Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-28

rootns AuOubu neT lovely nalr u Just
beginning to be threaded with gray, she
knows not the feeling Of growing old.
neither do the passing yea-s bring any
definite sense Of want TO her peaceful.
sunny nature, except. perhaps, some
times dreamy feeling Of incomplete
ness, like the faintest shadow only Of a
pain.
Her city nieces tell her often, with
many hug and caress, that her face is
the sweetest and dearest In al the
world, that she looks ''quite too utter
ly' quaint and lovely in her lace and
muslin kerchiefs and her pretty white
aprons; and she always answers depre-
caiingly:
But, oh, my dears, am so old-tash-
ionedr'
Nevertheless. when she l. alone she
looks ia the glass and Bushes warmly,
half inclined TO believe their sweet
words, and wholly glad that she Is not
yet growing hOmely, though she feels a
little guilty, too, rs If she ought TO do
So. Then she turns away and signs
| softly; she knows not why.
Now fate had ordained that when
Aunt Bethia came to visit in our family
we should be entertaining, as an hon
Ored guest, our Uncle jeremiah Barker,
or ''Uncle jerry" as we children fa-
miliarly called him. though he was only
distant relative on nv fathers side.
He had been knocking about for the
last Fifteen years OF so in Australia, and
/ having amassc n considerable fortune.
returned now To his native city, with
the hope of ending his days among his
/ kindred.
lie was unmarried; and shid len Sc
crttly away in his rugged bachelor
heart was the lOng-cher she'd dream of
n wife and fireside of his own.
Bu, after spending the best part of
his lie in rough toll. separated from all
society Of wOmen-or, in fact, society
Of any sOrt-he found himself now
labOr.ng under great disadvantages.
| The girls that he knew and played
/ with when he was boy had grown so
far away from him in many directions
that lac felt he had no part or lot with
them, and 50. slowly and sadly. the
hope Of years began To fade away.
10 was Just here that dear, old-fash-
toned Aunt Bethia came into his life:
and from the first moment of their
meeting Uncle Jerry appropr ated her
in his heart of hearts. as the one woman
specially provided for m. and straight
way elected her 20 preside over that
ideal future he had dreamed Of.
In short, for the first time in his life
he found himself passionately in love.
and rs men Of his years arc.apt TO do In
such case. he resolved to make ''shOrt
work" of his wooing.
Accordingly he spent one week in
watching her every word and action and
i'm studying her face from under his
shaggy eyebrows. while he pretended to
read his newspaper.
Another week he devoted TO follow
ing her about and waiting upon her
with such alarming assiduity. that the
little woman began to. wonder and to
tremble at she knew not what.
Finally, he grew impatient to know
his fate.
What is the use of beating about the
bush|' he said TO him ELF. in his blunt
fashion; ''if she don't fancy me now
she never will, and may rs well know
it,"
SO he came in upon her one afternoon.
the day before New Years. ms she sat
knitting by the window, and. uerving
himself for decisive effort, he thus adj
dressed her:
"Bcthia, | hain't known you long. 10
be sure. hut / feel better acquainted
with YOU to-day than / should with anv
other woman in n years time. Things
lave changed 'mazingly in the fifteen
years that I've been away from home.
and the women most OF all. find |
don't know 'em.
The girls that | used to study out of
the same books with at school. hear
talking now about 'cultur'. and Fart. >
and 'allinitics, and so on and so forth
all Greek To me. l left 'em dom
Homework and knittin' stockin's. and
now find 'cm playin' ON the pianner,
and ravin' over picters and statoos-
things don't know nothin' abOut-and
what 5 more, don't want to!
The only statoos that / ever liked
the looks on at all, Is the Iniun girls
standin' outside Of the tobacker shops.
And as for muSic-why. Bethia, I'd
ruther hear you sing old Naomi, the
way you did last Sunday night, than all
their rattle and clatter.
II did use TO think. when was out
In Australy. that when / come home I'd
ct married and try to settle down, but
| don't s'pose any of these new-iash-
Toned, highfalutin' women would have
me with all my money; and" saws he.
ungallantly. "by Georgel don't know
as want fhem.'
Aunt Bethia looked mildly shocked.
"IOu sce.' he continued, apologize
ally. 1--WE couldn't take much comfort
together less we felt somewhere nigh
alike about things. now could we?'
"Why. no. said Aunt Betha n, can
didly. looking up at him in a meditatiye
way; ii don't s'pose you could
And l should hate to see nv money
fooled away on trash that don't care a
continental for, though know women
are master hands TO spend money, and
| mean my wife shall have a plenty,
too"
IL don't tn nix all women are extrava-
giant, I'm sure" said Aunt Be,hia, with
| some show of spirit. III knowI amt
unless she al led, deprecatinplv.
''pcrheps ann in the matter Of white
aprons. Mo.her always said so, and I
do like plenty of white aprons-say one
every afternoon
my wife shall have clean one for
every hour in the day. II she wants!''
roared Uncle Jerry. with enthusiasm.
And. now think Of It. by George.
II don believe white apron dresses
up woman more than the big Kooh-i-
moor could cas, 4
And / shouldn't wonder, after all,
II them white aprons had somethin' to
do with your lOokin' so different -from
other womep-so kinder good and old
fashioned. you know
Aunt Bethia blushed and laughed.
They call me the 'old-fashioned
woman, y she said, simply. Itt
"And I am an old-fashioned man.
he said. significantly.
Then he looked ~ her and met the
startled glance Of her soft eyes.
May be 1t occurs 70 you, as il does
TO me, that there's somethin' peculiarly