The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-25
Aunt Tabitha's Mission.
BY ADA ". TROTTER.

'Taik of Peter the Hermit" ejacu
lated Aunt TabtEa, as she walked into
her nerhew's house, 81 wished could
hoist banner and attract some attention
to God A'mighty's laws of health"
Johns house was as pretty as good
taste could make it when hampered by
small means, but Aunt Tabitha viewed
it with disfavor.
Her healthy sense of smell at once
detected that no windows had been
opened in the reception room since the
previous evening. The air was heavy
with gas, and the portieres seemed
specially designed to impede ventila-
ton.
Up went the windows in trice, the
portiers were pulled back, and Aunt
Tabitha stood by the door, swinging it
back.and forth to drive out the close air.
This doue to her satisfaction, she went
upstairs in answer to the call of:
''Auntie, do come up and speak to me.
TIE speaker was lying on a couch in a
darkcned room, which also bore tokens
to Aunt Tabitha's keen senses of lack of
ventilation. Before saying word to
the invalid, she threw oven the window
and letin some fresh air, laden with sun
beams.
&C. h, Aunt Tabitha, please don't. I've
got such an awful cold"
"That is only too evident to the eye, "
replied Aunt Tabitha. 81 hate to look
at an unhealthy person. Your hair has
lost its lustrt, your cheeks are sallow,
your eyes red and watery, and YOU look
dectepid genelaly. Preserve me from
ayoung woman who goes in for enjoy
ment of poor health"
"Aunt Tabitha, how can you be so
cruel2 You know l can't help being so
delicate. l just get one cold on an
other" said her niece.
II don't see any reason why you, at
twenty-five, sh ,uld be less healthy than
!, at sixty years of age" said Aunt
Tabitha. II must say I am sorry for
John"
This was too much for Mary, sweet
tempered though she m 'ght be. She
sat up and looked at this dreadful Aunt
Tabitha, VIII, sat up smiling and brisk,
very young for her sixty years.
''Sorry for John!" she cried. "Why,
auntie, you know he is Just wrapped up
in me-"
"Well, with my experience of man
kind, should say he'd soon get un-
wrapped" said Aunt Tabitha, suddenly
holding ahand glass in front of her niece.
"Look pretty, don't you:"
Marry was not u vain woman, still she
colored with annoyance. Then she
sneezed violently and took refuge again
in her pillows.
"Tni not tit to talk to anyone to-day"
she said ''Do come and see nae another
time, auntie"
"You want me to 90, I see. Well,
Pm not going till I've had my say. and
if you are woman of sense, You will
listen and give up once tor all this semi
invalid condition which Is making you
an old woman before your time"
''But, auntie, | can't help myself.
catch one cold on another, and it Just
keeps me weak"
'.You catch cold because you do not
obey the simple laws nct es,ary IT, keep
your body in healthy condition"
claws! I can't see what laws have to
do with me-" replied Mary, Grossly.
"Keep to the laws of health" said
Aunt Tabitha, ''and be strong; break
them and he sick"
81 don't break them" said Mary
"The long and the short of the matter
is this: l ain a delicate woman. and the
climate is too severe for me. The doctor
says ought to go to Florida"
''Bosh! You are my own niece, and l
know you started with fair constitu-
tion. Apply your common sense to your
daily :e'and you cam he we'll woman
in few weeks" cried Aunt Tabitha,
with spirit.
ooh, if only could" groaned Mary,
with another sneeze.
IF I lived as you do, improperly
clothed, fed and warmed, I should
soon be in your condition." SAID her
aunt.
"Auut Tabitha!"
Il mean it. Nature has given you a
large frame, but you ignore the fact, and
make your waist so small, you look like
dyspeptic wasp"
II never knew anyone who could say
such unkind things as you do" said
Mary, with a laugh.
"Oh, that's my mission" cried Aunt
Tabitha I'm for common sense versus
drugs"
well, go on; suppose I've got to
hear yonr lecture some time or another"
groaned Mary, with spasm of sneezing.
"As the case stands" said Aunt
Tabi!ha, II ain decidedly sorry for Johu.
Money is spent lavisbly Oh medicines and
tonics for you-money that should be in
vested in real estate, or in buying books
and plea, ures for you both. Now, instead
of this. apply common sense TO your
daily life. If you are downstairs have
your bedroom window open, so as to
keep the air pure for the night. If you
leave the parlor open that window, if but
little, so that your lungs will have some
thing better for food than devitalized
air. You have no open CRATES, no chin
neys to ventNa:e your rooms with, and IN
consequence must keep your attention
very carefully on the necessity for change
in the air."
"But, auntie, if 1 kept opening and
shutting windows like that, | should
catch cold all the time"
"Not if your body was properly pro-
tected by undergarmeuts OF wool. Wear
warm vests and thicker gowns and keep
your house cooler. Never let the ther-
mometer get above sixty-eight degrees.
Ry xeepipu YOUR house 80 warm you