Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-10-18
AUNT ESS.


o cAii hs, "Auut Rsa" Hsr real name,
'he was rapidly approaching 60 hat her
'Jmp!e.sly wnits hair was thu oaty out
ward indicition OF her szs Her sktu
vas delicate aud unwriaklel, her eyes
all OF spirit, aud sue hal supafb teeth.
With an almost evsr-smiling month 60
iIs usuly displagsi. ohe mast have
b s.n Onn' vsry pretty; she gas still good
ooking. And THIS persistent btsuiy was
'urthsr accumulated by really sxtraordi
lary aulms alton OF manner
The brightness Of her eyes, her quick
ns,a Of expression, her rapid gesture,
b r pretty speech, her always hurried
v slk-.sll indicated that this charming
sexasenarian, ever alert, obligiug, and
busy, wa devoted to some vsry active
osiliug, snd was thoroughly aba lfb.i bs
-, he worry OF business.
Ia fact Auut E5s chad bean in ousi-
ness" Did | say had been She waa
still in business. ln her family it was
generally predicted that this indefatissble
womsn-worksr would never lind rest,
would never b, able to repose,
For Aunt Rss was not millionaire by
any means.
although she was really well estab
lished in business on her own account,
she had alwsys lived in poverty
Independent poverty it is true, but
absolute poverty nevertheless. She had
never asked any isvOrs from any body
Even in order to induOe her to take dinner
with the family once in fortnight, the
most urgent solicitations we're required
She used to come clad in grey wooden
dress-slways the same dress winter or
summer, with sleeves tight at the wrists,
long waist, and little ilounces around
the bottom. Then as a general rule, she
would always bring some confectionery
for the children, would be very kind,
very merry and II anybody chancsd to
inquire about her affairs she would always
reply that business was "tolerably
good"
Nevertheless the business of Aunt Ess
was not OF colossal Importance
The poor old woman lived in regular
cellar-one Of those frightiul Amsterdam
cellars, damp, unhealthy, veritabls nests
OF fever, wherein the visitor is astounded
to find clean and pretty little businesses
established, fruit-booths, shoemakers'
and coopers' shops, Astronomers estab-
lishments, and even drinking halls.
One had to go down flight Of about q
dozen steps in order to reach her little
stationery shop, no bigger than the cage
OF an .anaronsut.. There WAS little table
there--a very little tsble-which served
as a counter; three or four paste board
boxes full Of resms OF writing paper Of
different sizes an old glove box in which
stesl-pens, and bad pencils we're all
jumbled pell-mell together; six ink-jsrs
and four rules. That was all. 1t would
not have been hard to make an inventory
OF the stock. In her busy season Aunt
Ess could make from u to Is forms.
In the evening the li.tls shop wa:
transformed into supper room al
night, into sleeping-room. The cou ater
was turned into dining table and tn,
bed wss an armoire with folding door.
and only one shelf upon which marrow
mattress vas placed.
II was in that underground place sh,
lived and she had lived there for A
years when l knew her. She livet
honestly, loyalty, never contracting on,
cent of debt, and nevertheless fndin.
means to save up and treasure awsy
enough money for dowry.
For Aunt Ess was engaged Aunt Is
had a betrothed.
1t will be necessary, ere continuing thi
little narrative, to relate something abou
betrothals in Holland.
When young Dutchman finds tn
young Dutch girl of his dreams, and til
said Dutch eirl has found the youn,
Dutohman to her taste-the families q
both having been consulted, aud hsvin
given their consent,-it is forthwith
agreed that the twain shall remain bs
trothed for year or two.
From that time forward the futur
husband and future wife live altogethe
for one another, just as though the
already belonged to one another. The
can 90 and come as they please, or wal
out together, without that chaperon VIII
has become an apparently indispensable
feature OF the French social system. 70
can See the betrothed everywher
together-at the theatre, on the stree
walking out for days reoreation-loy
ingly leaning upon one another; th
future wife already under the protectio
OF her future husband. Never has TIL
preliminary intimacy shocked anybody
never has this prologue to marriage bes
aught else than prologue.
One day when she was is years ole
Aunt Ess had introduced into her fsmil
the man whom she had hOnorsd with he
affection, and who had collected her hanC
A poor little p-keeper like her
But he was even poorer, and in bus
ness on smaller scale for Aunt E5s ha
shop, counter, pasteboari boxes flu
OF reams of note-paper, and an old GLOW
box full OF metallic peAs-wnereas Ii
man OF her choice had no shop at all,
Or if he could be said to have one.
was go small that he cOnld carry it und,
his arm.
Rsrel was dealer in cigars but n
ons OF those big spectators who fill the
huge warehouse with fragran. stock il
ported directly from Havana. His who
stock in trade-a peddler's stock-oo
sisted OF little box that had contain,
extra superhne regalias before it fell I'M
his hands, and in which he displaye
with astounding ostentation. choice Gig a
at two confines apiece. Il, would Off
these to the smallest retail dealer
never having more than 100 cigars at
time, and seldom being able to get rid
them in less than Is days.
This calling could not certainly brii
him in any more than what her interim
tent sales Of pencils, pens and letter pap
brought into the purse OF his betrothe
Their engagement was thus effect
under rarely wellbslanoed conditions.
1t was love match, because they h,
mutually chosen each other throu,
affection.
1t WAS a strictly suitable match in vi,
OF the absolute equality of both part
in regard to fortune.
1t was also a sensible match, as il h
been agreed they were not to marry un
the had each put by some money, so
TO beg.A housekeeping without impro
dence.
They were very particular about
last poiut,
Aunt l.5s had formally announced II
they would not marry until they b
been able to accumulate between tn,
the sum Of Thousand horins. That v
the least possible sum needed to rem
large stOre-tO combine the CONNECTIONS
business with the tobacco and OF.
trsde-to secure better sleeping accom-
dstions than an armoire, where, in ia
two could not possibly slsep-aud
bring up properly lot OF babies "
would take up great deal, very gr
deal of room
So from the day she was betrothed
Ksrel, Aunt Ess-whom the neighb
had been want to hear singing at
bottom OF her cellar as merry as a night
gale on the top of a poplar tree@Ar