Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-15
AUNT BETHIA.

AUNT BETHIA.
1t may be that our old-fashioned aunt needs |
no introduction Perhaps you have met her |
in the city at some recent art exhibition, or |
picture snle, where she sat among the crowd, |
a little bewidered, but sufficiently alert, lis
tening to the glib chatter Of the critics as |
they discussed the merits Of some thousand |
dollar landscape
The same being, as she declared to the |
friend accompanying her, only picter Of |
what anybody can see for nothin' up to Ora.
ney Holler," where she lives why" said |
she, regarding the great work Of art with one |
eye severely shut up Jest go to our back door
of a summer morning and stand and look, |
and there you have II for all the world The |
same smooth green medders, with the pretty
brooks windin' through EN-, and on both
sides, to the right and left, the pastur lands
where the cattle are fed, so peaceful and con-
tented then, way of in the distance, them
solemn .lookin' mountains, with the shadders
creepin round EN- or restn' on their tops
and all the time the sun shines bright and
pleasant down below in tho valley. l do de-
clare could almost believe the man stood in
our back door when be painted that picter
It's han some view and no mistake but
don't it seem pity to spend so much money
Jest for picter, when you could buy small
farm-a lice picter, as it were-for thous-
and dollars :"
She sees much in our city to dsapprove
Most of the so.called modern improvements
are denominations to Aunt Bethia. The cleo
trio light finds no favor in her eyes.
How must our Maker look on ~" she
asks, Indignantly. at wouldn't be so bad if
they only used it as they do gas, or kerosene
lie but when they come TO light up oil out.
doors with it, and make il take the place o
the heavenly bodies-thats what call impi-
Gus nothin more or less than tryin' to out
do the Creator When the moon and stars
don't shine, let folks walk in the dark, or
else carry lantern ~ says she whimscally.
The telephone she regards as an Internal
machine, and insists that there is something
supernatural about it. She has never been
prevailed upon to use it once. II won't have
anything to do with it in any way nor shape :"
says she. "Jest as if any human invention
could do what that thing does :" Soshe always
keeps safe distance from it, as if 1t were Ii
able to Ego off, at any moment or play some
diabolical trick upon her.
She does not approve Of the Quincy
method" in our schools and much prefers to
have the children learn their lessons from their
| books and recite them standing in nice
straight line, with their toes to u crack in the
| floor She would like more prominence CIV
and she sadly misses the dnuerbaskets and
the water-pail and tin dipper.
| She does not like the new version OF the
| Scriptures her mothers Bible is good enough
for her and she takes no interest in the
| great controversy, except to mourn that there
| should be such wicked and disorderly goings-
on in this world.
She went to see the opera Of Patience,
and her womauly soul was shocked beyond
Lou. oh auad
ems she felt personally humiliatod and dis
praced, and sat there with burning cheeks,
not daring to 60. and too indignant to stay
and see 1t through.
Words were thrown away upon her. An
the words in the English language she de
clared to us, couldn't excuse or explain
away such shameful ekhibition-such i'm
modest behavior on the part Of them young
girls. The trollopes' said she angrily,
where in the world were their mothers
Poor things, though, she added, as an after
thought, perhaps they hadn't any mothers
cant believe they had
Estheticism and the Renaissance, as she
understands them are only delusions of the
adversary, invented to rule weak and idle
souls who loiter in the by-paths OF life, and
she believes the only salvation for such Is to
go to work.
LET EN- do something practical, - she will
say. IF they're so 'meziA' fond o sunhow-
ers, let 'em go to raisin' 'em by the cart-load
They're excellent chicken fodder, as every
body knows. l did see a whole acre on em
ouce all CROWN together they were in full
blow, and looked Gurus enough with their
big round faces turned toward the sun. Os
car Wilde says you know, that they resem-
bic lion and they do look about as wise
and KNOWN.
There's nothin' like work for keepin
girls out O. mischief she is fond OF saying
"When our girls leave school let 'em take
right hold and help their mothers with the
houseW ork and the plain SEWN and takin
care OF the baby, and then they won't be han
kerin' to paint old pots and jars or to em-
broider sage-green curtains and table-cloths
Though why that color is called sage-green
can't imagine it certainly amt the color o.
any sage that ever grew in my garden; anC
it's unaccountable to me that so many folk
now days prefer such dirty, faded out col
ors that you cant look At without feelin' sicl
aud faint, when there's plenty of bright one
that will wash and bile, as it were"
Aunt Bethia is a born nurse, and as such II
. recommended by the "Holler' folks with a
much enthusiasm as their own favorite sprinl
bitters or cough remedy.
She is indeed excellent in case o sick
ness, h" and she comes at such times like yer
table angel of mercy, bringing with her he
soft voice and gentle soothing ways, not for
, getting the noiseless slippers and the whit
, apron. -,
: Aunt Bethia is, l suppose, an old maid
but there is no bitter blight of disappoint
ment upon her life.
She has never loved, and her unwon hear
: is still fresh with the dew of youth. Thoug
i her lovely hair il Just beginning to be thread
4 ed with gray, she knows not the feeling o
4 | III In 10 fNnqainu
Il bring any definite sense of want to her peace
p full, sunny nature, except, perhaps, some
J. times a dreamy feeling of incompleteness
i like the faintest shadow only of pain.
@ Her city nieces tell her often, with many
? hug and cAress, that her face is the sweetes
d and dearest in all the world that she look
"quite too utterly" quaint and lovely in he
lace and muslin kerchiefs, and her prett
white aprons; and she always answers deI
recatingly; "But, oh, my deaIs, am SO oil
3 fashioned"
o Nevertheless, when she is alone she looA
p; in the glass and bushes warmly half incline
n 10 believe their sweet words, and wholly gla
If that she is not yet growing homely, thoug
st she feels little guilty too, as If she ought
rs do so. Then she turns away and sighs sol
= ly; she knows not why.
10 Now fate ordained that when Aunt Beth
came to visit in our family we should be e.
~ tertaining, as an honored guest, our Unc
y, Jeremiah Barker, or "Unole Jerry, as Y
. children famliarly called him, though
-, was only a distant relative on my father
% side. lie had been knocking about for Il
~ =. last fifteen years or so in Australia, and ha
p ing amassed considerable fortune, returnt
n now to his native city, with the hope OF en-
a ing his days among his kindred.
II" lie was unmarried; and hidden secret
~ ~ away in his rugged bachelor heart was Z
~ long cheriShed dream of a wife and fresi
of his own But after spending the best pi
in of his life in rough toll, separated from
rs society Of womcn-or in fact society OF a
use se sort-he found himself laborng under gre
N. disadvantages The girls that he knew Al
'er played with when he was a boy had grown
70 far away from him in many directions that
''H felt he had no part or lot with them, and