The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-08-25

household wares of various kinds, stood Il
figure at which | stared open-cyed, un-
mouthed, astonished and aghast. Iegods!
was this my queenly, handsome Aunt Abb
gail, with the pale rosa-tinted cheeks, the
sunny chestnut locks, the smiling white
teeth, the rustling robes of silk and satin
with the soft rutlles, this gray shadow, this
old woman who might have personated
one of the three f;ltcs or the three furies,
this faded old woman, clad in dingy wrap
per, with gray hair, collapsed, ashy cheeks
and bare gums? But my dismay was no
greater than hers, for there she stood, a
prophecies unveiled, queen dethrOned,
and all this mischief done by the thought
less, headstrong folly of a boy who, to add
to his Offense, must needs bring witness
to the ruthless unwilling and dethroning.
1t was several minutes before either of us
spoke. Indeed it was the professor who
first broke the silence with confused
stream of apologies. The hOusekeeper COM
ing in now, my aunt motioned her to
show us to the parlor, where we spent sew
cral irksome and wrctched hours whilst
our rooms we're being prepared, after long
disuse in my absence. We did not see her
again until dinner, when she had been me-
tamorphosed by the arts of the toilet but
both sides had distinct and embarrassing
consciousness of the occurrences OF the
morning and felt that it was impossible
for things ever to return to their former
footing. From that day forward change
came over the spirit of her dream. She
could never get over the Chagrin mortifica-
ton, anger and inconvenience cntailed on
her by my pleasant surprise In my OBJ
servatiOns of human nature I have found,
indeed that one can forgive anything
sooner than being placed in n Notifying
and ridiculous position. This far out
weighs a grave wrong or injustice.
Aunt Abigail treated me, as well as my
friend, with formal polteness, but our visit
was not pleasant one, and we were heart
ny glad when Easter was over. After that
went to Cedarwood but seldom, and then
was careful to observe the exact time fixed
ny my aunt. When she died & few years
later, and her will was read, the body Off
filled me with satisfaction, for it bequeathcd
Cedarwood and other valuable property IN
the shape of stock, etc, to her dear nept
Alfred Smith. But OH, the codicil! How
1t did unman me and make me curse my
own folly! 1t was dated week later than
the ill-tated Easter of my pleasant sur
prise and read thus: 4 hereby revoke the
DequeSt of my estate CedarwOOd, etc, etc.
to my nephew, Alfred Smith, and transfer
the said Cedarwood and other properties to
the children Of my brother Joseph, in
Missouri
DO you wonder now said Smith, in con-
clusion, that | shudder at the bare men-
ton of q pleasant surprise?'
Indeed do not replied, and though
they are not often attended with such dis
astrous results as you have Just described,
yet they are almost always Objectionable,
and lead to some inconvenience and contre-
temps. If you decide to give friend Il
pleasant surprise i'll the shape of an unex-
pected visit, ten to one you arrive at his
house on the very day his wife has selected
to take mp or put down carpets, or perhaps
you will find the house crammed full Of
other guests, with some Of whom, perhaps,
you are not on speaking terms. In some
| cases you will find illness in the family; in
| others you will find only the house at home
Altogether, | think a moderate degree Of
ceremony essential to the smoothness
and comfort Of social life, and am much
Of the opinion of alady in Richmond, who,
on having a hint given her by young man
| that he was getting up a surprise party to
invade her peaceful domains, replied,
When want you all, I will invite YOU
I have known of artless and confiding
women on summer trip resumed Smith,
whose enjoyment was quite dashed by the
| thoughts of the lonely and ascetic life led
by their husbands whom they imagined to
be pursuing q round of ceaseless toll in
| order to afford them recreation Sometimes
| the impulse to give their husbands pleas
ant surprise by returning home few days
earlier than appointed, has led to the re-
velation that these anchorites were very
much like the rigid hermit described in
SCOTS Ivanhoe, who kept store Of rich
venison and generous wine for rejection in
his austere hermitage. By coming home
few days sooner than expected, woman
may sometimes walk in upon dinner or
wine party given by her lonely husband to
his bachelor friends, and find them all as
merry as that jolly old soul, the famous
King Cole. Pleasant surprises are gener-
ally fatal to innocent and agreeable de-
lusiOns. Indeed, they are dangerous things
in all respects, as | am ruefully aware. In
regard to visiting ones friends, think we
might with slight alteration, quote the
| French proverb and conclude that proprety
and torethought should teach us to avoid
them."-Mary W. Early, in Detroit Free
Press