The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-12-24
1isCellaneuus.
The Story Grandmother Told.


Grandmother leaned back in her rocking
chair, looked into the faces of three or four
grandchildren, who were sitting near her. and
laughed outright. Then she put one soft,
wrinkled white hand up over her eyes, rested
her elbow on an arm of her chair, and laugh
ed again.
20 you have thought of one, I'm sureW
"Yes."
Her grandchildren with their fathers and
mothers always spent Christmas at home and
a story from her lips was usually part of
the programme for Christmas eve. And this
was the story that was told in answer to their
request, a year ago this Christmas
what think l will tell you about took
place fify-fiVe years ago. when was fourteen
years old. | cannot say that | then saw any
thing funny in it. And if didn't think it
funny, am sure the boy did not who took
his part in the events of the evening.
AS have said, | was fifteen years old,
and Ebenezer Dill, who was ncighbor and
acquaintance, was seventeen. We both went
to the same school-a district school-and
things in and around it were primitive enough
We lived about two miles from the school
house, and the Dil's farm Joined my fathers.
| was the Oldest child in ouI family. Ebene-
ger was the oldest of the bliss children, and
he and were the only ones in either family
who went to school that first winter.
ave often walked to and from school TO-
gether. He was an awkward bashful boy,
with red head, who always seemed to be
growing out OF his clothes before they were
half worn out so that his pantaloons and the
sleeves of his coat were generally several
inches too short for him.
81 am sure, too, that was awkward and
bashful, and even at my best | never was
beauty, so possibly it would be about six of
one and half-a-doZen OF the other, if should
attempt to give a portrait of either of US.
eve had lively, pleasant teacher that
winter. Some of the folks said he was too
full of fun for school teacher, and that he
should have more dignity. But in those
days, as well as to-day, a teacher would be
found fault with if he were made TO order
This teachers name was Hooper, and he
prepared q tree, and had it placed in the
school-house the day before Christmas. Some
of the farmers grumbled about that, and said
it took our minds off our books, and Mr.
Hooper's mind from his duties rs teacher,
and it wasn't right. Nevertheless, we had
the tree.
1.-TWO or three days before Christmas, when
| opened my spelling book, found, between
the leaves, a little note scrubbed in red ink
ON piece of paper torn from copy-book
1t read like this:
"MIss PRIsCILLA-E Esteemed miss: | take
my pen in hand to wish you merry Christ
mas and to send you my hest wishes, and to
ask the pleasure OF your society to the tree
to be held here on Friday night Hoping
you will send me writing that you will go
with me, and that may get it soon, l am
your true friend and admirer,
EDENEzER b. Dill.
asp. S. My pen is bad, my ink is pale,
My love for you shall never fail.
E. B. DILL
Ground is the ring that has no end,
So is my love for you, my friend
EBENEzER'
"At the top of the page Ebenezer had
drawn with blue and red ink dove that
looked like gander, sitting on tree that
was not halt rs big as the bird. This is all
as clear in my memory as though it had
taken place yesterday.
Although | walked home with Ebenczer
that night, did not say anything about the
note, but the next day slipped this into his
arithmetic;
mister EBENEZER b. DILL-Kind sir ::
Herein find my acceptance of your company
on Friday night, as my folks are not coming,
and have no one else to come with, and l
am much obliged for your wanting me to,
and will be ready at seven O'clock
Miss PRISCILLA III. FINK.
"'P. 5. don't know any poetry, or
would put some in. PH.F.
"'P. s. Our dog bit man bad yesterday,
so be careful, for he isn't chained nights.
PRISCILLA.
"By seven o'clock on the next Friday even
Ing was ready to start for the school-house
My father was always full of fun, and was an
awful tease. OF course, he made the most
nr 1l ,,,l,.
knocked ut the door he opened it, and said, -
"'Come in. Eoenezer Come right in !
Going to act as n beau tonight? Hey Purity
dark night for you to be out alone, amt it?
They say a man see Il bear in the woods to-
day. Better look out. Jake Simpson says
he saw tracks of some monst'ous big varmint
in the frost this morning. Don't you let it
eat up my Prissy.'
"Ebentzer answered quite promptly for
him. Irll have to eat me first, sir
"My mother, who enjoyed any innocent
pleasantly, laughed, and asked
"'Has your mother put anything on the
tree for your
81 don't know replied Eb.
"tWell, / sent over n doll for Prissy and
one for you, too, and frosted cooky for each
of you. Mind that you don't drop them if
that wild creature out in the woods gets after
you.
'Ebenezer blushed and moved nervously in
his chair; but finally mustered up courage to
say
"Well, guess we'd better go Miss Fink.
"That Miss Fink amused father and moth
er very much, and we could hear them laugh
in after we got out into the road.
"Ebenezer was wonderfully fixed up. The
hair oil was so thick on his head that 1t could
be seen in white spots where it had hardened.
/ 4 IL n
mel shirt, and a green ribbon neck-tie run
through coral ring. His blue bingham
handkerchief was odorous with cinnamon
drops, and to crown the whole he had his ia
TIERS overcoat on.
81 think we had gone half way to the