The Mineral argus., 1884-06-12

2telv.t Mr.. Wilson smiled ulLIe UOo'
Before this only the perplexities OF the
situation had presented themselves TO
him.
wall. I'll tell you what think, said
the deacon, when he could get his breath /;
'Ithink if the old lady wants to set there
we'd better let her, till she gets sick oft.
She'll be glad enough to get out of 1t
in a few DAYS. She'll be as safe there
as alone in her own house, and safer;
and it's hot weather, so there won't be
anv trouble about her getting cold. I'll
speak to my wife, an there'l be some
hot victuals carried in, I'll warrant.
| She can't come to any harm there that
| [ can see. An nothin' else will pacify her
if she's got set about it, l know Aunt
Rhoda Carpenter. I'd have her come
right in here this minute, but nothln
short of main force could bring her; an,
there amt any mortal reason why she
shouldn't go to her own home, but If she
won't she won't. / know her. She amt
crazy, but if she sets out to do thing
she's goin' to carry it through. No ;if the
old lady wonts to set in her pew / think
we'd better let her." and the deacon
laughed till the tears ran down his
cheeks.
So Aunt Rhoda was triumphant. Cne
sat in her pew the next week like queen
on her throne. The news of her queer
freak spread everywhere, and exited at
once mirth and compassion. She had
every attention. People brought her in
breakfasts and dinners and suppers.
She had her hot tea with every meal.
They brought her pillows and blankets
to turn her pew into bed. The sexton
looked in every night, to see if every
thing was ali right, and Aunt RhOda was
really living very comfortably in her
pew.
But this could not last forever 1T would
do for few days, but something differ
ent would have to be done soon. Peo-
pie wondered what. They hoped Aunt
Rhoda would soon abandon her whim,
and they would try and arrange matters
with her and provide for her in some
way.
There began to be a deal of active
pity abroad for the poor old lady togeth-
er with the mirth which her conduct
excited. The next Sunday Mr.. Wilson
had a congregation such as he never
remembered before. Some of the
surrounding towns had got wind of the
old lady in Camden who had taken to
living in her pew, and the church was
packed. Beyond a placid old woman
in a cashmere shawl and a black straw
bonnet with purple roses, they saw
nothing however. The carpet had
been tucked into an anteroom before
the service began, and all other traces
of her habitation removed. When ten
days from the one of her taking up her
abode in the church had elapsed, and
Aunt Rhoda still showed no signs of
getting tired of the situation, folks
began to feel uneasy. They
could not let an old lady live
in her church pew all summer, and
now they were actually aiding her in
her wild freak still, they could not let
her want comforts. That very night
there was a meeting appointed at Dea-
con Harris's to talk the matter over;
but in the six o'clock train there came a
couple of strangers to town, pretty,
stylish lady, and fnelooking gentle
man, who put new aspect on the face
of affairs. They walked directly up to
Aunt Rhoda's house, which was a short
ttlbbdllCo 1IOlh bu6 NlcDOb' w llcn b16N
discovered that there was no one at
home, they made inquiries at the next
house. and Annie Carpenter Mather,
for it was she, was informed by the
good woman that she would probably
find her Aunt Rhoda sitting in her
church pew.
1t was quite a warm afternoon, and
Aunt Rhoda was doing peacefully in
her pew, when her niece, in her pretty
brown silk travelling dress, ran hastily
up the aisle, a tall, smiling gentleman
following her.
Aunt Rhoda woke up at the first kiss,
and looked with no apparent surprise
at the pretty, blooming face SO near
hers.
81 knew the Lord would send you,
Annie Carpenter Mather," said she.
"Well, 1 guess he has, auntie," her
niece answered, half laughing and half
crying at the same time.
Well, Aunt Rhoda's troubles were
over then, of course. The old house
was secured to her again, and she lived
there peacefully with her beloved Annie
Carpenter Mather for number of years.
But the story of her ten-days' soiourn
in her church pew became one of the
town legends of Camden.
a