The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27

AAAN - 1890
news very corner. An old woman
dressed in the snuff colored gown that
Mrs. Dabney had always III and e
ing a snuff-silk cap, whites bag depend
ed from her arm.
1T cold, ladies'" she said, looking
around with a depreeating air. Gold
for the season of the year, And they
don't keep fires at Tewkstown."
Mother, " said Mary, recovering her
self with q hysterical gasp ofrslief. 1T
isn't old Mrs. Dabney's ghost at all.
It's old Miss Abby come back from the
Tewkstown poorhouse."
you don't mean-"began the mild
widow.
THAT Mrs. Daniel Dabney and Mrs.
Eyerard Elberson let their old aunt go
to the poorhouse? ?" said Mary Miller.
Eyes, it is quite true. Mrs. Daniel
leads society in San Francisco, | am
told, and Mrs. Elberson is o grand lady
in Bridgeport, with a reception day and
servants in livery. What could they
do with q kalf crazy aunt who takes snuff
and talks uncertain grammar? Poor
Miss Abby! She h& wandered back to
her old home. She was eighty her last
birthday, and things are all misty and
vague to her"
what shall we dot" said Mrs. Mil
Ter in accents of perplexity. "A crazy
woman here-it don't seem just right,
Molly, does it"
It'll take her back after she has rest
ed a little and had a cup of tea," said
Mary cheerfully.
But prehaps she won't 60"
ooh yes, she will, " said Mary. "Poor
Miss Abby! She is as gentle as a
child"
Her words proved to be correct.
Miss Abby Dabney suffered herself to be
led unremonstratingly back to Tewks-
town poorhouse, where the matron read
her a shrilltoned lecture, and declared
she should not be allowed another grain
of snuff if she didn't behave better.
Old Miss Abby smiled deprecatingly.
"They are peculiar people here" she
said to Mary Miller. "Ithink. my dear,
they forget sometimes that / am a lady.
But it takes all sorts of people, don't
You see, to make a world"
The next night, however, just "a
Mary and her mother were sitting down
to tea, Miss Abby once more appeared,
in the midst of a gentle shower of rain.
II hope / don't inconvenience any
body" she said, meekly. "But that
women at Tewkstown has cut off my al
lowance of snuff, and after all, there's
no place like home"
And once more Mary Miller patiently
walked home with the poor aid crone to
the poor house. The matron was in
furiated this time.
ut amt human natur to stand this"
she declared. Ell put her in the Jug"
"The iug?" repeated Mary.
cts a room down cellar, where we
shut up the troublesome cases." said
the matroE. II can't stand this RIM
ming away business. and / won'tl
The jug, perhaps, proved efficaci0us,
for old Miss Abby did not appear again
for a week. AT the expiration Of that
time, however, she crept noiselessly in
just at dusk and seated herself like a
silent shadow in the chimney corner.
SIt's so good to be at home again.
she said, rubbing her wrinkled hands,
Il SOlllt .lIOn OCChl w ACt OSb VI ldtts
Elnathan is gone, and Betty's gone, and
| am left here all alone. Yes, a cup of
tea, please-sugar and milk. They
never remember haw [ like my tea at
Tewkstown. This is good; and butter
on my bread, too! We don't get but
ter at Tewkstown."
Mary burst into tears.
Mother" said she, Miss Abby shall
not 90 back to Tewkstown-she shall
stay here! Mother, how should / feel
if yon were wandering friendless and
alone through the world?"
But my dear"
"She shall sleep in her W old
room, out of the Kitchen persisted
Mary. "She will be no more care thar
a canary bffd. Oh, mother, doconsenti
She will think then that she is in her
own old home. Oh, if you knew how
dreary it is at that poor house, with
the grass all trampled aas and piles Of
clam shells lying round the door, and
not so much as a dandelion or daisy to
be seem
And Mrs. Miller yielded to Mary's
fearful solicitations.
"Do as you please, my child, said
she. The Tewkstown authorities were
but too glad to be rid Of the poor incu-
bus and Miss ABBY abney settled down
in her old home, as contentedly and un-
questionably as if she had never left it.
She ate and drank but little; she talked
still less, and seemed to regard Mrs.
Miller and Mary as guests, who had
come to visit the old farm.
THE widow Miller and her dafter
must be richfolks, to undertake to sup
port old Miss Abby, " sneered one neigh
Dor.
1She was we'll provided for at the
| nonrhonsa y said another.