Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-11-05
I ''A.UNT ESS. :
rrauslated fron y, Arnold Mortier. !.

u Z
sterdam in the family sof one Of nay
friends. Every body in the house used
to call her Aunt Ess". Her real name,
I think, was either Esthelle or Esther.
She was rapidly approaching 60; but her
white hair was the only outward indica-
ton Of her age. Her skin was delicate
and unwrinkied, her eyes full Of spirit,
and che had superb teeth, which an al
most ever-smiling mouth coquettishly
displayed She must have been once
very pretty; she was still good-l ooking.
And this persistent beauty was further
accentuated by q really extraordinary
animation Of manner. 1t. ss&&$szt& Il
The brightness Of her eyes, her quick.
ness Of expression, her rapid. gesture,
her pretty speech, her, always hurried
walk all indicated that this charming
tsexegenarian, ever alert, obliging and
busy, was devoted to some very active
calling, and was thoroughly absorbed by
the worry of business. I. j.. .
!, In fact Aunt Ess had chad been in
business" Did I say she had been? She
was still in business. In her family it
was generally predicted that this indie
fatigable woman-worker would never
find rest, would never be able to repose,
81 For Aunt Ess was not millionaire by
any means.
= Although she was really we'll estab-
tlished in business on her own account,
she had always lived in poverty-inde-
pendent poverty it is true, but absolute
poverty nevertheless. She had never
asked any favors from anybody. Even
in older to induce her to take dinner
with the family once in fortnight, the
most urgent solicitations were required.
She used to come clad in grey wooden
dress-always the same dress winter or
summer, with sleeves tight at the wrists,
long waist, and little fiounces at the
bottom. Then as a general rule, she
would always bring some confectionery,
for the children, would be very kind,
very merry; and if anybody CHANGED to
inquire about her affairs she would al
ways reply that business was ''tolerably
good" e. 8>"~ 49, rs
- Nevertheless the business of Aunt
Ess was not Of colossal import
ance.
The poor woman lived IN a regular
cellar--one ofthose frightful Amsterdam
Cellars damp, unhealthy, vertible nests
Of fever, wherein the visitor is astounded
to find clean and pretty businesses es-
tablished, fruit. booths, shoemakers' and
coopers' shops, tishmongers' establish
ments, and even drinking halls. One
had to 60 down a flight of about dozen
steps In order to reach her little station
Shn ~ ho In -
mronaut There was little table there
"a very little table-which served as a
counter; three or four paste board boxes
full of reams of writing paper of diff En-
emit sizes; an old glove box in which
steel pens, quill pens and bad pencils
were all jumbled pellmell together; six
ink jars and four rules. That was all. 1t
would not have been hard to make an
inventory Of the stock. In her busy Sea-
son Aunt Ess could make from IL to Is
forms. " ~
In the evening the little shop was
transformed into supper-roon; at night
into slee ping room. The counter, was
>. turned into dining-room; and the bed
was an armoire in the farther end ofthe
cellar-an armoire with folding doors
and only one shelf upon which narrow
mattress,was placed. ..,..
: twas in that underground place she
lived; and she had lived there for forty
years when I knew her. She lived hon
estly, Loyalty, never contracting one cent
of debt, and nevertheless finding means
to save up and treasure away enough
money for her dowry. -.
For Aunt Ess was engaged-Aunt Ess
had q betrothed. ~:
It will be necessary, ere continuing
this little narrative, to relate something
about betrothals in Holland.
When the young Dutchman finds the
young Dutch girl of his dreams, and the
said DutchSgirl has found the young
Dntchman to her taste-the families of
both having been duly consulted and
u give their ent-it is forthwith agreed
that the twain shall remain betrothed
stora year or5two. Bib 4 sE& .5x
From that time forward" the future
husband and future wife live altogether
for one another, just as though they al
ready belonged, to one another. They
can come and 90 as they please. Or walk
out together, without That chaperon
who has become an apparently 1ndis-
pensable feature of our, French social
system. You can see the betrothed ev-
erywhere together lat the theatre, on
the street, walking out for days recrea-
tion--lovingly leaning one upon another
the future wife already under the pro-.
lection OF her future husband Never
has this preliminary intimacy shocked
anybody; never has this prologue to
marriage been aught else than pro-
logue. - ssss- .52s%, ~ 49,
One day whom she was 18 years old,
Aunt Ess introduced into her family the
y man whom she had honored with her
affection, and who had solicited her
hand. ss 4z58sse N w. ~ ~ + L
A poor little shop.keeper like herl Ha
I. But he was even poorer, and in BUSH
ness on q smaller scale; for Aunt Ess
had 9 shop, 9 counter. paste board
boxes full Of reams OF note paper, and
an old glove box full Of metallic pens
whereas the man Of her choice had no
shop at all. ssss VIII Il 81 s5s4 Il IL ~ II,
OF If he could be said to have one, it
was SO small that he could carry it un-.
der his arm. Il ~ s5ss i.5* /, .ss~
Karel was adealer il cigars-but not
one Of those big spectators who filled
their huge Warehou with fragrant
stock imported directly from Havana.
stock consisted of q little box that had
5i1UAtk1lukA&S Akif1 fEApHIuNo sIpkallaH D0-,
fore il fell into his hands and in which
he displaya with astounding ostenta.
ton, choice Cigars at 2 cents apiece. He
]. would offer thpses to the smallest retail
dealers; never having more than q hum
sdred cigars sa time, and seldom being
able TO get rid Of them il less than fif-
teen days q B 81 B.
The calling could not cert aihnIy bring
him In any more than what her inter
NIT tent sale Of pencils, pens and letter
paper brought into the purse Of his be-
Their engagement was thus effected
under rarely we'll baianced condi
AZ m uraa III love mat I'M haea1.sse fhau had