Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-11-29

OItltoIOHo
For two whole years tried to be amia-
BILE when Uncle Keith was in the room,
and at last gave up the attempt in de-
spair, baffled by my own evil tempers, and
yet will say l was not a bad-tempered
girl. / must have had good in me, or
Aunt Agatha would not have been SO fond
of me. call that real crucial test-oth-
er peoples fondness for US.
Why is it so difficult to get on with
some folk, very worthy people in their
way,
Why do some people invariably rub up
ones fur until it Dristles with discomfortf
Why do these same thoroughly estimable
creatures bring a sort or moral east wind
with them, scarifying ones nerves, Sure
ly it is beneath the dignity of human
being to be rasped by a harsh, drawing
voice, or offended by trifiing mannerisms.
Uncle Keith was just like one of my sums
you might add him up, subtract from
him, divide or multiply him, but he would
never come right in the end: one always
Ieckoned that he was more or less than ne
was He was a little, pale, washed-out-
looking man, with sandy hair and promi-
nent brown eyes. Being an old bachelor
when he married Aunt Agatha, he had
very precise. formal ways. and was me-
thodical and punctual to a fault. Next
to Uncle Keith, hated that white-faced
watch OF his. | hated the slow, ponder
Gus way in which he drew it from his
pocket and produced it for my special
benefit.
/ have said that my detestation of Uncle
Keith was somewhat unreasonable. |
must own had no grave reasons for my
dislike. Uncle Keith had a good moral
character; he was a steady church-goer,
was painstaking and abstemious: never
put himself in passion, or, indeed, lost
his temper for a minute; but how was
girl to tolerate man who spent five min-
utes scraping his boots before he entered
his own door, whatever the weather might
be; who raid, "Hir-rumph" (humph was
what he meanO before every sentence,
booming at one like great bee; who al
ways prefaced a lecture with a my DEAR"
who would not read II paper until it was
warmed; who would burn every cinder
before fresh Goals were allowed on the
fire; who looked reproachfully at my
crumbs q crumbled my bread purposely
at LAST, and scooped them carefully into
his hand for the benefit of the birds,
with the invariable remark, Waste not,
want nOt'-a saying | learned to detest.
/ suppose if we are ever admit ted into
heaven we shall find very odd people
there; but perhaps they will have dropped
their trying ways and pe-uliarities, as the
chrysalis drops its case, and may develop
all sorts of new prismafc glories. once
heard II lady say that she was afraid the
society there would be rather mixed: she
81, =,
tells US that there is nothing new under
the sun, so suppose we shall never be
without our modern Pharisees and Sad
ducees. The grand idea to me is that
there will be room for all. | do not know
when the idea first came to me that it was
u mean thing to live under mans roof,
eating his bread and warming ones self
at his fire, and all the time despising him
in ones heart. / only know that one day
the idea took possession of me, aud, lie
an Eastern mustard seed. grew and flour
ished- Soon afler that Uncle Keith had
rather serious loss-some mercantile
venture in which he was interested had
come to grief | began to notice small re-
trenchments in the household; certain lit
tie luXuries were given up. Now and then
Aunt Agatha grew little grave Us she
balanced her weekly accounts. One night
| took myself to task.
what business have you, strong,
healthy young woman" observed to my
self severely, ito be burden on these
good fok2 What is enough for two may
be tight tit for three; it was that new
mantle OF yours, Miss Merle, that has put
out the drawng-roOm fire for three weeks
and has shut up the sherry in the side
board. IL it fair or right that Aunt Aga
tina and Uncle Keith should forego their
little comforts just because an idle girl is
on their handsi"
lpondered this question heavily before
summoned courage to speak to Aunt
Agatha To my surprise she listened to
me very quietly, though her soft brown
eyes grew a little MISTY did SO love
Aunt Agatha's eyes.
Dear" she said, very gently, 81 wish
this could have been prevented; but, for
my husbands sake, | dare not throw cold
water on your plan. i cannot deny that
he has had a heavy loss, and that we have
to be very careful. | would keep you
with me If | could, Merle, for You are just
like my own child, but Ezra is not young;"
and here Aunt Agatha's forehead grew
puckered with anxiety
"Oh, Aunt Agatha" l exclaimed, quite
forgetting the gravity OF my proposition
in sudden, Childish annoyance, chow can
You call Uncle Keith, EzraP 1t is such a
hidCous name"
Not to my ears" she answered, quite
calmly; "a WI" never thinks her hus-
bands name hideous. He loves to hear
me say it, and love to please him, for
though you may not believe it, Merle, l
think there are very few men to compare
with your uncle"
She could actually say this to my face,
looking at me all the time with those hon
est eyesl l could not forbear a little shrug
at this, but she turned the subject, placid
ly, but with much dignity.
II have been a working bee all my life,
and have been quite contented with my
lot; II you could only follow my example,
I should be perfectly willing to let you
90. l have thought once or twice lately
that IL anything were to happen to me,
you and your uncle would hardly be com
Portable together; you do not study him
sufficiently; you have no idea what he
really is"
| thought it better to remain silent.
Aunt Agatha sighed a little az she went
-
Il an not afraid of work for You. Merle
there is nc life without activity. The
idle man as some one observes. spins on
his own axis in the dark "A man of
mere capacity uudeveloped." as Emerson
says, SIS only an organ zed day-dream
with Il skin on it just listen to this"
opening a book that lay near her. "'Ac-
ton and enjoyment are contingent upon
each other. When we are unfit for work
we are always incapable of pleasure;
work is the wooing by which happiness is
won"
yes, yes" l returned, rather impa-
tiently, for Aunt Agatha, with all her
projections, was too mitch given to pro-
verbal and discursiye philoSoph =; but to
reduce this to practice, what work can
do in this weary world'"
You cannot be governess, not even .
nursery governeSS, Merle, aud here Aunt
Agatha looked at me very gently, as
though she knew her words must give me
pain, and suddenly my cheeks grew hot
and my eyelidS dropped. Alasl | knew
too well what Aunt Agatha meant; this
was n sore point, the great difficulty and
stumbliug-hlock of my yvuug life.
had been well taught ia a good school;
had had unusual advantages, for Aunt
Agatha was an accomplished and clever
woman, and spared no pains with me in
ner leisure hours; but by some freak OF
nature, not such an unusual IN NJ as peo-
pie would have us believe, from some
want OF power in the braiu-at least, 50
clever man has since told me- was una