New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-03-14

Its old Miss Abby come back from the
Tewkstown poorhouse.
"You don't mean-"began the mild
widow.
aThat Mrs. Daniel Dabney and Mrs.
Everard Elberson let their old aunt go
to the poorhouse?" said Mary Miller.
eyes, it is quite true. Mrs. Daniel
leads society in San Francisco, am
told, and Mrs. Elberson is grand lady
in Bridgeport, with reception day and
servants in livery. What could they
do with half crazy aunt who takes snuff
and talks uncertain grammar? Poor
Miss Abby! She has wandered back to
her old home. She was eighty her last
birthday, and things are all misty and
vague to her."
What shall we do?" said Mrs. Mil
Ter in accents of perplexity. "a crazy
woman here-it don't seem just right,
Molly, does it?'
ETH take her back after she has rest
ed little and had cup of tea," said
Mary cheerfully.
"But prehaps she won't CO."
"Oh yes, she will" said Mary. "Poor
Miss Abby! She is as gentle as
child"
Her words proved to be correct.
Miss Abby Dabney suffered herself to be
led unremonstra tingly back to Tewks-
town poorhouse, where the matron read
her shrilltoned lecture, and declared
she should not be allowed another grain
of snuff if she didn't behave better.
Old Miss Abby smil led deprecatingly.
They are peculiar people here" she
said to Mary Miller. Il think, my dear,
they forget sometimes that am lady.
But it takes all sorts of people, don't
you see, to make world"
The next night, however, just as
Mary and her mother were sitting down
to tea, Miss Abby once more appeared,
in the midst Of gentle shower of rain.
II hope I don't Inconvenience any
body" she said, meekly. s'But that
women at Tewkstown has cut off my al
lowance of snuff, and after all, there's
no place like home"
And once more Mary Miller patiently
walked home with the poor aid crone to
the poor house The matron was in
furiated this time
cit amt human natur to stand this"
she declared. 9TH put her in the Jug"
"The jug?" repeated Mary.
tits room down cellar, where we
shut up the troublesome cases." said
the matron. II can't stand this run
ming away business. and [ won't!
The jug, perhaps, proved eficacious,
for old Miss Abby did not appear again
for week. At the expiration of that
time, however, she crept noiselessly in
just at dusk and seated herself like
silent shadow in the chimney corner.
tits SO good to be at home again."
she said, rubbing her wrinkled hands,
Il some how seem to get lost Of late.
Elnathan is gone, and Betty's gone, and
am left here all alone. Yes, cup Of
tea, please-sugar and milk. They
never remember how I like my tea at
Tewkstown. This is good and butter
on my bread, too! We don't get but
ter at Tewkstown."
Mary burst into tears.
Mother" said she, F'Miss Abby shall
not go back to Tewkstown-she shall
stay here! Mother, how should I feel
if you were wandering friendless and
| e'1o1lO UuLou$5Il UllO WO1lu
But my dear"
''She shall sleep in her own old
room, out of the Kitchen" persisted
Mary. "She will be no more care than
a canary bird. Oh, mother, do consent!
She will think then that she is in her
own old home. Oh, if you knew how
dreary it is at that poor house, with
! the grass all trampled out, and piles of
clam shells lying round the door, and
not SO much as dandelion or daisy to
! be SEEN
And Mrs. Miller yielded to Mary's
fearful solicitations.
"Do as you please, my child" said
she. The TewkstoWn authorities were
but too glad to be rid Of the poor incu-
bus; and Miss Abby Dabney settled down
in her old home, as contentedly and I'M
| quest1onably as if she had never left it.
She ate and drank but little; she talked
still less, and seemed to regard Mrs.
Miller and Mary as guests, who had
| come to visit the old farm.
The widow Miller and her darter
must be rich folks, to undertake to sup
port old Miss Abby, "sneered one neigh
Dor
"She was we'll provided for at the
poorhouse," said another.
II never yet saw farm succeed that
was managed by women-folks," jeered
the third.
"Thereu be the biggest kind of a
smash-up presently" observed number
four, "and an auction sale of everything;
and I'll be on hand-for [ don't deny
that them little Alderney COWS is the
cunningest creatures ever set my eyes
on, and good mixers into the bargain. !"
But time wore on, and there was no
futter of a red flag over the porch.
On the contrary matters throve, and
Mary declared joyously that farming
was a great deal more profitable bust
ness than working in factory, and she
only wished that she had found it out
before.
Until one gray autumnal evening
Mary and her mother came back from a
Senator Anthony and Calhoun.
Mr.. Webster, when he pronounced
his eulogium in the Senate on John G..