Morris tribune., 1886-10-06

p
along and aid in entertaining Mis-
Celia's Celestial disciples.
The colonel's widow tilted her smoke
white crown archly on one side ant
clapped her hands. Glow yer.
charming! By the way, do you MAKE
good cake, Miss Dana? Cake is 81
much nicer home made. The ice cream
and other things are easily bought
and won't cost so much divided be
tween the three of us. Some nice bis
cults would be acceptable as we'll
Could you furnish two dozen? Butter
ed, of course"
"Ahem!" I said. "Oh, certainly
certainly; anything, everything, to b.
sure"
"How very charming! l told Celia
knew you would come to the rescue
| That dear little Miss Dana / said, q
know her heart is as large and as
warm as-as-'"
GAS her range oven," l suggested in,
nocently.
The widow regarded me keenly fol-
an instant, then laughed aloud.
ooh, you droll thing! What an ideal
But such relief And how have you
been since we last saw you; well,
hope?"
"Pm never ill, "Isaid conscientious.
ly. and have some news for you
My nephew Paul is coming to visit me
very shortly. Miss Celia spoke Of
meeting him last Summer at Asbury
or Long Branch or somewhere. He's
very rich and very proud. but never
too proud or rich to visit his little
dried-up old maid of an aunt"
The widow looked trifle Hurried
for an instant.
"He must be a charming fellow"
she said. Cecilia liked him so much. 1"
Jap stood up and began to yawn,
which always take as a signal that
he is tired. So l made haste and
abridged the visit.
Next morning Miss Celia brought
down a list of what l must take to
the picnic.
1.-Two dozed biscuit, Jap" said l.
eve mustn't forget. One chocolate
cake. one jelly cake, some preserves.
Oh, well. it's all right. Paul will /oe
here and it may amuse him."
Paul, my nephew, is just the dearest
boy in all the world. He's more than
twenty-one, but boy for al that
and such boy l never sew a Paul
yet that wasn't handsomeJ and grand,
and glorious of nature! Well, we'll,
Pm an old dried-up-Trn Paurs aunt.
Paul arrived the day before the pic
mic and said, when. / told him OF it,
that it really would h. : ;nlly 1ark
ana ne q l re Z 70 70 contribute something.
But / couldn't think of anything more.
Celia Fortescue," he said, wrink-
ling his forehead and trying to re-
member. "Oh, yes, have it. Tall,
thin lighthouse, eh, Aunt Polly?" and
he began to laugh.
But when we all set out for the park
the following morning he was demure
enough for any one. We formed our
little procession in solemn silence,
Miss Celia leading with my nephew
and her mother and myself bringing
up in the rear of the almond-eyed
meek and lowly.
People regarded us with interest on
the street car and seemed to under
stand and smile approval.
My nephew proved himself of great
assistance when we had reached the
park. 1t always needs a man to
arrange and conduct such an affair.
The disciples ranged themselves in a
row on the grass and sang the ''Sweet
Bye and Bye and kindred melodies,
until the widows eyes were sutfused
with tears. And when the lunch was
a thing of the past, she sat talking to
me in serious undertone, while her
daughter and nv nephew took a stroll
to speak of their former meeting at
Asbury.
Indeed, the widow, when came to
think of it afterwards, was very much
concerned about entertaining. She
had such countless anecdotes to re-
late of her dear husband, the colonel.
Celia was so like him, such a lovely
nature! l couldn't imagine how al
tered their circumstances were since
his death. Formerly they lived in
luxury. 1t was hard to do without
things now. "You-you can't mag
ine" the lady said. chow ones feel
ings suffer When contrast the past
with the now, tit hurts me here"
and she made little motions as if to
chuck herself under the chin and be-
low the ribs.
"Heartache, you know" she said.
"Why, my dear Miss Dana, we used
to have the richest and proudest OF
the land for our associates. There
was Mrs. General Foster, you know,
=" and the story became, through ex-
cessive supplement and ramifcations,
an inLerminable one. The afternoon
had worn away and the China boys
had even tired of baseball. They
came siding up, one by one, with a
"What shall we do with ourselves"
expression that finally attracted the
widows attention.
"Dear me-" she said, sit is really
quite late. hadn't thought it. You
are so entertaining, dear Miss Dana.
Why, where can Celia have gone? Per
haps had better tell the young men
they can go home by themselves"
/ agreed with her and the pupil pic
nickers received the news with bright
ening countenances.
"Take the ice-cream pail and the
baskets and dishes with you," said
the good lady. 'Dear HE! Where
can Celia be? 1t is so imprudent of
her. 1t is nearly seven o'clock. Do
you think it is any use waiting for
them, dear Miss Dana?"
mo-" I said, perhaps not. Pm
sure Paul is old enough to take care
of himself" and saw her look annoy
ed, and of Miss Celia"
So we set out for home. But we
did not dine together as she suggested.
1t was long past dark when Paul re-
turned.
"Great heavens" he said, "that girl
must be all bones. I never knew any
ono 90 heavy and VET so thin "