Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-10-11
MY LOVE He WENT A-SAILING.


eyed palinus staring down the road, and
it's back yard ismmea against the
mountain
Some women hsvs a talent fof growing
old. Aunt Prim looked IL she had been
born so--as II, some way, Nature had
varied her usual routine and quarried
her out, or dug her up, or rainsd her
down, Or
Long and narrow, like Barbara Allsn's
grave, was Aunt Pfim, with frost- bitten
hair and face inst looked like the
brown, withered kernel of nut. Her
cheeks wers ditohed with wrinkles that
erawlei in and across each other like
tangled threads, and there were lines
about her mouth tina: Time could never
Trouble to his aid.
Trouble II Miss Pamela Burton could
have carried her woes to market and sold |
them her wealth oonld have rivaled that |
of the diamond crested Princess OF Bagdsd, |
who ordered friend angels for tea Jack |
alone, as a sslable stlliction, was worth |
his weight in nuggets. And as to Jacks
dear friends
Not that she would for one inhuman
minute have dreamed of trading of her
soapegraoe, for all he came home regularly
irregular with twists in hid ankles aud
ungodly words that ought to have, but
did not, blister his tongue, for was he not
the only son Of that only sister under the
gay weeds Of Kentucky church yard,
and did he not bear the name of that
other Jack at the bottom of the everlast-
ing seas
There comes Jack of some sort into
most women's lives, and Aunt Prim had
never forgotten the blue flannel clad lover
who had gone down to the sea in ship
that in its turn had gone down under it
in storm. He was the one shining mark
in her youth, and death had loved it.
Poor Aunt Prim
Then after many drab-colored years,
Jack had come into her life. A lad when
he scsmpered off to spade mp fortune in
these Western hills, she found him lad
still, for all he lowered above her like the
pines and his hair was gray as granite.
Found him half dead and wholly dis.
gusted, with his fortune still under
ground and himself SO very nearly 80
that being white and womanish with the
fever, he had chung to her like a child
that fears the dark and she, having
nothing better to do with her life, had
carried him away from the little mob OF a
town huddled up on the hillside and took
him home and adored him.
II in this progressive world there
breathes woman strong minded enough
to overcome her weakness for prodigals
Aunt Prim had yet to profit by her illus
trious example-and prodigsl with &
dimple in his chin.
"Aunt Prim," he said, one wintry
night, as he watched her whisking abou
the fire with her steak and potatoes ant
tea-for Jack was always friendly will
the teapot when he wasn't wild will
whisky-"it must be no end Of drear,
here when am on the tear why dom
you get married %
The eyes that Miss Pamela Burtol
turned on her nephew looked like tn
taste Of sassstras tea.
sit it wasn't for them gray hairs {
yours I'd answer that question with m
slipper-marry indeed II twas the like
of you no"
She had said something rash-sh
guessed it by the way the red came swim
ming up in his cheeks she was sure of
by the suspicious conduct of that d,
moralizing dimple.
'Seems as II your mind was made u
handy enough without my pitchforkir
the idea into your head. don't say
nice girl wouldn't be Gods blessing
me-for 1t is dreary-but such trash
blows about Shantyville, miners cir
and dancing jacks and the like"
"She isn't a miners GIRL" persist,
the Prodigal, Indignantly.
"Then she's dancing jack, which
worse -
"Draw it mild, old lady," he sal
planting himself at the table, and pa
ronizingly patting her on the head, 'fy,
are sampling the best brand ever bottl
she does dance, that's a fact, and sin
like-well, Just wish you could he
her sing 7"
"Jaek Burton ~ exclaimed his apcie
brown relative, in the most uncomprom
ingly virtuous tones, "when broke
the old home in Kentucky and follow
you here to-to-this, allowed to suf
and maybe to die with a redskii
hatchet in my brain, but did not cali
late to disgrace my old age kicking
shines in dance house 70
AS if he had even limited at suel
thing But that was just like At
Prim, and Aunt Prim was just like evt
other woman in the world
$50 you won't call on Polly P''
manded the Prodigsl, anxiously.
"No, won't call on Polly, and If
dares to call on me Just let her-tha
all ~
Lonely There was the black world
around her, and the big, solemn mo
tain, with its hushed cries and echoe
the night. There were the dismal ri
shooting up toward the starless sky,
there was Jaok-at least that was VIII
Jack ought to have been-but Aunt Pl
being resigned to these nightly excursi
to the giddy metropolis OF Shantyvi
was Just settling herself to dream Ct
tortably of wildcats and Indians, wi
there came sudden and terrible knC
ing st the only little door
Wildcats and Indians Miss PAN
Burton had never pictured anyth
quite 80 blood. curdling as that knC
knock, knocking at her door.
But there it was, and there 1t kept
until, white and quiveri7g, she crep
the keyhole, and called in the iaintes
voices, "Who's there 7"
"A woman"
A woman Aunt Prim was match
woman any day but this was night
dark night on q desolate rosd-and
discretion is really better than v
taken all around, Miss Burton resorte
the keyhole and cried out in a t
more valorous tone: 9.-
$50 sway-didn't see your coat
through chink in the door-2n
And then something fell outside, al
low moan crept into Aunt PRINTS
with such pitiful distinctness that
unbarred her fortress and found her l.
there--a woman, indeed, with sealed
and streaming hair, all in heap on
step. To drag her in and rebolt the
was child's play to an energetic ss
like Aunt Prim, and when at last tn
expected was ready TO account FOL
surprising circumstances that had 1
her from stage coach into sueh XII
arms, the diplomatic old soul had
membered Shantyville and its Polly
determined to lend her share TOWARD
setting her again into Jack
There was school waiting somew
in the hills for its teacher, and
Burton made up her mind it should '
It had been dismal day, and Ma
after crying her eyes ont, was sol
herself to sleep at last in the driz
twilight, as Aunt Prim and hel v
sat in the freight waiting the prodi
return. -.
Two months 1t might have beel
years since that lucky night! Miss Blu
watching the girl as abe sat at the