Bismarck tribune., 1884-04-25
AUNT BECKY'S BEAU.
[Ben Wylde in Chicago News.

Aunt Becky, who has not q nephew or
niece in the world, but is aunt to everybody,
pressed me so hard that Iyemained over New
Years day at her house. Aunt Becky is the
woman who was present on salary, the morn
ing I was born, and who blew in my face and
helped me to catch the breath that didn't
know how to catch alone: SO I feel that there
was some truth in the yarns they used to tell
me about Aunt Becky being my aother
mother" She remained at our house so long
that I had begun to toddle and knew how
to feel deeply grieved when she went away
to be married to Duncan Boggs, the well-to-
do Tamarack farmer, who was killed by q
threshing machine the next summer.
Yesterday, as we sat by her warm fire
eating doughnuts and drinking cider, there
came rap at the side door. Bobby, bright
lad whom Aunt Becky adopted from found
ings' home some seven or eight years ago,
ran to the window and peeped out.
dts Deacon Poison" said the boy, loud
enough, am sure, for the deacon to hear
his ears had not been muffed in long,
crocheted tippet that went around his neck
and over his head nobody dare guess how
many times.
When Aunt Becky went to the door to let
the deacon in, Bobby ran up to me and
whispered: "That's mas beau"
had met the deacon before. Indeed, he
has been Aunt Becky's beau for some ten
years now, and have met him at her house
on the occasion of each Of my annual visits.
Moreover. have often thought Aunt Becky
would like to marry him if he only had spunk
enough to ask her about it.
Deacon Podson is tall man, with should
ers as round as Atlas, and perhaps from
somewhat similar cause. since the affairs OF
Tamarack, which amount in his estimation
to whole world Of affairs, rest mainly on
him. He is chairman of the village board,
me of the school directors, Chief pillar of
he church, and master Of ceremonies at all
times and in all places. I don't wonder that
he is round-shouldered For five years, to
my knowledge, he has been "nigh onto &c."
which leads me to believe that he is not far
from that age, either one side or the other Of
it. As he came into the room he began to
unroll and unravel and untwist the long
tippet from his neck, speaking not word.
Then he took off his outside coat and laid it,
all snowy over the coal box in the corner
Presently he happened to think to take off
his hat, and he held it in his hand as he said:
"How d'y do?"
allow d'y doa" said Aunt Becky.
"Uncle Ben is here" said little Bobby, call
ing the deacon's attention to me-
"How d'y do?" said the deacon, standing
with his hat in his hand, and looking like
great hulk of boy about to speak piece to
his first audience.
"Won't you take cheer2" asked Aunt
Becky, pushing big rocker near the stove
"No, can set here just as WELL" replied
the deacon, confusedly, as he let himself
down on q corner of the coal box.
"You'd better take the cheer" urged Aunt
Becky.
"Waal, don't care if I do"
Aunt Becky drew up her old-fashioned
sewing chair, and the two put their feet on
the stovehearth, pretty near each other A
long, embarrassing silence followed, during
which Deacon Podson warmed h.s h;.Ads by
the stove, and rubbed them together, with
few grunts and phews, as if he were very
cold
"Is it so cold out?" asked.
"Tol'able cold," said the deacon.
Another long silence.
"How hev you been?" asked Aunt Becky.
"Oh, toIable."
After more oppressive silence the deacon
arose from his chair and said: "Waal, just
come over to say wish you happy New Year"
"Waal, waal, you hain't a goin' yit," said
Aunt Becky. claw sakes! you hain't but just
come"
The deacon sat down again. He hadn't in
tended to go, but the poor man had to say
something.
began to think it was occasion when two
are company and three or four are none, so I
told Bobby if he would come out III the kitchen
7 wOl1ld NAV checkers with him
II guess you don't remember it's New Years
day, do you, Benny?" said Aunt Becky.
"Well," said I with pretty good imita-
tion Of surprise and shame, "that' so. de-
clare came near playing checkers, never
once thinking it WIS New Years day." How
lied Only I didn't know that checkers
were tabooed on such occasions in Tamarack
or should never have suggested the game.
ave can play dominoes, though, can't we,
Uncle Benz"
wasn't dead sure whether dominoes were
in the prescribed list, so pretended not to
hear Bobby.
"Ma, dominoes are all right, amt theys"
'Yes; you can play dominoes, of course"
said Aunt Becky.
"Dominoes!" I echoed, as # had just
caught Bobby's question. "Oh, yes; do1ni-
inoes are all right.
So Bobby and went to the kitchen, and
as passed through the door left it open
little, for was resolved to see how widower
of 60 and widow of so odd would make
love after ten years of courtship. I drew the
table near the door, where I could hear and
see what was going on in the sitting-room,
and Bobby brought out the harmless doni-
noes. I made so many errors that the little
fellow had no trouble in beating me, which
made him happy to continue, and so served
my purpose.
Deacon Podson sat there twirling his hat
and looking into the fire. Aunt Becky leaned
back comfortably in her chair and looked
at the ceiling. Not a word was spoken for a
long, long time. Presently Aunt Becky be-
gan to rock back and forth and hum good old
Coronation" softly and slowly, and, after
few measures, Deacon Podson broke in with
his cracked bass, out of tune and out Of
time, but somehow, after all, in pleasing
harmony. For long time they sat and
hummed that simple, old tune, the humping
of Aunt Becky's loose rocker marking the
time, her voice creaking and scraping over
the highest notes, but her heart full of the
sweet, peaceful music. I thought she ought
to be married, and that Deacon Podson ought
always to stay right there and blunder his
bass notes in, rough though they were,