Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-10-08


ooh, Stanhope, it did !' cried the
lady, Indignantly. cit was real In
dia ware, imported, without paying
dollar of duty, by an old sea captain
in the India trade, expressly for my
grandmother Grumpton. And, be-
sides, you are dreadfully grovelling
and prosaic in your ideas. AS if the
original cost of a thing of this nature
signifed It's the aesthetic value that
we look at, don't you see? ?''
"Ah," said Mr.. .Symington. "Well,
if you must go you must go, l sup
pose; and, of course / shall have to
give you a check for what money you
are likely to want"
And Mr.. Symington sighed deeply,
and went upstairs to get piece of
court plaster for his cut finger.
Mrs.Symington went to Wild River
in the northern boundaries Of Maine,
where the pine forests were matched
with snow and the icicles tinkled in
the woods of a moonlight night like
so many castanets gone mad. She
made the greater part of the voyage
by sea, and was consequently very
seasick, for the water was rough and
the gales tempestuous.
81 will come back by land" she
said to herself, as she sat in the little
hotel at Portland and viewed her
green and yellow complexion with a
shudder. "Money wouldn't induce
me to risk my life again in that hor-
rid steamer, where one is buffeted
and seesawed about on waves that
are as high as house. The palace
car fare will be something of an ex
ira expense and | shall lose my re-
turn ticket by steamer, but | am sure
Mr.. Symington won't grudge it to
me when he hears how I've been
pitched and tumbled about on the
ocean in peril of my life
And she put on her black brocaded
silk, her new plumed hat, and the
seal dolman, and took the northward
bound train, resolved to present an
imposing appearance to Aunt Grizzy
Grumpton when she should reach
Wild River station.
1t was very cold-a dull, bitter,
leaden cold-with the ground frozen
like a rock, the streams bound in
ice, the sky gray and bitter, with an
ineffable gloom. Aunt Grizzel
Grumpton lived in a little one-storied
house on the top of an uncompromis
ing hill, where a solitary cedar tree
was twisted around like a corkscrew
with the force of the east wind, and
the few lean sleep huddled behind
the rocks in shivering groups, pictur-
esque, but far from comfortable. And
even after they had come in sight of
the old building whose one coat of
red paint had long ago been worn
away by the suns and rains of well
nigh a century, Mrs. Symington had
serious doubts whether the one-horse
sleigh in which she was jerked and
iolted up the incline would not be
blown sheer away by the rush of the
before they could reach their
destination.
However, it wasn't. And, once in
Aunt Grizzy's cottage, things were
There was no wide
throated chimney, filled with moss
fringed logs, such as the fancy of
city dwellers is apt to depict in the
solitary farmhouse. People in Maine
know better than that. But there was
an immense cook-stove, which heated
the room to an atmosphere of eighty
odd degrees; the cracks in the win
dow sashes were pasted over with
brown paper, and sand-bags were
laid on the top lodges, while double
rag carpet covered the floor, and a
wood-box heaped to the very top,
stood in the angle of the chimney
piece. Aunt Grizzy's dress was of
blue home-spun flannel, and she wore
a worsted hood pulled over the ears,
and little plaid shawl folded across
her breast, and she was addicted to
the use of snuff, and said "hey?"
whenever any one addressed a casual
remark to her.
"My cheeny?" said Aunt Grizzy.
'sWell, m free to own that / think
a deal of that cheeny. But | don't
know, Niece Arabella, how you came
to hear of it."
"It is an heirloom in our family,
Aunt Grizzel," said Mrs. Symington,
exerting herself to speak loudly.
"Hey?" said Aunt Grizzly, with
her hand placed sounding-board fash
On behind her ear.
"Every one must have heard of it,
said Mrs. Symington, at the risk of
a blood vessel in her throat.
Aunt Grizzy's wrinkled face fairly
oeamed. ''Well, l calculate it amt
absolutely ugly" said she. "But
still. if you've really set your heart
IN it, Niece Arabella, but it amt
| always put it away this
lime O year when there amt any tea
parties given"
"Oh, never mind that !'' said Mrs.
Symington, her heart leaping within
Ter at this easy conquest of the
ort. 'sIt will be all the more con-
7enient for me to carry it. People
'lways keep such treasures put away
n secret places -
"Hey?" said Aunt Grizzy, and
Mrs. Symington repeated her words.