Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-03-05
WOODSTOCK w. WEDNESDAY,, MARCH o. 1884,
stutlng with bread.sauce for dinner;

peunIpS WIN DICuu-SduCc lOl NlullSlj
for pretty Lesbia was cook. chamber
maid, waitress and all. in that particu.
lar establishment II had aletter from
Aunt Nabby Wellwood, yesterday,
about that dictionary. She wants 1t.
She, coming today to see about it,"
"But promise it to me- said Mrs.
Wellwood, coaxingly. Dear cousin
Lesbia, Mr.. Wellwood is so anxious to
obtain it for his collection of antique
publications"
"Oh, it isn't old enough to be OF
value as antique" said Lcsbia, who
was "honest enough"
"But he has set his heart on it,"
pursued Mrs. Wellwood, growing more
earnest, as she heard the rattle of
wheels in tho distance, and beheld
through the tiny paned window a
depot wagon, bringing to the scene no
other than Aunt Nabby herself, ado
let me have it, Lesbia"
And she placed the twenty dollar
bill coayingly in Lesbias hand.
"But shall be cheating you." said
LeSbia, looking at the bill in amazement.
"Do let me see Aunt Nabby about it
first"
"No, no." said Mrs Wellwood, as
Aunt Nabby's voice was heard without
in high disputation with the driver us
to whether coin she had given him
in payment was genuine or not "Give
, it TO me now And here is my seal
skin cape--you were just admiring it
I'll make you present Of it, Lesbia--
a wedding-gift, dear"
"You are very kind" said Lesbia,
with o radiant face. "And if you
really care for the dictionary"
And 50 it came to pass that the
dictionary was safe in Mrs. Matthew
Wellwood's possession, when Aunt
Nabby hustled in, full Of the iniquities
of drivers, the inconvenience Of
travelling, and the threatening twinges
Of her annual rheumatism.
"What !" she cried, as her eye caught
sight of the fat volume in her niece's
lap, "you've got the dictionary, after
all But Of course you'll let me have
it, Sarah ANN,
"Certainly l shall not " said Mrs.
Wellwood, eXultantly. "Mr. Wellwood
! has set his heart on possessing il"
"And I've just sold it TO her." added
Lesbia, helping Aunt Nabby unite
her bonnet strings.
The old lady heaved deep sigh.
oval, it don't matter so much," said
she. "The main thing was to find the
dictionary. And if you'll just let me
copy out the receipt for making
waflles, Sarah Ann, tbat's pinned on
the page W first of the VS., you'll
see--it'll be jest as good as if had it
myself"
"The receipt for. waflles !" cried Mrs.
Wildwood. "Was that all you wanted
it for?'
"Thnt was all" said AuLt Nabby
brlskly. "Samuels wife, she was a
dreadful good hand at watIles, and she
never would give nobody the receipt
But I knew where she kept it, and ]
was always tryin' to get at it, And
if you'll just let me copy it out"
Mrs. Wellwood grew pale; the cell.
ing of the little, o!d-lashioned room
seemed to swim around her.
Was this the end of the dictionary
mystery? Had she entertained tho
Grubb family for ten mortal days, haj
her piano broken, her china cracked
her nerves shattered, for this? Ha(
she paid twenty dollars, sealskin cape
and her travelling expenses TO Pokl
Hollow, all for a receipt for waflles?
The buzz o conversation went on al
the same. and Mrs. Wcllwood recover
ed at her leisure. She returned t,
New York that afternoon, carryin!
the old dictionary, although Lesbia en-
deavored to induce her to remain, by
the promise of waflles for tea, mad,
after Aunt Hannah's famous receipt.
And when Mr.. Wildwood discovered
that there were no thousand dollar
bonds, nor hundred-dollar banknotes
hidden in the dictionary-nothing but
definitions, ink blots, and one or twt
cooking receipts pinn d to the pages, h
INDUCED ic execration more deep thar
loud.
"It's all that meddling old cat
fault" said he, referring doubtless t.
Aunt Nabby. "And I'll never hay'
her in the house again.
And he never did. But all tha
didn't restore the twenty dollar bill
and the sealskin cape. And innocen
Lesbia was the only one who reapet
benefit from the transaction.
Never Out.
"What a wonderful woman thai
Mrs. CrimsCnbeak is" said Mrs. Yeast
to friend,
"Why wonderful?' inquired the on,
addressed.
"Why, l never knew her to be ouI
of temper"
"Nor I either" quickly allei sne
not an aimirer of the lady in question
"she seems to have plenty of it, "
Ono Favor.
"Now, darling, will you grant mi
one favor before l go?"
"Yes Georgp I will" sho said