Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-03


Aunt Doxy spoke severely, almost
sharply. Becky" she said, those
people in the cottage are not such as I
approve of. and neither of you chill
dren must even 60 near the fence"
Nobody in Cessbrook knew just what
to think of the cottage people" as
Aunt Doxy called them. They had
taken the little house in the early
spring and had added peaks AM
gables and little piazzas to it, and had
painted it in red and olive and yellow,
until Aunt Doxy declared tia dreadful
sight to see.
And she didn't like the looks of the
people any better. They wore fantastic
finery and appeared as if they were a l.
ways going to fancy-dress ball. The
man who took care of their horse and
cow had been seen in Roman toga.
The lady of the house fed the chickens
in Mother Hubbard dress of sea-green
organdie, with a poke bonnet on her
head and ridiculous dove perched on
her shoulder. And the children-a boy
and girl of about the same ages as
Thaddy and Becky-looked like little
grandfather and grandmother who had
just stepped out of some old picture
frame-or so Aunt Doxy thought. She
even contemplated building a very high
fence between the two gardens, lest
Becky and Thaddy should take an in
terest in the small antique-looking per-
sons who lived in the queer cottage.
Of course they took an interest in
them, and many stolen glances besides;
they soon found out in some way that
the children at the cottage were named
Rupert and Marguerite, and that they
were kind and pleasant playmates.
But in the midst of the children's
horrifying assertion to Aunt Doxy, that
they didn't believe Rupert and Mar
guerlte were very bad children after
all, there came a revelation that almost
took the good lady's breath away.
Emancipation, or Nancy, was the
very black daughter of the equally
black Martha Washington, whom Miss
Eudoxia had imported from the South
for household "helps" soon after the
war. And Nancy now burst, almost
breathless, into the room, with the cry:
80, Miss Doxy! de Princess gone!"
"Gone? She hasn't flown over the
| cottage fence, has she?" exclaimed
Aunt Doxy, in great CONSERVATION.
"Wus'n dat" declared Martha
Washington, bustling in after her
daughter "Wus'n dat, Miss Doxy!
She's been pulled froo de fence!'
Aunt DoXy was fond of pets and had
a great many, but her heart was es-
pecially set upon her pea-fowls
''Prince and Princess Charming. :"
The Prince was great, splendidly-
shaped peacock, with a magnificent
display of tail-feathers; the Princess
was of dull color, and had no tail
| feathers to spread. She was chief
ly remarkable for a very discordant
voice. But Aunt DoXy seemed fonder
of her than of the Prince. Perhaps it
was because everybody disparaged her.
pulled through the fence! Why,
what do you mean?" she cried.
Martha Washington's fat and jolly
face was gloomy with prophecy.
"Yo' knows, for fac, Miss Doxy,"
she said, show 'tractive dem pea
cocks has allays ben to de family
down dar," and she pointed a fat, dis
approving finger at the cottage, for
Martha Washington shared her mis-
tress' prejudices. "De gemman his
self sit on de fence in de br'ilin'
sun, a takin' of dem off wiz his pencil,
an de leetle gal say her nanny
done want a fan made out OBJ de
Princes tail. And see var, Miss DoXy.'
Martha Washington solemnly drew
from her pocket a brownish-drab
feather-"I done fin dis stickin' in de
cottage fence whar de pore bird was
pulled froo." And Martha Washing
ton spread out both her fat hands, as if
to emphasize her proof of the cottage
peoples" guilt.
Aunt Doxy was overcome. 80 my
poor Princess!" she said. what could
they want it for?''
"Why, to eat, Miss Doxy, o'course, :"
declared Martha Washington. "Dat
sort O s'picious folks allays get de
curusest things to eat. Dey took Prin-
cess for DER 'anksgibin' dinner"
"What ignorant, barbarous people
they must be-to eat a peacock" said
Aunt DoXy. 81 certainly must write
letter of remonstrance, and see what
excuse they can offer for so unchristian
an act.
Aunt Doxy was considered by her
fellow-workers in church and Sunday
school as having an especial gift for
dealing with transgressors. So she
seated herself at her desk, and pro-
ceeded to the task of bringing her sin
full neighbors to sense of their great
wickedness. She did not hesitate to
show them plainly the wrong of which
they had been guilty, and she did not
even deem it fitting that, as was often
! the case with her, justice should be
tempered with mercy. Aunt Doxy
sadly feared that her Objectionable
neighbors were hardened offenders,
whose hearts could not be easily
touched
'.Here. Thaddy," she said, as she
folded her note, '.you may carry this
to the cottage; come back just as soon
as You have delivered lido you
| hear?"
And Thaddy, overjoyed at this OPP
portunity to enter forbidden ground
| and have even a few moments of
Rupert's society, replied: Eyes M"
with suspicious docility, and ran off
| like flash.
|