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

ing sticks. ''Set your own pri :.
Arabella, and if | don't like it I'll
make bold to say So"
''Do you think, Aunt Grizzly"
hesitated the city lady, "that twenty
five dollars would be a reasonable
compensation for it?'
"Wel, yes," said Aunt Grizzly.
sit never cost me that, because"
''No, of course not" hurriedly in
terposed Mrs. Symington, and she
produced the twenty-five dollars, all
in gold half-eagles, with the exultant
feeling of one who has picked pre-
cious diamond out of the dust. "But
/ would wish you to feel that | had
dealt fairly with you in matter like
this
"Well, / hain't no reason to COM
plain" said Aunt Grizzy. "Some
folks fancies cheeny. | don't. A
plates plate to me, and cups a
cup, and you're kindly welcome to
my set if you've took a notion to it. }"
Mrs. Symington went home the
next day, through a whlrlwind of
snow, having been fed upon pork and
sausages, sausages and pork, at every
meal since her arrival, and retaining
a very vivid recollection of the Maine
winds and tempests.
"I don't think I'd go back there
again even for a set of old china,
said Mrs. Symington, as she seated
herself on the velvet cushions of the
palace car, and sank shiveringly in
side of her seal dolman and fleece
lined fur gloves. "Aunt Gaizzel will
never die natural death; she'll be
blown away like Mother Hubbard"
But all these petty tribulations
were forgotten as a thing out of mind
on the brilliant January morning on
which, in front of the sea-coal fire in
her own cozy drawing-room, she un-
packed the coarse wooden box where
in were concealed the priceless treas
ures of Aunt Grizzy Grumpton's CHI
ma.
"Don't touch them, Stanhope,"
said she, with a small shrek of dis
may. "Men are so dreadfully care
less. Oh, here they ere all wrapped
in separate pieces of paper"
"Eh ?' said Mr.. Symington, stand
ing by with hammer and screw
driver brandished in either hand.
care these Antiques?"
"Good gracious me - gasped Mrs.
Symington. ''What can this possi-
bly, mean?'
For the china which she unwrapped
from its coverings of coarse, brown
paper, was a cheap and common style,
such as is associated in the mind with
tea chromos, gaudy Autographs, and
statesmen of the Hebraic persuasion
white, with band of imitation gold
around each piece, and n coarse flow
er sprawling below, as if it had been
laid on with a miniature whitewash
brush.
This is never my Grandmother
Grumpton's old china" said Mrs.
Symington, bursting into tears, and
pushing the hideous atrocities away
with a force that cracked two plates.
"Tll write to Aunt Grizzy at once,
and this understanding shall be
cleared up"
In the course of time an answer
came from Wild River, stiffly written
in pale ink. and conveying in its tOut
ensemble the general impression that
Aunt Grizzy had wrestled with it as
if it had been the Asiatic cholera.
"DEAR NIECE" Git said) with
Love and duty l take up my Pen TO
inform You that the China is all right,
Bot from Snehey & Pipkin, in Bos
ton, last November, at Eight (SS)
Dollars the Set, to be transported at
nv own Dammage. AS for my moth
er's old Set, witch Captain BabcoclI
brought from Calcutta in the year
1896, | gave it to his Niece Helen
Hosmer two Years ago for a Pare of
Gold Spectackles and Fur Mutf, be-
ing so Cracked and Old-fashioned
that it wasn't worth no more. But l
am told that she puts it on Ebony
Shelves in her Best Parlor. But Hell
en- never was more than HalfWitted,
and your Set witch you took home
with you is worth Deal the most
Money. So you have the Best Bar
gain. With love, l remain. Your
Aunt to Command,
GRIzzEL GRUMPToN."
"Ah!" said Mr.. Symington, who
had been listening intently to the con-
tents of this much blotted and be-
smeared piece of manuscript, sealed
with Aunt Grizzy's thimble top, and
still retaining subtle odor of fried
sausages and griddle-cakes. "a seal
dolman at three hundred dollars, a
thirteen-dollar hat, pair of fifteen
dollar fur gloves, a fifty-dollar jour
ney and a twenty-five dollar invest
ment, all for a set of china which You
can buy anywhere on the Bowery or
Grand Street for ten dollars How .
does that look, my dear, as viewed in
the light of political economy"
And Mrs Symington answered
only by her tears.
"There, there. Bella, don't fret"
said her husband, kindly. "Let the
thing g. for what it is worth. For
get it,
''But | can't help f-fretting," sob