News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-05-01
Discussed.

/A9S CAAS1N>NA'
''Charles /! Charles you won't for
get to meet my Aunt Stephanie at the
depot at twelve precisely -
Mrs. Early had followed her tai
brother-in-law to the front door steps,
with the fresh. wind blowing her bright
hair about her face, and scarlet Shet-
land shawl drawn picturesquely round
her delicate shoulders-a pretty woman
with something of matronIy dignity sub
DUNG the arch mischief that sparkled IL
her merry eyes.
Mr.. Charles Early was a stalwart,
handsome young man, with blue eyes
and light brown hair shadowing a fair,
open forehead. 1t was pleasant face to
look into, with nothing of irresolution OF
effeminacy about it, and consequently
Charles Early had many friends-aye,
and loyal ones, too.
He turned around at the sound of his
sister-in-law's voice. Josephine was one
of his most useful and constant allies.
mo; I'll not forget, Josephine; but
Tn sorry her grandfathers and grand
mothers in baptism gave her the name
of Stephanie.
"Why?'
Because 1 know a Stephanie; the
prettiest fairy you ever saw 1t was
when we were all at Woolgrove Beach
last month-and-if you'll promise not
to tell my sober brother, Bob, I'll con-
fde to you momentous secret, Joseph
inc. Have your pledge of secrecy?"
81 promise.
"Well, then, lost my heart to that
beautiful little Stephanie, with her
hossy, yellow curIs, and her rose
mouth with its tiny pearls of teeth, and
her pink and white complexion, just like
your great oleander in the drawing
room"
"Did you propose to her, Charlie ?"
questioned his sister in-law, with all the
eager earnestness of a woman's Curl
osity.
s'Not Just then, but another secret,
Josephine proposed by letter, day
before yesterday
"And you have received no answer ?"
''Not yet; I suppose it is too soon;
but I'm on thorns and nettles until one
does reach me. Josephine, if she don't
have me, I'll drown myself %
"No, Charles. you won't What alb
surd nonsense r.
'Then I'll do worse; I'll subside into
a cross grained, fdgety old bachelor,
grumbling necessarily at everything and
everybody for all the rest of my natural
days; Just see if I don't"
''Charles, you're goose"
$50 are all young men who have the
misfortune to fall in love. It's their
normal condition. What time do you
say the train arrives2 Twelve? 1 shall
have to get a carriage, suppose, to
transfer the rheumaticy old lady here
without any breakage of bones. Does
she walk with gold-headed cane?"
''Yes, and she wears a wig and spec
acIes, and talks through her nose, and
axes snuff from tortoise-shell box"
"'Angels and ministers of grace de-
fend us 7 Josephine, how did you ever
come to have such an aunt? and how
did her name happen to be Stephanie,
instead of Dorcas or Tryphosa p
"We used to call her Aunt Feny,' for
short, said Mrs. Early. mischievously,
and her brother-in-law strobe down the
street, whistling, but not for the lack of
thought, as he went.
"I wish Aunt Feny was in the Red
Sea-" he thought, little vindictively;
''but suppose must oblige Josephine.
So at II o'clock precisely Mr.. Charles
Early stood on the platform at the
H-depot watching the long train as
it slowly glided in like fire. throated
serpent.
''There comes your antediluvian old
hag, Charlie, said Guy st. Everil, with
a laugh, as brisk but somewhat bent
figure, wrapped from head to foot in a
voluminous cloak of snuf-colored bonn
bazine, with huge circular cape of the
same, stepped out of one Of the last cars
by the aid of an iron-headed cane. Her
bonnet, curiously bent and crumpled,
barely covered huge, frilled cap. She
wore a bright brown wig, set little
awry over her forehead, and massive
green spectacles sat astride of her nose,
while brown cotton gloves adorned her
hands, and a green umbrella, carried
nnder the arm, threatened, with its brass
ferule, the eyes of whoever was rash
enough to crowd her movements in the
rear.
''Aunt Feny's self, as I live and
breathe p echoed Bruce Montmartin.
"Charlie, if L were you I'd run for it p
''Drop her in the gutter and make of
with yourself, suggested another young
exquisite, superciliously stroking down
his mustache.
But Charles Early had too many gen.
tIemanly instincts to pay any heed to
the waggish hints of his companions.
He stepped forward, chivalrously.
"Allow me to carry your basket fol
you, ma'am p he said. '1 am the
brother-in-law of your niece, Mrs
Early"
"Oh, you be, eh ?" croaked feeble
voice, from under the cap frill. "Well
you may take my umbril and my basket
and here's a paper O. gingerbread
fetched along for lunch and bottle o
root beer Farmer Jenkins wife sent me
its dretful good for pimples and sicf
and I've got a striped carpet-bae
some'rs, with the key tied on with bi
o. red tape-and here's the brass ticketl
for the trunks; checks, the fellow called
iem, If / remember rightly"