St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-03-27

years, an Ia be overly Sldu ii SOIHc
o de res to- you would take keur OF
i'm"
Aunt Susan's delight could scarcely
be measured as she waddled up the
road, piercing the air with the shrill
notes of a song which she always in
dulged in when she was happiest.
Her ringing, loud-mouthed laugh was
heard far and wide, and as she passed
the white folks'hOuse one of the little
BOYS shouted out to her, Aunt
Susan, you must surely have gotten
religion this evening. | heard your
voice i'll the road almost Immediately
after the close of the last hymn
"Lor, honey" replied Aunt Susan,
"de folks is so funny; OATS what
makes me laugh" and she spread her
jaws wide open again.
Uncle Jack, who was sitting on the
dilapidated front steps of Aunt
Susan's dwelling when she reached
home, remarked that he would wager
a pipeful o. tobacco on having de
happiest wife on de whole planta-
ton dis evenin'. "Bless you, Suse,
chile" said Uncle Jack, rising to let
his wife enter the gallery, II heurd
you eve'y step o. de way fun de
church house to home. No wonder
Mas'r Cholly fought you had done
got 'ligion." 80 Jack, for Gaud's
sake shut you mouf, and hush yo'
foolishness and light my pipe, "grum-
bled Aunt Susan. Il wants to
smoke"
AS Uncle Jack could easily light
her pipe from his own he readily
complied, but if it had been necessary
to search for a match he would very
probably have shirked the task as
over xertion. He had heard Aunt
Susan and little Mr.. Charley Craw-
ford talking just a short distance
from the road, for Aunt Susan's
dwelling was not above 200 yards
from the owners residence, and it
was no cas- matter to keep from
hearing Aunt Susan laughing on the
opposite side of the creek below the
bridge. Uncle Jack and Aunt Susan
enjoyed a pleasant smoke, each put
ting i'll a word of observation Occa-
sionally to vary the monotony, until
a late hour at which they retired
after Aunt Susan had made Uncle
Jack fully acquainted with all her
plans concerning the minister.
This was about the middle Of
August and the minister was eX=
pected to preach q sermon at ST.
Francis church on the first Sunday
morning in September. Meanwhile
Aunt Susan gathered what money
she possessed and purchased some
little delicacies from the neighboring
village of k, with which, added
to her own bountiful supply of fowls
and eggs, she intended to make q
magnificent display before the clergy
man with her brand-new linen table
cloth and fine china dishes, of which
the white folks had made her a pres
ent the preceding Christmas. She
was probably better equipped for
housekeeping than any of her friends,
and she never SCRUBBED at cataloguing
her stock to any visitor. She used
to take great pleasure i'll telling peo-
pie that certain articles were way
down in de bottom O her middle
trunk, and she did not feel like pull
ing all her winter dressing out to get
at them.
On the appointed Saturday after
noon Elder Lucas put in an appear
ance at the church where he found q
large concourse of people, among
whom was Aunt Susan, to receive
him. While shaking hands with
them in turn he delivered his usual
remarksOf thanks to- all the members
for their marked expressions of
esteem and welcome toward him.
Aunt Maria Wilson was especially
cordial when she shook hands with
Elder Lucas, and informed him that
he was to be entertained this time
under the hospitable roof of Mr..
lack Underwood. AT that moment
Aunt Susan walked upand reiterated
Aunt Maria's words by observing to
the minister that his room at her
house was already arranged for him.
Elder Lucas followed Aunt Susan,
but not without some little reluc-
tance, as she moved off up the road,
because he had been accustomed to
such delicious chicken pie and such a
comfortable bed at Aunt Maria's
dwelling that he almost deemed it
advisable to let well enough alone.
He had already accepted the invita-
ton, though, which Aunt Maria had
extended and which Aunt Susan had
so warmly confirmed, and it vas
now difficult, yes impossible, for him
to withdraw still, as he walked by
Aunt Susan's side III the direction of
her home it was with a feeling of
dubiousness or apprehension that
had Aunt Maria Wilson's roof been
destined to shelter him from the
heavy September dews he would fare
more sumptuOusly. But why should
| for one moment consider my stom-
ach? ?" unused the clergyman, as he
neared Aunt Susan's dwelling. Il
am sent here to preach the gospel
and not to expose myself to the
govt" SO he expelled the wicked
thoughts from his brain.
Elder Lucas, when he and Aunt
Susan reached Uncle Jacks little
house, stepped upon the small piazza
and seated himself beside his host on
a rough wooden bench which stood
on the right side of the door. Uncle
Jack was putting away at a huge
stone pipe when his wife and the
clergyman entered the gallery, but
when the latter seated himself beside
him Uncle Jack knocked the ashes
from his smoking apparatus and
carefully laid it beneath one end of
the bench. Aunt Susan rushed past
the two on the bench and FASTENED
into the house to see that nothing
had been misplaced in the minister's
room. She found the room exactly
as she had arranged it since dinner.
She seemed to be almost on n~ettles,
fearing lest something might happen
that would in some mar the
perfect harmony of the minister's
fret uiSit To her house She utterel