The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-03-01

have you been thinking2"
"That I should like to 60 mp into
Maine next week." said the lady, In
sinuatingly
"lnto Maine2 In midwinter?"
echoed her amazed spouse, opening the
dim eyes very wide indeed.
Z" To see Aunt Grizzel," explained
Mrs. Symington-''my Aunt Grizzel
Humph" remarked Mr.. Syming
ton, bandaging his finger with his
pocket handkerchief. ct didn't know
that you cared so very particularly
about your Aunt Grizzel."
''My DEAR" said Mrs. Symington,
merging her speech into a mysterious
whisper, "Pve Just remembered, all of
q sudden as it were, that she has set
OF very old fsring blue china. She
must have. It belonged to her mother
before her; and how I've forgotten It all
these years I'm sure / can't imagine
Even now shouldn't have recalled it
TO my memory, I suppose, il hadn't
chanced to see, at Mrs. Hepburn's
afternoon tea yesterday, the dsrlingist
little egg-shell cups, with bridges and
pagodas and willow trees all over 'em,
exactly euch as Aunt Grizzers mother
used to have. Then it came to me like
q fash of lightning-Aunt Grizzel's
china r.
Probably it's all broken by this
time" gloomily suggested her hus-
band.
Nonsensel" said Mrs. Symington,
briskly. "Aunt Grizzy never broke
anything in her life. She is careful
ness itself; and mp there in Maine, you
know, they don't have clumsy mattresses
to fling things about. No, no you
may depend that she has it all safe and
sound in one of those odd little three
cornered cupboards of hers. A treasure,
Stanbope, perfect treasure. Money
wouldn't buy such a set as that; a
hundred years old, If it's day. So, if
you won't mind, my dear, I'll just run
| up to Maine, and see about it."
"Do as you please, Arabella," said
MIR. Symington, resignedly. He knew
that Mrs. Symington generally did as
she pleased, and he saw no especial ad.
vantage in debating the question.
"Thanks, dear; SO kind of you r.
uttered Mrs. Symington. "And of
course can't go to the polar regions
entirely unprotected, so I'll order
one of those comfortable seal dol.
mans that everybody is wearing now,
and a new plush hat with cluster Of
ostrich tips. One must go dressed like
other people; and il you can give me
twenty-five or thirty dollars l dare say
Aunt Grizzy will let me have the sci
for that (she don't know the value oi
old china, poor thingD and the jour,
ney won't be more than thirty dollars
both ways, if go by sea, including 9
stateroom."
at appears to me-" said MIR. Syming
ton, discouragingly, "that this is {;
good deal of a wild goose chase, going
dancing up TO the northern boundaries
of Maine at this time of year for an Ole
set of trumpery china which probabl,
didn't cost ten dollars to start with"
"Oh, Stanhope, it did !" cried tn
lady, Indignantly. cit was real Indi
ware, imported, without paying dolla
OF duty, by an old sea captain in tn
India trade, expressly for my grand
mother Grumpton. And besides 20,
are so groveling and prosaic in you
ideas. As if the original cost of a thin
of this nature signifies 1t the estheti
value that we look at, don't you seeP"
'"Ah r. said Mr.. Symington. "Well
If you must go, you must go, / suppose
and of course shall have to give you
check for what money you are likely +
want"
And Mr.. Symington sighed deepl
and went upstairs to get a piece G
court plaster for his cut finger.
Mrs. Symington went to Wild River
in the northern boundaries of Maine
where the pine forests were thatche
with snow, and the icicles tinkled i
the woods OF a moonlight night like 8
many castanets gone mad. She mad
the greater part of the voyage by sel
and was consequently very seasick, fo
the water was rough and the gale ten
pestous.
/" 1 will come back by land" she sal
to herself, as she sat in the little hott
at Portland, and viewed her green an
yellow complexion with shuddel
T" Money wouldn't induce me to risk M
life again in that horrid steamer, wheI
one is buffeted and seesawed about O
waves that are as high as a house. Th
palace-car fare will be something of a
extra expense, and shall lose my r,
turn ticket by steamer, but I'm sure Nj
! Symington won't grudge it to me whe
he hears how I've been pitched an
tumbled about on the ocean in peril {
/ my life"
And she-put on her black brocade
? silk, her new plumed hat, and the SCI
: dolman, and took the northward- -boun
train, resolved to present an imposin
4 appearance to Aunt Grizzly Grum]
s ton when she should reach Wild Rive
d station.
a 1t was very cold--adull, bitter, ,leade
cold-with the ground frozen like
! rock, the streams bound in ice, Il
8 sky gray and bitter, with an ineffab
gloom. Aunt Grizzel Grumpton live
4 4 ~