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


II may be- that ou- old-fashioncd amt
needs no intro luclion. Pcrhaps Won
have met her In tho city nt some recent
art exhibition. or picture sale. where
sho set among the crowd. n little be-
wiidercd. but sufficiently alert. listening
20 tho glib c'iattcr Of the critics n they
discussed the merits of some thousand
dollars landscape.
The same being. ~ she declared 10
thc friend accompanying her. "only n
pictcr Of what anybody can see for
nothin' up tO Cruney lIullcr." where
\ she lives. why said she. regardin,
&c great work Of art with one eve
evrrrly shut mp, "je-t ~ 20 our back
ioor OF summer morning and stand
and look. aud there YOU have IL. for all
The worldi
The same smooth. green mcddcrs.
with the pretty brooks windn' through
EN-, and ON : 9th sides, to the riyht and
left, the pastur lands whore the cattle
ARE fed. sO peaceful and contentcd then.
way on In the distance. them solem-
lookin mountains with the shadders
crcepin' round 'cm. or rnstin' on their
tops; and all the time the sun shines
bright and pleasant down below in the
valley.
81 do declare. could n most believe
the man stood In our back door when
he painted that pictcr,
1T Is n han some view and no mis-.
take; hut don't il seem u pity 20 spend
so much money jest for picter. when
you could buy small, farm "A fius pic
ter, n u were for n thousand dollars
She scrs much ia our city 10 disap-
prove. Most %. the sO-Callrd modern
improvements are denominations to Aunt
Bothia
The electric light finds no favor in
her eyes.
"llow must our Maker look ON Up"
she asks Indignantly
1T wouldn't be- 81 bad Il they only
used u n they TO gaA or Kerosene lie:
but when they come e. light up all out
doors with II. aud make IL take the
place - the heavenly Odips-that =
what call impiOus. nOth'n' more nor
less than tryiu 90 Guido the Creator!
"Whcn the moon and stars don't
shine. 1t folks walk in the dark. or else
carry lantern. says she. whim.icallv.
The tclcphun1 she regards rs an in
formal machine. and insists that there is
sOmcthin supernatural about il.
She has never been prevailed upon 10
use Il once.
~ won't have anything To do with il
IN any way nor shapc!' says she. jest
rs u any human invention could do what
that thing docs'''
80 she always keeps safe distance
from 10, rs II II were liable Ia "po off,
ut any moment or play some diabolical
trick upon her.
She does not approve Of the Quincy
Method In our schools, and much pro-
tcrs To have the children learn their Ics.
sons from their books aud recite them
standing In n nice straight line. with
their toes To crack In the floor. She
would like more prominence given TO
order anil To the Ion commandments.
AMI she sadly misses the Il nncr-bas-
kets and u 9 WATERFALL and tin dippcr.
She docs not like the new version OF
the Scriptures; her muthor's Bible is
good enough Tor her; and Sire takes no
interest In the great controversy, eNcrpt
To mourn that thero should be- such
wicked and disordorly gCings-on in the
She went 90 SEES the opera Of "Pa-
tiencc, aud her womanly soul was
shocked beyond repair ut the consluct
CT the lovc-sick maijens, she fell pcr-
sonally humiliated and disgraced. and
sat there with burning cheeks. not lar.
ing To go. and too indignant a. stay and
see Il through.
Words we're thrown away upon her
"Ah the words ia tho Enpnsh Ian
guagc,' she declared 20 us, scouldn't
excuse or explain away such N
shameful exhibit on such immrlest
behavior ON the part ~ them vounu
girls. The trollOpes." said she. an0rie
". where In the world were t6eir
mothers9 Poor things. though. - She
added. as an aftorthought. ~perhans
they hadn't any mothers; / can't 10.
licve thy had 49,
Es,heticisuf and the Renaissance. as
/ she underestimate them. are only delu-
sions OF The adversary. invented 10 ruin
weak and Idle souls who loitcr In the
hy-paths oi life. and she believes The
only salvation for such i % 90 70 pork.
Let EN- do something practical. -
sho viii say IF they're 80 'mazin'
fond o suniiOwcrs let 'em 90 TO raisin'
EN- by the cart-loadl They're excel
lent chicken fodder. rs everybody
knows. did see a whole acre on 'em
once all CROWN together; they was in
full blow. and looked Gurus enough.
with their big round faces turned toward
the sun Oscar Wilde says. YOU know.
that they resemble lion: aud they do
look about ~ wise and KNOWN"
There's nothin' like work for keep
IN girls out OF mischief" she is fond o.
saying.
''When our girls leave school let 'em
= take right hold aud help their mothers
with the homework and the plain sew
in and takin' care Of the baby. and
then they won't he hanker.n' to paint
pots and jars or 20 embroider sage
green curtains and table-cloths. Though
why that color Is called sagc-green
cant imagine; IL certainly amt the
color Of any sage that ever grew in F7iV
garden; and It's unaccountable 10 me
that so many.folks nowadays prefer
such dirty. fadcli-out colOrs that YOU
can't look at without feelin' sick and
faint when there's plenty Of pretty
bright ones that will cash aud bic, as
II were.v.N n Ilft. 81
Aunt Bethia is q born nurse, and as
och Is recommended BY the ''Holler''
folks with rs much enthusiasm as their
own favorite spring bitters or cough.
remedy.
She Is ind ed excellent in case q
sickness" and she comes at such times
nke yeritable angel Of mercy. bring
~ VIZ her her soft voice and gentle,