The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-03-21
AUNT BECKY'S BEAU.

Aunt Becky, who had not nephew or niece
in the world, but is aunt to everybody, pressed
me so hard that I remained over New Years
Day at her house. Aunt Becky is the woman
who was present on salary, the morning 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 other mother" She
remained at our house SO long that had be-
gun to toddle and knew how to feel deeply
grieved when she went away to be married to
Duncan Boggs, the well7to-do Tamarack farm
err who was killed by a threshing machine the
next summer.
Yesterday as we sat by her warm fire, eat
ing doughnuts and drinkiTeescider there came
rap at the side door, libby, bright lad
whom Aunt Becky a3( ed from foundlings
home some seven eight years ago, ran to
the window and peep4d out.
cts Deacon Poison" said the boy, loud
enough, I am sure, for the deacon to hear, if
his ears had not been muffied in long GRO
cheted tippet that went around his neck and
over his head no body dare guess how many
times.
When Aunt Becky went to the door to let
the deacon in Bobby ran up to me and whis-
pered, "Thats mas beau"
I had met the deacon before. Indeed, he
has been Aunt Becky's beau for some ten
wears now and have met him at her house on
the occasion of each of my annual visits
Moreover, I have often thought Aunt Becky
would like to marry him if he only had spunk
enough to ask her about it.
Deacon Podson is a tall man, with should
ers as round as Atlas and perhaps from a
somewhat similar cause, since the affairs OF
Tamarack, which amount in his estimation to
a whole world of affairs, rest mainly on him.
He is chairman of the village board one of
the school directors chief pillar of the 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 CO., 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 un-
twist 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 2"
"How d'y do?" said Aunt Becky.
'Uncle Ben is here, said little Bobby,
calling the deacons attention to me.
'How d'y do 2" said the deacon, standing
with his hat in his hand, and looking like a
great hulk of boy about to speak piece to
his first audience.
Won't you take cheer!" asked Aunt
Becky, pushing big rocker near the stove.
"No, I can sit here just as well, replied
the deacon, confusedly, as he let himself down
on the 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 sew
ing chair and the two put their feet on the
the stovehearth, pretty near each other. A
long, embarrassing silence followed, during
which Deacon Poison warmed his hands by
the stove and rubbed them together, with a
few grunts and phews asif he were very cold.