River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-05-10
AUNT JEANS MISTAKE.


the house to-dayw said Kitty Ford.
Aunt jean, couldn't 90 Deriving up
in the pasture lot2"
"NonsenseP' said Aunt Jean. "With
the back bedroom to be whitewashed,
and the churning to be done, and the
quilt to be got ready for the frames2
Pm surprised at you, CatherineW
Kitty looked with longing eyes at the
creeping tides of sunshine on the hill,
the great shadows that the apple-tree
bouehs made swaying on the grass.
There was a catbird singing in the
naples. Kitty wished that-just for
awhile-s &c could be that catbird, and
dwell in a glorifed region of green
leaves, where churning, whitewash pals
and quiliing-bees were unknown.
She knew that even now the scarlet
peoples were nodding along the stone
walls like tiny soldiers, the wild-roses
opening in solitary hooks, the straw. ber-
ries ripening in fragrant wood-openings
on the bill.
As these tempting thoughts passed
across her mind, she heard Aunt jeans
shriH voice at the back door, talking to
some one.
"a painter, eh?" said she. "Oh, yes,
you're welcome to a drink of water.
You can draw it, fresh and cool, for
yourself The Wells out under the big
butternut-tree. A painter, did you say2
P'rlps you can whitewash, too?"
Certainly, ma'am!" said a deep,
pleasant voice.
Kitty leaned forward to get peep at
the possessOr of that clear, soft tenor.
He was young mar, with q sort of
pack strapped on his back, and some
thing that resembIed a magnifed UNI
brella in his hand.
"Oh," said Kitty, to herself, ga ped
dleri aunt Jean is getting harder and
harder of hearing every dayp
"Well," said Aunt Jean, 81 do b'lieve
Providence has sent you'll I'd engaged
Perkins Polk to whitewash the back bed
room to-day, but he hasn't come near
me. And here it is nine o'clOckl
don't b'Iieve he means to come to-day.
Perkins has took to drink dreadful of
late-pOor creeturl P'raps, sir, you
could whiteNash the back bedroom?
I'd be willin' 10 give you your dinner
and quarter Of dollar for the jobi
And ] can't say more liberal than that"
Aunt Jean was awaiting the decision
of the young man, with one hand back
of her ear, when Kitty walked in, her
bright eyes sparkling with mirth, her
cheeks rosy, and her lips pursed up in
the desperat attempt not to smile.
You'll please excuse Aunt Jean, my
good man" said she. I'VE don't want
an thing to-day. There was peddler
along on Saturaay, and we bought all
that we required"
The young man-Horton Leigh was
the name stamped in gilt letters on the
inside of his color box-looked from
grim Aunt Jean TO pretty Kitty, and
made up his mind at once.
Pardon me-" he SAID. "but am not
a peddler. And if you will allow me
shall be very glad to undertake the
job
''The sooner the BETTER" said Aunt
Jean briskly. 81 s'pose you amt got
your overalls with you. That don't make
no difference. There's pair up stairs
as belonged to Hiram Hardness, who
worked for us one spell, and a jumper
jacket as Billy Barlow wore, who ran
away aud joined gipsies, six menthsago:
Kitty, run up stairs and fetch 'em. And
the young man can go IN the barn and
put 'em on. Well, l do call this streak
of luckp
And in less than FIVE minutes the
''voung man" was mounted on ladder,
brandishing a g0od-sized wbitewash
brush, Kitty Ford was churning and
Aunt Jean was lacking the quilt on the
frames in the best room.
There's nothing like getting q good
early start on Monday morning" said
Aunt lean.
At twelve o'clock the back bedroom
was winter and sWeeter than any lily,
the butter had "come," the quilt was
satisfactorily arranged, and the whole
family sat down to q savory meal OF
fried chicken, white bread, milk and
strawberry short cake.
fYou seem to be very respectable
Young man." said Aunt Jean, crit cally
surveying the stranger. 'If you'd like
to stay here and do chores for your
board, you might sleep in the barn
chamber, and could recommend you
to do whitewashing jobs for the neigh
bors. Deacon DOWd's house needs
new coat of paint, and Pm most sure
that Widow Enathan TTuebY would like
her barn painted to match the new
house"
II am greatly obliged to you," said
the young man, toying with a particular
Nv large berry, but l do not execute or
ders in that branch. l am an artist,
"A-which?' said Aunt Jean.
San artist. Shall l show you soma OF
my sketches
Aunt Jean put on her spectacles at
once.
.sWeH, don't object to look at 'em,"
said she. "But / WON'T promise to buy.
We got a very pretty chrome with the
last pound o. tea We bought, and Kitty
cuts pictures out of the Illustrated papers
and pastes EN- on to stOnc-jars."
Mr. Leigh laughed
"Oh, l don't expect to make a salel"
said he. .'All these are merely first
ideas. iotted down in the crudest of fash
ions. To speak truth, my real object in
calling here this morning was to ask per-
mission to sketch those picturesque ruins
down by the old road
con" said Aunt Jean; "the old smithy
Dear, dearp there amt nothing, but a
tumble down stunwall and few mullein-
stalks left there. IF yOu could wait till
next spring, Elihu Lewis means to put a
first-class backsnith's shop. But you're
welcome to do all the sketchin' you
want"
Kittv's eyes sparkled.
Il wish [ was an artist" said she, as
she turned over the bits of mill-hoard,
all of which we're instinct OF life and
beauty.
.sWelI," said Aunt Jean, complacent-
ly, "why shouldn't you be2 | dare say
this young man can show You how he
does it.
Kitty looked at the young man; the
Young man looked at Kitty, and then
both burst into peal of hearty laughter
to Aunt Jeans great mystIiicatlon.
'1h. aunty," said Kitty, still choking
behind her ket-handkerchief, that
isn't the way that artists are NADER
Half an hour later Kitty Ford was out
on tue green, feeding her little downy
ducklinSs with scalded meal, when Judge
Iaughington's carriage drove up.
Kitty let the tin pan fall III her dis
NAV. To her, Miss Laughing ton, in her
summer silks and diamonds, long white
0Iumes and eeight-buttoned kid-gioves,
represented ali that was elegant and
adorable.
How she regretted that she still wore
her old blue gingham gown, and that
her curls we're all entangled by the sweet
soft wind!
Don't run away. Kitty, dear" sale
Miss LaughingtOn, reckoning with hel
ivorv-handled parasol. "You are the
very girl that l want to see. My cous
in, Mr.. Leigh, is coming down TIM
way, to-day, to sketch. | have tolC
him about those pretty, old ruins o
the blacksmith's shop; so, If he comes
psst here"
sob, Miss Laughington,n cried Kitty
turning as scarlet as the big bunch o
4 go h.. fas1ta