The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-08-25
A PLEASANT SURPRISE.
HOW IT CAUSED A CODICIL.

HOW IT CAUSED A CODICII.
Happening to say something before my
friend Smith one day about pleasant sur
prises, he replied with groan and shake
of the head, "Ah, don't tell me about
pleasant surprises. They are q snare and a
delusion! Surprises may be the essence of
wit, as some authors tell us, but they Ger
tainly are not the essence of pleasure"
You speak tcelingly on the Inject said
"You would not wonder at that" said he,
''if you knew what cause | had to do so.
could a tale unfold on this point if You
would care to hear it,
On my assuring him that | would, he
proceeded to give me the following recital
when | was youth my mother had q
maiden sister, with whom I was an
acknowledged iavorite, and as Aunt Abigail
possessed Il handsome fortune in fee simple,
there were other grounds besides those of
sentiment for rendering her favor a desira-
bic thing. She lived at handsome coun-
try place, which she took great pride and
pleasure in keeping i'll the best of order.
Indeed. it would have veXed and mortified
her for her own brother or sister to have
found the least thing out of place or repair
on her premises, so ambitious was she of
sustaining her reputation of having the
best-Ordered establishment in the cOmmu-
nifty. Nor did she take less pains with her
dress and personal appearance, which like
her home were handsome and imposing.
Being somewhat ceGemOniOus herself, she
did not encourage intOrmality in others, so
they seldom approached or visited her eX-
cept by express invitation, and no one had
an opportunity to sec either herself or her
house behind the scenes. Hence she kept
up all the greater prestige amongst her
friends and acquntances, whose almost soil
tary impression of her was of queenly
linnified woman, clad in elegant black silk
or satin, with soft thread lace at her throat
and wrists, a faint rose-tinge like the pale
reflection of the last rose of summer) still
lingering on her cheek, soft chestnut locks
bordering her brow, and n row of sound,
white teeth cleaning in her mouth when
she would smile graciousy,
Though in q stately kind
When ! was in my eighteenth year, Aunt
Abigail attended the intermediate celebr;l-
ton at my school on February 14th and
seemed much pleased with our professor,
whose ornate and excessively polished
manners latter the Grandisonian schoOl)
were exactly to her taste. He entertained
her with many labOred gallantries and
much 'genteel conversation judiciOusly
seasoned with delicate aattery and profound
Difference for her own views. In looking
back to all this, l now see what l was too
unsophisticated to see at the time, viz, that
the professor executed all these freaks with
some views to matrimony; at least he had
vague idea that if the worst came to the
worst, Cedarwood (my aunt's home) would
not be an undesirable retreat for an elderly
wdower. My aunt had no idea of con-
tracing any matrimonial alliance. but she
had not reached the age what woman ever
does?) when the homage and admiration
of the other sex We're distasteful to her. SO
she permitted the professor to offer her his
antiuuated gallantries and was not i'll
pleased by them. In fact, he so far in
gratiatcd himself with her that she invited
him to come with NE and spend Easter at
her house, together with a large party Of
friends she expected then from town.
Owing to severe sickness on the part of
the assistant teacher, our Easter vacation
was granted three or four days earlier than
usyql, and it flashed over my impulsivc
mih |, 1T will be a good idea to give Aunt
Abigail pleasant surprise. l will run
right down to her house Tomorrow
On the spur of the moment | hurried
off to the professor and insisted on his ac'
complaining me. At first he demurred or
the score of its being three days earlier thar
the time appointed by Aunt Abigail, but
on my assuring him that this would make
no difference, he seemed to think | Ougn;
to know my aunt and her ways better thar
he did and finally agreed to my PROPOSE
tiOn: so we started off the next morning
It was balmy April day when we set out
but with the tickleness characteristic OF
that month"; the weather had changed by
the time we reached our destination, anC
we, got off at the station in a cold, drizzly
rain, which both literally and tiguratively
threw damper over US. Aunt Abigail
was in the habit of sending her comfOrta-
BILE carriage for visitors expected on the
Z train, but, naturally she did not have il
awaiting for us on this occasion. l had tC
rcconnoitre for q vehicle to carry us tc
Cedarwood, but met with only Indifferent
success, finding nothing but an open farm
wagon, in which we jolted along slowly
increasing all the time, so that by the time
we reached Cedarwood we were fairly ell
during cataracts, not all in our eye either
After standing a long time at the door, il
was at length opened, slowly, cautiously
and reluctantly by Aunt Abigail's house
keeper. is that you Mr.. Alfred" she
asked, with disheartening tone and coun'
tenance we didn't know you were coming
to-day
I didn't know it myself till last night,
replied l. But where is my aunt?'
Your aunt returned from spending the
winter in town only yesterday, and is very
much engaged. She is in the dining-room
but you cannot see her yet
But was still resolved, in my willful-
ness and headstrong folly, to give Aunt
Abigail a pleasant surprise, so [ pushed
past the housekeeper, and carrying the pro
fessor with me through dismantled and dis
heveled rooms and halls, fastened into the
dining room. What a spectacle met my
eyes! Amid rubbish and confusion, boxes
of china and silver rolls of Garnet and