Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-02-17
AUNT HULDAH'S STORY

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DO you suppose III get valentine
Aunt IIuld h?'
For mcrcy's sake, Kittyw said
laying down on my lap tho vest upon
which was working buttonholos, ''do
you never think or speak of anything
but valentines at this time of yearl"
Kitty poutcd, and shook her yellow
brails the real corn-stalk yellow tha.
matched her blue eyes as perfectly as il
some designer in high art had picked
them out to CORES pond.
"We,l, aunty, why shouldn't ~ said
she "Just look at those blue birds
darting in aad out Of the old cedar
trcel They're twitteriag st. Valen.
lines Day you may be very sure. Look
at the crocus-buds peeping out from
under the dad leaves"
'WeI,' said I, curtly, "you're
neither a blue bird nor crocus, so how
would it 10 if you were to 60 to work
on Lizzie Burrows new dress2"
Kitty was quick tempered little
thing from her cradle, and she fired up
at this rcbuko.
81 might have known better than 70
expect any sort Of sympathy from an old
mai / !" sai ehn, tohing up her work
.La-..e,, and GyiHg cut Of the room. y
1t was scarcely five minutes, however,
before she returned, fearful and peni-
tent.
'Aunt Huldah," said she, 'Tm so
sorry Please kiss me, and be friends!
I didn't mean to call you that-that
namam
ooh, bless you childw said I. Il
don't mind being called an old maid. l
am one, you know, aud the truth
oughtn't to sting"
"But you are the dearest, ricest,
pretticst old maid in the world, Aunt
Huldahl' cried the girl, caressingly.
"FlddIesticls said /. 'Tn as
homely as a he fence, and know it.
Now leave off cooxing and fattering,
and go about your business"
Aud Kitty obeyed, singing a snatch
out Of Loves Young Dream" for she
knew that She was forgiven.
vt the worls REQUIRED to me over
and over again, as sat stitching there
with the yellow Februlry sunshine
streaming throu III the white .curtained
window, aad the blue birds whistIing
to each other out,lle.
Yes was an old maid, 40 last birth
day. 1t WIS rather absurd of my pretty
niece, Kitty, t)oxpcct me to sympathiza
with her on the question of love and
lovers. Well, would nuke the bes. OF
It, resolved, and to try to b, as cheer
'ul as possible
"What's for dinner Aunt Huldah"
said Kitty, coming to me at last.
PORK and leans. You'll find the
pork in the brine barrel down cellar; be
sure aad pick out nice, smlll, square
piece, and b.ils the beans to me, and
I'll PICK them over. 1t will save you
time, dear.
KITTY looked at me, as I sat picking
over the white beans.
"Aunt HuIdah" said she, "you' We
got beautiful profle-you have, in
deed! You must have been real pretty
when you were a girl. Aunt Huldah,
why did you never get marricd?7
Because Cupid never came my
way said l, with a laugh. Here
are the beans, Kitty. Get them a-soak
as quick as possible"
Just then BotseY, Mr.. Chandler's
maid, came in.
Gould you lend me a yeast cake,
Miss Darwin2" said she. 'Tve some
how got clean out o yeast-cakes. And,
Miss Darwin
''Yes, Betsey."
That gray cat o yourn has scratched
up all Mr. ChandIers seed-lcttucc
agin"
"You shouldn't have left the cold :
frame sashcs off, Betsey"
Well, p'raps we should an p'rap
we shouldn't" remarked the independ-
ent Betscy. "But our lettuce, it's
a-growin' in our own garden, you know,
an it's no way pleasin' to hev the neigh
bors' cats a-haulin' of it outer the
ground with their claws. Aad it was
only yesterday week the drafted creetur'
broke the glass of the dairy wind ow,
arter the pans o cream"
4 am very sorry Batsey," said I;
"but-"
But I'm notr flashed back Kitty
(whosc maternal grandfather had come
from County Cavan, in Ireland, and who
thereby had inherited a strain of fight
as b.ood). Didn't your Nero break
DOWN our prettlest chrysanthemums last