Sharp County record., 1881-08-18

eXpeditiOn; but OF the Deauulul tu-
known country" of the dreamer, she
had not apparently the slightest knowl-
edge. - ,,
ABOUT the windows-I will add what
Aunt Hannah would if she were writing
this: 1.-The sun is mazin good for ruma-
| tiz folks"
Her room-kitchen, dining-room and
psrlor all in one-had six good-slzed
windows. And these gave her the best
of chances to study nature. Only, as
it happened, the views were not the
most Inspiring to the artistic eye. But
fortunately Aunt Hannah was no artist.
So the unsightly heaps of old leather
scattered here and there did not offend
her. Rather they were sort of reserve
supply OF fuel, slowly diminishing as the
wears rolled by. If the piles of refuse
wood with which her friends kept her
well supplied, got too low, she might
be seen picking over an old crisp, brown
heap, each individual shred of which was
As dried up as an Egyptian mummy.
"Tryin' to clear up things" was her
reply to all inquiries as to why she
burnt such stuff. A trite sermon on
cheerful giving usually followed. One
might suppose that the odOr Of these
heaps thus disturbed would be ANYTHING
but agreeable. But Aunt Hannah
hadn't very fastidious nose, although
an exceedingly acute one.
The furniture of her house was most
characteristic Her capacity for receiV-
inc was like the ostrich for swallowing.
Anything and everything was-l was
going to say thankfully received ; but
grumblingly would be a more truthful
word
From an old wheezy rocking chair to
dish-cloth, nothing came amiss. No
two things harmOnized in the room.
In one corner was a dilapidated cane
seated chair; in another a rocking
chair which undoubtedly began to
creak about the time the Pilgrims
stepped upon Plymouth rock. Between
two of the windows was cracked
looking-glass in queer gilt frame. On
the opposite side of the room-placed
so for artistic effect, no doubt-was a
very good mohogany frame, with but
half the glass.
"Mazin' handy to have two of them
things" Aunt Hannah said, "then l
don't have to trot across the room so
often"
How often she wished to admire her
| beauty or arrange her toilet, it's i'm
possible for me to cay. only know
that she always manifested the sub
limest indifference to all such things in
the presence of others. Probably she
could have hoped through Vanity Fair
without looking to right or left.
Her carpet-for she had a carpet
was like JOseph's coat, of many colors
because of many pieces, Just as warm
evidently; but critical Aunt Hannah
would never acknowledge it. Her one
apology to all callers was.
"My carpet amt BRAN new you
see; but poor folks shouldn't never
complain. Dref1ie hard to sweep
though, and not over warm"
Callers? Dyes, Aunt Hannah had
callers.
! will remember q call | once made
there. found her squatting upon the
floor near her rusty little stove, an old
dust pan in one hand, an ancient wing
in the other. She was sweeping up,
Evidently this position was more con-
venient to her than standing upright. |
begged her not to rise but finish what
she was doing. She continued with
the utmost GOODNESS. Without doubt
she would have done so without any
begging on my part.
"How is your health this summer,
Aunt HannahP" 1 inquired.
"Middlin'."
| knew all she wanted was few ques-
tions on my part, then she would launch
forth into an elaborate rehearsal of all
her aches and pains for the past dozen
years.
had little leisure, and to crafty
the querulous soul continued, "Then
you are not very wellP"
"Never expect to be nell agn."
"What seems to be the principal
trouble now?n
"Don't know sartin. Peers like
gen'ral snkin' all over"
perhaps it's old age, Aunt Hannah. !"
She brided at this
"Old ageP | amt nigh as old as
some folks in town. There's old Uncle
Reuben-he's seventy-nine last April,
fust day. amt seventy-fve till arter
next Thanksgivin'-last day of Novem-
Der. Lor! 'Tain't old age ails me.
Tis mostly trouble and hard work"
"Did you work very hard when you
were young?" | asked.
"Apas worked hard 'nough.n
Then followed a long description of
several places where she had lived and
done housework when a girl.
But what she relished with keenest
delight was minute description of a
very serious trouble she once had with
her right arm. 1t was almost equal to
begging expedition. She grew quite
eloquent over it.
"Pr'aps you wouldn't believe it, but
them doctors come to take this ere
arm off once"
expressed all proper astonishment
when her black eyes peered at me over
her "specs," and she continued.
"1t's jest So Them two doctors
got all their sharp knives whetted up
ready to cut, and l jest sez, No, you
jest wait a week longer"
\. Al n,.O