Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-13
Aunt Kindly.

Miss Kindly is aunt to everybody, and has
been so long that none remember to the con-
trary. The little children love her. she
helped their grandmothers to bridal orna-
ments three score years ago. Nay, this boys
grandfather found his way to college through
her pocket Generations not her own rise
up and call her blessed. To this mans
father her patient toll gave the first start in
life. That great fortune, when it was seed
she carried it in her hand. That wide river
of reputation ran out of the cup her bounty
filled. Now she is old; very old. The little
children who cling about her, with open
mouth and great round eyes, wonder that
anybody should ever be so old or that Aunt
Kindly ever had mother to kiss her mouth.
To them she is coeval with the sun, and,
like that, an institution of the country. AT
Christmas they think she is the wife of st.
Nicholas himself such an advent of blessings
is there from her hand. She has helped to
lay blessing in many poor mans crib.
Now these things are passed by. No, they
are not passed by; they are remembered in
the memory of the dear God, and every good
deed she has done is treasured in her own
heart. The bulb shuts up the summer in
its breast which in winter will come out
fragrant hyacinth. Stratum after stratum
her good works are laid up, imperishable in
the geology of her character. 1t is near
noon. She is alone. She has been thought
full all day, talking inwardly to herself. The
family notice it and say nothing. In a cham
Der, from private drawer, she. takes little
| casket, and from thence book, gilt-edged
| and clasped; but the clasp is worn, the gild-
| ing is DID, the binding is faded by long use.
Her hands tremble as she opens it. First
she reads her own name, "Agnes," and the
date. Sixty.eight years ago this day it was
written there, in clear, youthful, clerkly
hand,-with little tremble In it, as if the
heart beat over it quickly. 1t is very we'll
worn, dear old Bible. 1t opens of its own
accord at the fourteenth chapter of John.
| There is little folded piece of paper there
it touches the first verse and the twenty
seventh. She sees neither; she reads both
out Of her SOUL "Lst not your heart be
troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in
mo-" "ps~eo ioeve with you. My pooOe
give unto you. Not as the world giveth
give | unto you" She opens the paper
There is little brown dust in i; ; perhaps
the remnant of flower. She takes the
precious relic in her hand, made cold by
emotion. She drops a tear on it, and the
dust is transfgured before her eyes; it is a
red rose of the spring, not quite half-blown
dewy, fresh. She is old no longer. 1t is moi
Aunt Kindly now; it is sweet Agnes, as the
maid OF eighteen was eight-and-sixty years
ago, one day in May, when all nature was
wooing and winning, and every flower-bell
rung in the marriage OF the year. Her lover
had Just put that red rose of the spring into
her hand, and the good God another in her
cheek, not quite half-blown, dewy, fresh
The young mans arm is around her; her
brown curls fall on his shoulder; she feels
his breath on her face, his cheek on hers
their lips Join, and, like two morning dew
drops in that rose, their two loves rush into
one. But the youth must wander to fal
land. They will think of each other as they
look to the North star. She bids him to
take her Bible. lie saw the North star hang
over the turrets of many foreign town
His soul went to God-there is as straight q
road from India as from any other spot
and his Bible came back to her-the divine
love in it without the human lover; the
leaves turned down at the blessed words O
John, first and twenty-seventh of the four
teenth chapter. She put the rose there tt
note the spot; what marks the though
holds now the symbol of their youthful
love. Now to-day her soul is with him, he
maiden soul with his angel SOUL and on'
day the two dewdrops will rush into on'
immortal wedlock, and the old age of earth
shall become eternal youth in the kingdom
of heaven.-Iheodore Parker.