Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-09-06

| upon. Anyhow, fortune or no fortune,
make your aunt welcome, dear in all prob
ability she will never trouble you again"
81 should think | know how TO treat my
own relatives without being lectured ~
said TO myself wilfully exaggerating Toms
words IF Aunt Betsy does not like my
behavior, she can go back to Craglands as
soon as she likes"
II Tom had grumbled a little-said the
old lady's visit was bore or a nuisance, a
thing TO be endured with the best grace
possible might have taken the opposite
view of it, for believe | am naturally of
a somewhat contrary disposition but TO be
told TO be civil and polite 10 anybody al
ways gives me strange inclination to be
unusually rude and disagreeable.
| However, with Aunt Betsy | resolved to
be on my dignity from the very first /
dressed myself with unusual care, and, as
| | sat down in the drawing room, ] glanced
at myself in the mirror and then turned
round the room and smiled complacently.
l hattered myself that Aunt Betsey had
never in her life seen house as pretty as
mine and when | remembered the rude,
raw boned, i'll dressed servant who always
accompanied her, thought with pride and
| pleasure of my short-tempered extrava-
| CANT, but irreproachable Jane.
Just at ~ o'clock there came loud knock
at the hall door, followed by an impatient
ring, and moment later Aunt Betsy en-
tered the room
ooh, Niece Fanny" she exclaimed, with
a comprehensive glance round and a wave
of her mittened hands, you're pleased to
see me, I suppose J"
"Not particularly, answered. advanc-
ing step There was something so az.
gressive, taunting, so sardonic almost in
the old lady's tone and manner that ! was
up in arms directly--no one should speak
| to me in that way in my own house.
"Oh'-and she gave me another glance,
this time from over pair Of blue specta-
cles s-"oh. suppose I'm not fine enough
for you-eh You would not risk spelling
your satin gown by embracing me, though
it might he the means of getting you sew.
eral others You're very proud, Niece
! Fanny !"
"Im not proud, Aunt Betsy" retorted
defiantly "but don't want your money,
and I'm not going to cringe to you for it.
know you don't like me-you never did
and ! can't think why you want to come
and see me. However, since you are here,
if you choose TO be friendly TO me, I'll be
the same to you but | would not have you
hector me as you did poor mamma if you
were as rich as a Rothschild and meant to
leave me every farthing you possessed.
There-I've eased my mind You know
what think. Now come upstairs and let
me show you your room. Dinner will be
ready in half an hour,
"Hoity toity ~ Miss Betsy muttered as
she followed me upstairs. "a pretty wei
come, Niece Frances, to give a relative who
comes to you with good intentions. It's
good thing there are others with more civil
tongues in their heads, and who are appar
emily more in need of money. Very fine,
ma am Brussels carpet all the way and
walnut furniture IN the spare room, to be
sure What use would a maiden aunt's
savings be here, I'd like to know p
"Not much" said, with smile re
turn Of my good humor. 81 am glad to
say, Aunt Betsy don't want for anything
had asserted my independence, van
quished my formidable old relative, given
her clearly 10 understand that | did not
want either her or her money, and now |
was prepared TO be as civil and friendly as
even Tom could wish.
| rang for hot water, helped to unstrap
the hideous striped carpet-bag, asked if my
aunt would like cup of tea or glass of
wine before dinner, hoped she would be
comfortable and make herself at home, and
that looked very fine in my peacock blue
satin, and had made my aunt feel decidedly
small" in her coarse gray stuff gown.
When she joined me at dinner she had
replaced her black drawn satin bonnet by
a muslin cap with an infinity of narrow
borders, while white muslin handkerchief
was pinned over her shoulders and fastened
near the waist by an enormous Scotch peb
BILE and silver brooch. The spectacles, too,
were laid aside, as were the camlet shawl
and bearskin cape, and | saw that Aunt
Betsy was not only keen eyed, but thin,
straight and active.
"Your husband must be man of means,
Niece Frances" she Observed glancing
round the dining room and scanning every
thing on the table.
Tom has his profession" replied
proudly, "and we have the interest Of my
fortune
Three thousand in the Funds, Ell, at 3
per cent :"
mo my guardian sold out of the Funds
long ago and invested my money in a
mine. 1t pays 10 and sometimes u per
cent, Aunt Betsy ~
"Oh No wonder you live well, Niece
Frances. Twelve per cent-eh That's
something, to be sure No wonder you
are independent of your old aunt A hus-
band a lawyer, too, who knows all about it ~
Yes, Tom was quite satisfied with the
investment, or he would not have consented,
you know How did you find my sisters,
Aunt Betsy We're they glad to see you
Ellen was always your favorite | believe"
81 found them pleased to see me. left
them still more pleased to get rid of me
but, as | went to please myself instead of
them, it did not matter much" " Miss Betsy
replied grimly. They're avarcious, Niece
Frances, and you're proud. don't know
which is the greater fault. Pride goes be-
fore destruction, and naughty spirit be-
fore fall. You would not have your old
relative from the mountains think you want
for anything, would you Oh, no! Is
your husband as great a fool as you are,
niece I"
l laughed heartily at her pointed and
brusque question.
81 do not consider myself quite fool,
Aunt, ~ | replied; "but even if | am, think
Tom has sense enough for us both"
Then | asked Aunt Betsy to come with
me to the drawing room but, true to her
character of an oiiicious old maid, she de-
clared her intention of going over the house
from garret to basement,
mo, no you need not trouble to come
with me, she said, waving me aside. "The
place is none so big but | can find my way.
| mean to see for myself and Judge for my
self, Niece Frances. Just you sit down
with your fiddling, make believe needle
work while look round-I won't be long
i can soon tell if you're a good house
keeper or have taken after your poor moth
er. I'll look at the corners niece, that's
all y and away the old lady trotted
Let her go" said to myself with a
smile "She can't find much to find fault
with upstairs, anyway, and dare say Jane
can hold her own in the kitchen"
So laid down my embroidery and went
to the piano for half an hours practice
without a single misgiving.
In about twenty minutes she returned and
seated herself in a corner with an expires
sion could remember ever since l was a
child. l knew there was a storm coming,
and resolved to meet it with good humor,
and laughingly remind my Aunt Betsy that
it was my house, and that if she did not
like it she was, of course, at liberty to leave
it, But l was not at all prepared for the
accusations she heaped up against me. l
was idle, lazy, careless, untidy, extrava.
CANT. There was sinful wanton waste in
every part of the house.
You will ruin your husband !" she cried,
raising her hand "Six chamber towels in
your own bed room, and four best sperm
candles Think of the washing, think of
the candle ends As for the kitchen, the
waste of fat, the waste of Goals, pound of
soap on the sink Niece Frances, I'm
shocked l wonder you can sleep in your
bed at night with such things going on
around you !"
"Im afraid couldn't sleep, Aunt Betsy,
if things were any different" | replied, a
little flippantly. People live different in
London, you know, from other places, and
you will soon get used 10 our ways"
Never :" Miss Betsy exclaimed, ener-
getically, "Never can get used to waste
or extravaganza while l remember that
there are thousands of poor starving crea-