The Baltimore County union., 1884-08-09


Born Of Saturday, work for living;
Born of Sunday, never shall we want
So there ends the week. and there's an end ont.
| The Old Maids Story.
| Deacon Smith brought me letter.
1t was from my nephew Tom, and read:
/ Dear OLD Aunhtt I've lost every
cent of that money. Spec. was n. 6.
i What's to become of Hettie and the
baby? Your unlucky Tom.
! | leaned back from my half-eaten
-ssISS- SS-f--.,--l---..Ad-1 cpectacles rn on my
Intellectual forehead, and wrinkled my
pug nose with disagreeable thoughts.
1t seemed that had not escsped domes-
tic trouble by refusing twenty years be-
fore to marry Hiram Grimwood. Sim
| gle life had its vexations, too. Tom
was my favorite nephew-my dear sis
ter's only child and from the time I
took him from his nurses arms in petit
coats and brought him home to be the
joy and torment of my life he has kept
me stirred up. Measles and mistakes
were the principle themes of his baby
days, and love and lawlessness attacked
him in turn as he got older. I never
drew free breath till he was safely mar
ried to pretty little Hettie Maynard, our
minister's daughter, who had the sense
Of the family and the good looks, too.
I was most as mnch in love with her as
Tom was, but she had one fault-she
didn't see through Tom, and thought
his wild goose chases were sensible,
legitimate ways of making money. I
always could take care ofmy money my
self. Giving Tom money was like
pouring water through sieve. But
Hettie believed that Tom was the great
est business man in the world. She be-
lieved everything that boy told her and
even persuaded me into believing in
him, too.
Now he had done it. had advanced
him 1000 of the modest inheritance
which would be his upon my death, on
his sacred assurance that he would dou-
BILE the money and return me that sum.
And he had gone and lost every dol
lar of it.
"The lame and the lazy are always
provided for" l thought bitterly.
"Of course Hettie and the baby can
not starve. I'll go down to the city
and bring them up till get something
to do, the scamp"
Now, | am an old maid and live
alone since Tom married, and it didn't
take me long to shut the houseup. lent
the cat to my next door neighbor, told
hef she might have him for his keep till
7 e~rnne hack and the bird I took with
| me e-f~-----e1-.-AsA:A>e, c ----l----- L
was getting ready to go, my heart grew
light, and before l knew it l was sing
ing an old love-song, though what put
it into my head can't tell. It's twen
ty years since Hiram Grimwood went
to California, and l reckon he's been
dead the most of the time, or married,
which is about the same.
When had put on all my things
with my back to the glass | turned
around and there stood astrange woman.
She gave me an awful stare.
Then I saw it was myself and I
laughed and laughed. I had on the
same black bombazine dress and bonnet
I wore when Toms mother died, and
as that was about fourteen years ago
they had come back in fashion, and I
looked quite stylish, and ever since l
had the fever my hair was cut short and
curly, and it hung over my eyes just the
way the girls wear it nowadays. de-
clare l looked so young didn't know
myself. Well it's true saying that
there's no fool like old fools, and the
Lord didn't make any exception of me.
When I got to the station everybody
stared at me as if was show; | did
not take any baggage, cause | warnt
going to stay. So only had a box
with clean calico in it, and a bundle
of sweet herbs for the baby, and some
new shirts for Tom, and the bird cage,
and clock wanted to get repaired in
the city.
''All aboard!" yelled the conductor.
''I don't see any board" l said,
promptly, and man gripped me by
the arm and pulled me on just as the
cars started. Then l heard some one
ask:
"Who is the innocent old party?"
| But I didn't see any party, and l
| guess they got left.
Talk of adventures. I could write a
book full of what happened to me on
that trip, but it would sound like a ro-
nance and nobody would believe it.
All! friend, truth isstranger than fiction,
and l can prove it.
When l got my things settled in the
car felt kind of homesick and lone
some. There was the old cat left among
strangers at one end of the journey, and
Tom in distress at the other end, and
kind ofswinging between the two, and
l thought of the beautiful hymn that
says:
"This world is all floating show"
And-now don't laugh-I just laid my
head down on the back of the seat be-
fore me, and cried. 1 would not let
Tom know it tor the world, but did.
There was a man in that seat, but he
did not take any notice of me. His
face was covered with whiskers and he
looked kind of stern, but a real good
looking sort of chap, too. I thought it
was him that touched, me, and l jump
ed as if was shot, but it was the pref
tiest little blonde girl ofsiXteen l ever
saw.
"Will you please let me sit with you?"
she said, and her voice was just like
bird singing, and she had little white
hand all cushiony and dimpled, on my
black bumbazine arm.
, I'm grumpy old thing myself, and
and 1 felt like saying as | heard the rest
do, "this seats engaged" but when
she looked at me with her violet eyes,
just gave in and cried:
"Certainly, my dear, sitright down. .
r c,o,ooca +ba child cow I was CrV-