay in the warm sunshine purring
with satisfaction; the canary chirped
gleefully in his cage, and little Johnny
came running to meet me with sparkling
eyes and a merry laugh and handful of
June roses. ALI this peace, this rural
content, this bright happiness, found an
echo in my own heart.
"Where is your mistressp' said to
Sarah, who sat in the best kitchen, for
I h0d CrOna IN tho hack Uav
"Groaning and moaning somewhere
about, as she always is, Miss Maria"
replied the old nurse, who had lived
with them for years and had habit of
saying what she pleased.
In little room opening from the
dining parlor I found Aunt Mona, an
old wooden shawl around her shoulders,
and crouching disconsolately over the
CRATE, in which roared fire more be-
fitting January than June.
elbow do you do, auntP'' l said.
"Are you any worse than usual?'
She turned toward me a face of de-
spair and woe. Really it was enough to
give one the blues only to look at it.
"Ah, NV dear, don't ask. am
miserable
''But what makes you so?''
Aunt Mona gave deep sigh and bent
over the fire again. On the trivet stood
porcelain saucepan, whose contents
she was languidly stirring with spoon.
"Why, aunt, what are you doing
there? Is that witch's caldronp'
"It is decoction of herbs, to be
taken inwardly," meekly sighed she.
6" got the recipe from the old herb
doctor. I sent for him here yesterday.
and he gave it me. am going to try
it," she added, resignedly; - and if it
does not cure me, I shall just give up
medicine, and lie down and die"
"Give up medicine, and arise and
live," answered. 81 firmly believe,
aunt, that medicine is killing you; medi-
cine and grooming together"
This aroused Aunt Mona. "Maria,
how can you talk so, when nothing but
medicine has kept me alive these
twenty years?" she exclaimed, in
righteous Indignation.
"You have lived in spite of medicine,
Aunt Mona, and because your constitu-
ton is so thoroughly good. Papa says
81 don't want to hear what your papa
says, Maria. Brothers always choose
to be rude; even when I was child
he'd hurt my feelings. He is SO healthy
himself that he has no pity for me-
"You have no pity for yourself, Aunt
Mona. Who but you would sit over q
fire this lovely June dayP'
81 am cold. Maria"
"Get up then, aunt, and run about
out of doors in the sunshine"
Its cruel of you to talk so," she
wbipod How CON r cir fbof oUfYr1
spine in my back? / can stand it from
your uncle-he talks to me so like your
papa-but can't from you.. Mon are
one of them, Maria"
She tapped her foot on tho ground,
and stirred on and sighed. CHANGING
to look out at the window / saw Uncle
Butterfield coming down the garden
path with that pretty widow Mrs. Ber-
row, who was one of aunt 8 great friends
and had no patience with her. Aunt
looked up also.
There's your uncle, Maria, with
that widow Borrow, as usual! If he is
settling up her husbands property it's
no reason why she should be running
after him always. If I wasn't the most
woman on earth should
be jealous. But I shall not be in the
way long-that's one comfort
A burst of clear, ringing laughter at
this moment reached us. 1t was soon
followed by that most comedy woman s
entrance, '.fair, fat and forty" As she
stood by Aunt Mona's side, rosy
checked, bright-eyed, in the exuberance
of health and the prime of beauty
which time had improved rather than
the contrast was too painful.
l think my uncle must have felt it for he
sighed as he turned away.
Mrs. Butterfield," said the widow,
in her soft, musical voice-that eek
cellent thing in WOMAN was hop
ing, upon this beautiful morning, to find
you better"
Aunt Mona gave no immediate reply,
save a glance that was not a friendly
one. 1t said as plainly as glance could
say, =" You don't hope anything of the
sort; you want me to die and be out of
the way"
"My wife seems to be growing
said Uncle Butterfeld. THAT
two sovereign fee, paid to the great
L