The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-01-16

Relieved to find peace, Aunt Bates
settled herself in front of the fir, in the
most comfortable arm chair, and placed
her feet, cascd in shabby black satin
shoes, on the low fender.
At this moment Frank, the man serv-
ant, came in with an armful of logs. IIe
waited for some minutes; but rs Aunt
Bates did not take the hint, and remove
her feet, he coolly stepped over them.
Crank, honey" she said, in mild re-
proach, "you oughtn't to step over Aunt
Batcs's feet"
Then she turned to Nelly Harrison, a
fragile girl with delicate hectic bloom
and slight stoop; and remarked: "Nclly,
honey, l should think you'd try to sit
straight"
"Well, it seems as if 1 can't. some
how. said the girl, good naturedly.
"Oh, honey! you ought to see cousin
of mine, Amanda Lemarc. Such grand
figure of young lady, honey! Why,
she's as straight-vell, as straight as
an. She has the department of Queen.
That's what they used to say of me--that
l would grace throne. think, honey,
if you could once see Amanda, you'd
try not to be SO stoop shouldered. Some
folks might be ill-natured enough to say
you had hump. But as for Amanda"
"Why, Aunt Bates!" cried Cynthia, in
open-eyed wonder, "Amanda is high
shouldered, and pa used always to say she
walked like our old red cow
"Did he, honey2" asked the unabashed
old lady. "Wcll, perhaps I've forgot
ten how she walks. 1t might be her
laother I was thinking Of; but, at any
rate, it runs in our family TO walk grace
fully and to be slender and distinguished
looking. You and Laura favors the
Lemarcs, but you are nothing like what
they were in my young days. It's a
blessing you didn't take after the Gar
netts. Your dear ma is painfully stout,
and has about as much expression in her
face as a pan of skim milk"
"Please don'tmake such remarks about
ma, Aunt Bates, said Laura, Indignantly.
"Honey, it isn't back biting your dear
ma to tell the truth about her. Unless
she is pulled up with vanity, she must
know, honey, that she is too fat and has
no waist"
"N1a's just right" contradicted
Cynthia.
"Wcll, honey, your saying so doesn't
make it 50. You girls of the present
day have no idea what grace or beauty is.
Oh, honcys! you should have seen Aunt
Bates in the bloom of her girlhood. They
called me the Mountain Rose, and duels
were fought about me by the dozen. l
was as fair as lily, with large eyes as
blue as forget-me-nots, and hair like
sunbeams. Besidesr-~cTefy ono said +
was as graceful as fairy. h:Tc had
many romantic adventures.
Here the girls exchanged expressive
glances. They knew what was coming.
conc day." Aunt Bates continued, Gas
7 was on my way to school, met such a
handsome young gentleman on horse
back. He looked at me fiXedly, and al
ter he had passed, he kept turning
around to get ono more glance. After
this, l often met him, and, one day,
when dropped my satchel of books, he
lcapcd from his noble horse, and handed
it back to me, with a courtly bow. This
led to an acquaintance that ripened into
an engagemcnt-with the full consent of
my parents, honey.
"His name was Harcourt de Percival.
He wrote the most beautiful poems, and
he used to bring them to Inc, and we
would read them together. But he got "a
brain-fcver and died. For two years /
mourned him rs a widow /; but, one day,
the servant came and told me gentle
man wanted to see me. AS l entered the
room, nearly fell in faint, for !
that Harcourt dc Percival stood
before me. For moment he stood
with admiration Of my beauty"
Here Kate Harrison suppressed a
giggle.
"Aud then he said, Madam, my late
friend, Harcourt de Percival, left me in
his will n manuscript collection Of his
poems, which 1 believe you have in your
"Why was he so long in coming for
them?" Cynthia asked in an artlcss tone.
"Don't ask such silly questions. How
do know. l was not so bold rs you
girls are to begin cross-examinirg gen.
tleman. As was saying, gave him the
poems and VIC became very good friends.
And, honey" concluded Aunt Bates, i'm
pressivcly, Il married Uncle Bates be-
cause he looked so much like Harcourt
dc Percival"
Aunt Bates's visit was lengthy one.
It lasted until spring set in, and was en-
livened by many eccentricities.
On one occasion some visitors inquired
whether Mrs. Lemarc had had any peas
from her garden.
Before she could answer, Aunt Bates
stuck in: "Peas, honey2 Why, we've
lau peaS-pe'tS-peas peas-uuel WIN ei"h
of peas"
"Aunt Bates!" Sabina demonstrated,
''we haven't had any peas at ALL
"Well, Slbina, but we will have" re-
tortcd the imperturbable Aunt Bates.
At last, she left the Lcmarcs, after
having ''worked up every man, woman
and child on the place into a state of ex-
lsperation.
"Aunt Bates is a regular torment, "
cried Cynthia.
"Hush, dear" said her mother. "You
know she is poor, and she was really fond
Of your father"
II believc'he is the only person she
iloes not abuse" said Laura.
lol