The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-11-14
THE AUNT FROM INDIA.

| my w stay WIN us
Prom India! Oh Rose, how perfect
ly delightful,' and the girls lioekes
around their pretty schoolfellow, all ex
citement and curiosity.
What lovely things she will bring
you'll / wish l were in. your place.
SIS she young and pretty, Rosep o.
is she kind, jolly. rich old aunty. VIII,
will doat on her nephews and nieees
and perhaps carry one Of them back Il
Jrdia with herp''
' 81 am not quite sure about her age, y
replied the young girl. you Sc,
grandpa been married three times
and there are three families OF children
IL mixes things up so! asked paps
last night, and he said she wasn't rery
old"
Lob well, that means she isn't very
young. forty perhaps. Rose. you'll be
in cloyer Girls, just think of the Indis
muslins, and the beads. and the deai
curious old boxes and thingsl'
And the stories. the Wonderful
stories she'll have to tell her" broke
In Gerty Cartwright 81 should care
most for that"
Rose. you'll ask us in to see herf
Oh course we don't mean all at once.
Yes indeed, | want YOU all to know
her, and as she is to be with us year,
there II be plenty of time for her to gel
acquainted with everybody. She's had
a fever, and it left her very delicate.
The doctor said she must have an en-
tire change of climate. and that's the
reason she's coming to us.
docs she travel alone?n
" No, her aunt is coming with her,
one who has lived with them several
years, and then they have friends on the
steamer. Grandma couldn't leave on
account of grandpa, who's not very
well himself, just now"
He's lived in India, long time,
hasn't hep"
"Oh. yes He's nearly sixty, and
has spent half his life there. But there
goes the bell''
d" Funny, that Rose don't know more
about this aunt that's comingr' whis-
pered one OF the girls to another, as
they followed her in.
Well, there's a reason for T.: I've
heard that General Bellamy, who's a
very determined old gentleman, didn't
like his sons marrying an American
| girl. There was no intercourse between
them for years. But two years ago,
when Roses little brother died. Mr.
Bellamy wrote to his father. He an
swered and reconciliation took place. :"
Well, / hope Roses aunt won t
turn out as determined customer as
her father Somehow begin to imagine
her as dried-up, fussy old thing, al
ways in worry about her health, and
ready to order everybody around. And
If that's so, l shan't envy Rose, any
more, / assure YOU
Over three weeks had passed, and
still Rose 5 "aunt from India" was the
general subject of conversation in the
school. India, that far-away, en-
| chanted country. any one who came
from there was sure to be invested with
romance, no matter how dry and pro-
sale the person might turn out to be.
And there was mystery about the ex-
pected stranger that piqued their curl
osiE. She was called Aunt Marion,
and was rot very old; that was all the
information they could CLEAN from
Rose.
At last news came that the steamer
was in, and that Mr.. and Mrs. Bellamy
had gone to meet their guests. Great
was the excitement in the school, and
the moment Rose appeared next morn
ing, she was overwhelmed with ques-
tions.
What does she look like, RoseP"
How old is shep"
r., 81 oil \ n
and do you find her real jolly and
kndp'
She isn't like anything l expected, !"
said Rose, laughing. "But l shan't
tell another word, except that She s
very sweet, and that / just love her
already. Tomorrow she's coming 10
visit the school, and you shall all see
her and be introduced to her,
"Oh, Rose, how splendid! But won't
you Just tell us how she looksp"
No" persisted Rose, stoutly. But
look at this bracelet-isn't it prettyP
Aunty brought it to me-.
"Oh, what beauty! Girls, look at
the dear little bangles"
"How nice it is to have an aunt from
India! Rose we can't wait till to-mor-
row to know what she looks like"
well, you'll hare to wait said
Rose, and not another word could they
get from her on the subject
The next day was bright and pleas
ant, and the girls focked early to
school all agog to see the mysterious
stranger.
1t wanted some minutes of the time
for opening Miss HartweIl, who. to
tell the truth. felt considerable curiosi-
ty herself, was seated at her desk,
chatting pleasantly with the girls,
when chorus of voices exclaimed:
There she comes. There she comes!
But oh, what shame. Her aunt ism t
with her!"
Its perfect fraudr'
Perhaps she isn't well enough to
come out. But who's that sweet little
childp never saw her with Rose be-
fore"
Trying to look demure, but with a
good deal of suppressed laughter in her
eyes, Rose advanced to the desk, lead
ing lovely little girl by the hand.
She was about four years old. but
was such tiny creature she scarcely
looked her age Yet there was a quaint
little air of womanliness about the
child, and her large hazel eyes looked
out gravely from the snowdrop face,
with its halo of chestnut curls.
Good morning, Rose" said Miss
Hartwell, pleasantly; but the girls held
little aloof, feeling that she owed
them an explanation for her failure to
keep her promise.
''And who is this dear little grip"
her teacher went on.
''This is my aunt from India, Miss
Hartwell," Rose replied. Then over
come by the mystified faces before her,
she hid her own, and laughed till she
fairly cried.
''Rose Bellamy! What do you meanp'
That baby. your annt! You can't
impose on us that wayr'
''l3ut she isr' gasped out Rose,
almost in hystercs, land there's a
Younger one still, an uncle, eighteen
months oldr'
The girls looked ut each other. They
had half a mind to be attlry. but the
ludacrous side Of tia matter struck