News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-03-06
AUNT SUKEY.
BY DORA R. GOODALE.

I
poultry to feed, Bindling to split, Woo
and water to fetch, and six or eigh
cows to milk by the light of tn,
lantern. set down the full pals now
and got off my coat, which was alread,
well powdered with snow, and stood
half-dazzled, awkward, raw boned lad
that was, enjoying the warmth and
holiday air of the kitchen. 1t was 8
great, dusty room, with high, oak
waiLscot and beams overhead, old
time, six-foot fireplace, brick open
oven and ali; and the whole family
was Grandfather, placidly eat
ing his pudding and milk from the
thick blue bowl on his knees, while
Louis at on the floor sorting beans,
and Esther was hanging the walls with
laurel and ground pine, humming 10
herself as she went.
At the other end of the room old
Aunt Sukey was weighing out suet
and plums with her jolly black hand,
and mother bent over the glowing
stoye-poor mother, she was always
behind hand, and her voice was quite
sharp with WEAKNESS, now as she
spoke.
"Albert can carry the crock down
stairs" she repeated.
az can't 60 down those stairs after
dark they're not safe" l observed with
decision.
"Oh, law, now chile, jes' get erlong
wild We fer we can't stop fer no argy
flying, sho'ly," exclaimed Aunt Sukey
in hortatory tone, tossing her head
with its gay urban till the shadows
danced on the wall. She was standing
before the table, which was heaped
with motley collection of boxes and
trays, rollers, sifters and graters.
Sukey drew only a theoretical line be-
tween what she designated as "de
plant" and ode grejients," but, like all
true artists, while she scorned conven-
tional arrangements she maintained
certain order we'll known to herself,
and went on chopping and shredding
with lofty composure.
az can't go, tell you," answered,
81 should only smash the jar
and break my neck into the bargain"
s'Oh, shucks, now" burst out Sukey,
with more alarming voice and fall
ing into a somewhat broader pathos.
"Any one tink you was afraid O.
ha'nts, an you too nigh man to be
cat skeery, sho'ly. Dis yer jar got to
git down dere somehow, if ole Sukey
hab ter tote it on her back" and here
she glared at me vindictively.'
"Come, hold candle then, Estie,"
sol 4
''Oh, nonsen e, run along, Al, l
don't dare stand in that cold entry"
answered Esther, impatiently. "You
can do it well enough, and don't you
see that every one else is busy?"
She looked over her shoulder and
made a mouth at me as she spoke.
Just sixteen, Esther was-less than
two years older than land pretty and
full of spirit. She was standing on
tiptoe having to fasten an evergreen
wreath around the great face of the
clock; and the scent of the freshly
broken boughs spread through the
Her face was flushed, and all
her long light hair hung down I'M
braided.
fO1g nCiiJ ihOh lAC JaA Sah wait
till morning." l threw myself into q
chair and began eating fried cake.
why, de Lawd knows we amt got
de cand e-grease to waste fer dis yer
eberlastin' foolishness. If dem
'grejients don't get toted off right spry
deys agwine to Spite sho; an den We
sha-an't hab nuttin' ter fatten up dem
peak-faced Simonses. Jes' you say de
word now and clar him outen here"
cried Aunt SukeY, looking at my
mother with that despotic air that
convinced me that Nature favors some
forms of absolute monarchy.
Ny mother was one of those gentle,
dependent souls rare in New England,
who, finding her lot cast amid race
of iron-clad housekeepers, chung to this
family anchor with blind confidence,
and if Sukey had pronounced that
honey would sour, or mincemeat was
likely to explode in the process of bak-
ing, she would have received the ora
Gle with becoming submission. $50,
Albert" she said, "you hear mel Go
and take care"-at the same time cast
ing timid, entreating glance from
the ambush of Aunt Sukey's shoulder.
''Oh, very well, it's your lookout if
I come to grief" said | in an ungra-
cious undertone, seizing the disputed
Jar, great five-gallon crock, with
ear on either side, while
Esther began to dance a reel, and
Sukey struck up, "Oh, de good ole
chariot's passln' by" rolling out the,
chorus with great JUNCTION.
The little dark buttery was filed
with good things, but l stalked through
it in anything but Christmas humor
The cellar stairs were narrow and steep,
the jar heavy and slippery; and was
conscious of a half-formed resolve to
show Aunt Sukey for once that she
had made mistake in her Mercury.
"Jes' aggravatin'ness, commented her
voice from the other room, followed
by rich, mellow laugh and refrain
of, "Roll, Jordan, ROLL" Here my
foot slipped a bit on the stairs, and,
instead of nerving myself to regain
my balance, l yielded to nature, my
knees gave way, and and the fatal jar
went down with crash together.
The crash was followed by shout.
Down rushed the family in body,
with tallow dips faring, and my first
consciousness was of a violent twinge
in my foot, which was doubled back
under me. My hands were bruised
and cut, and my lip was bleeding.
Oh, what furry there wasI Grand
father scolded, Louis screamed, and
my mother burst into tears, while
they dragged me up stairs among
them. Only Sukey held back. can
see her now as she stood in the kitch-
en- door, with her hands on her hips,
and an angry sneer as the dismal pro-
cession entered. | gave her look as
/ passed which said as plainly as
words; ats all your fault" and she
in turn broke cut freely with accuse
lions. ''Hol you fought you'd pay
ole Sukey back, did you, kicking out
your foot and going spack with all
dem 'grejients," she began; but the
pain was too great for any response,
and / sank down on the settle with
out speaking.
Poor Mother, how she upbraided
herself as she drew off my cowhide