Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-09-15
ILTIrIA's LONG DAY.

A Domr,tIc story OF the Present Time.
"It will be such very long day,
nuutie."
''That depends altogether Oh yourself,
Lefty.
81 am perfectly certain that it must in
tvitably be the very longest day in all my
life"
well, well; you know best. At any
lute YOU are provided with books, flowers,
It piano and II new frock all that young
ladyhood most ardently desires, l sup
pose. And you needn't see anything of
Tom.
"How can help it,
''Go into the garden when he is i'll the
house so into the house when he is in
the garden. Shut the door of the draw
ing-room in his face the is not likely to
trespass in your domain, though) have
your luncheon sent in to you on tray if
You REQUIRE absolute seclusiop. | can
think Of nothing more at this moment"
sob, dear. it will be such long, long
day, auntie.
$50 Won said before. Well, am truly
sorry. What can't be cured must be en-
dured you know. Good-by, child"
My aunt thereupon folded me in n vol
luminous embrace, and mounted up into
the !ly musty and antique vehicle
which had been hired from the neigh
boring town to convey her and her dozen
packages to the station. My aunt, n
maiden lady of mature years and ener-
getic habits, was going to spend the day
with another maiden lady of mature
years, her sister, who lived at E, pre-
ferring the. gay vortex of cathedral
town to the simple pleasures of the coun-
try.
where's the basket Of cowslips, Let
ty, and the bacon? And oh, the cream !"
Its all right, auntie cream and bacon
and all. But. dear me, dear me, how
wish the day were Overt
'Never mind that, You foolish girl ;
it's positively wicked. And YOU might
change your mind after all, before eve
ming"
"Oh no, indeed"
well, good-by, again !; good-by."
The driver clicked his whip the old
horse started, the fly gave sundry creaks
and lurches, my aunt waved her handker.
chief, and l was left standing lonely on
the doorstep, while the departing vehicle
meandered slowly between the trees, and
was presently lost to sight
Then turned to go indoors, revolving
III my thoughts how l could best avoid
Tom. But ere could solve the difficult
problem, n loud, rough voice called out
nom the shrubbery
''Hullo, Cousin Lettice, why I'm Just
minute too late, amt !? She's off, AIM
she?"
''Aunt Nab has just gone" | replied
with chilly dignity. Tom in his brief
speech had already offended me twice
did not like to be called Lettice could
not endure the word "ain't"
However, he emerged from the shrub
berry ms unconcerned and cheerful ms
usual, and came up to where stood. He
was dressed in white flannel from head to
foot, and was lazily swinging his long
arms to and fro.
81 say, cousin Letticc, come and play
tennis"
Thank you, Tom am busy, and
would you please kindly remember to
call me Letitia ?"
Certainly, certainly.
"'My dearest love, ! could not wish her
name more charming than Letitia.'
'Or shall I call you Tishy?
Little Miss Tishy
Her conduct was hshy.
TOM
Eyes, Letitia.
81 am going ill.,, and-and-I shall be
extremely busy all day"
ooh, indeed Well, 80 shall too
busy to talk to you, Miss Tishy. know
how to take hint as well as anybody, be.
!iovo me.
So saying, and with n very red face,
Tom strobe away, whistling "Ia-di-da
as he went.
What pumpkin he was, to be sure,
and what aggressively and irritatingly
vulgar manners some unkind fairy god.
mother has bestowed on him 1t was all
very we'll that he pretended to study Latin
and Greek while he spent the Summer
TO take double frst-class in boating OF
cricketing or become senior wranglel
with fshing-rod than to excel in any
was young Londoner on n fortnight't
visit to Aunt Nab, and garden party al
Fulham on Chiswick with plenty OF
strawberries ind cream, couple of Ia,
burnum trees and tho Hungarian), realiz
ed my notion of the country far more
than this silent nook in the wilds of Dew.
onshire, in which, however, 1 had already
spent ten idle days, wandering about with
my aunt, making UNBEATABLE cheeses un,
der the supercilious direction of the
dairymnid, and perpetually squabbline
with Cousin Tom.
Tom had walked away now, whistlinp
and aggrieved, and went indoors, and
opened the piano, and practised noe
turne by Chopin. 1 could hear Tom in
his study, stamping up and down. and
banging the door Of his bookcase. Then
all was still, and l knew he had settled
down to read but practised diligently,
for reflected that music might annoy
him. and interfere with his meditations
on Horace or Euripides.
distinctly hated Tom ; l must have
done so, for / often longed to do him an