The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-12-18
A CUP OF TEA.

u - tust an old yellow lef1eR with jagged
ersases that has ben handea down from
| se2srstion 70 generafion, through q chain
q thrifty Vermont families Il h alto
eether such agnaint, charming little story,
and 20 genuine withal. that tFanseribe 70
| entire
Now that hundred years o. more have
paesed since the writer Of Il, q modest
Puritan maiden. was laid away In one Of
those old Boston church yards, this event
ful passage In her pure, sweet life goes out
q the family and 10 the printer for the
| first time.
NANTUCKET ISLAND. Sept %. ITss
MI OvS DEAR MOTHER-Itse seems very,
very long time since you and my honored
father and my ever beloved brothers and
sistsFs started for your new home. But I
suppose st this writing 700 have not
reached your destination. and ! think Of
700 every day and all day - marching
and marching. following the lonely trail
through the interminAble forests, and
sometimes am tempted TO Fepine In that
my father thought e best 70 remove 70 that
FAR away settlement But my grsndfsther
tells me that the entertainingo Of that senti-
ment would be unworthy Of the daughter
Of Q pioneer, and since Il Wa thought best
for me 10 remain behind for Q season.
must improve my time 10 the best advan-
tage This try TO do with cheerfulness,
and Aunt Content Il 30 kind ~ 20 say that
I an Of service to her In our household
duties and In spinning and weaving.
Persdventure, my letter shall be . pun
ale 70 you, I hasten 10 say that ! indite Q
paragraph or two at Q time upon leisure,
and whenever anything comes into my
mind that desire roo TO know I straight
way 20 TO my uncle's desk and set Il down.
do this, dear mother, that you may share
In my pleasurable thoughts and may know
Of my daily life; also that my brothers and
sisters may In q measure partAke Of my en-
jcymsnt.
The principal news have now TO tell Il,
my cousin, Nathaniel Starbuek, Jr. has
returned to Boston from his late long voy-
age TO China and il hourly looked for here.
There are divers preparations being made
for his welcoming. Ny grandfather walks
restlessly up and down the yard with his
stout stick, peering snxiOusly up the road
way by which our traveller must come.
Uncle Nathaniel says with pride, The hoy
win have many stories TO tell" Aunt Con
tent hies about the house with q smile
upon her face and anon tears in her eyes,
connecting the favorite dishes Of which her
son used to BE- fond, while dear old grand
mother knits and knits. because she says
Nathaniel never yet wore any stockings
but Of my make. and ! must have a supply
for him to take on his next voyage"
I, even I, am to have q new blue gown
made from aunt's last web, which IL the
finest and softsst piece Of flannel ever made
on the island.
My cousin has GOMEZ
He IL tall and 1.-the, with hrSdsome hair
and eyes. and his complexion Is brouEed by
ocean winds and eastern suns. He says II
seems TO him like a fairy tale, that was
the same little dumping Of Q cousin that
| he used to toss In the air when he was last
at home He Is much grieved to find you
all gore, and Is planning q hunting expe-
dition, whose objective point shall he your
far away settlement.
The neighbors all congregated around
our kitchen Gre to hear his wonderful sto-
ries snd adventures, which he was relating
all day rd far into the night. For all he
has Travelled almost all over the whole
world he il n pleased a. a little hoy To be
| ut home ON the dear old Nantucket planta.
ton again. We are all happy - we can he
| with cur divided hearts Wa all have a
ers, aud grandfather remembers you each
morning and evening at the Throne of
Grace
Ny cousin has brought q great many
curiosii les and presents for US all. One l.
q silken and creamy shawl for me. woven
and embroidered with beautiful flowers.
| Another Il = gown Of foamy Canton Grape.
as white rs snow, and they are 20 pretty
am sure shall never dare 20 wear them.
| Grandma says they shall lie kept for my
| wedding. but Aunt Esther says Il II not
seemly for ,lich thoughts to he put into =
maiden's head. Yet Aunt Content gave
| me the other day n whole piece Of linen
| from the fall bleach, to he kept" said
| al "for q day Of need" At all events,
my foreign flnery Is packed away In for.
eign gums and spices In foreign box. an.l
Is not likely 60 turn any silly maiden's
brain further Mt present.
Cousin has returned TO Boston. and yes
tertiay he sent by n trusty messenger
another SEA chest. In Il Is a large box oi
| tea-the first that Was ever on the island
real Chinese tea, which he himself pro
| cured Ia China. Il i Of q greenish color
| with little shriveled leaves and when eaten
| dry has = pleasant spicy taste. Perhaps
/ when have an opportunity 10 send thi-
letter, | can inelOse a sample quantity
| that you may see what Il IL like. He also
| sent by the same hand a letter saying
| when he returns to Nantucket the owner
/ d the ship In which he yOyHged, Capt
| Morris, will come with him from Boston
/ 10 pay US a visit. We are again making
| master preparations for the visitors, and
| n you will believe Il the large parlor
/ which has not been used slnce Aunt
1 Mehitable's wedding. Il TO be opened. The
floor has been newly waxed and polished
and we have spread down here and their
beautiful mats and rugs, which cousin
has brought from foreign parts.
With the many curious and handsome
things which are hung on TO walls and
spread on the table and mantelpiece, and
the huge fire u logs which the sharp
weather now renders necessary IN the
/ chimney, you have no true conception how
| fine the room appears. When I was nd.
miring Il this morning Aunt Esther re
tuked me gravely, saying, '"The bright
| things Of this world areof short duration. -
But dear. gentle grandma observed, with
| q smile, that Il was natural and right for
| the young 20 admire beauty" NJ which
| Aunt Esther seemed displeased. ] some
| times think she dislikes me because I am
| young, but that cannot Be; yet I cannot
| quite understand how, being my own
| sweet mothers sister, she can be 80 unlike
her
We have Just had tidings that Cousin
Nat and his friend, Capt. Morris, intend 70
arrive here the Slst Of December. Uncle
Nathaniel says we will have . tea party
and invite Lieut.. Macy's family and Uncle
| Edward Starbuck's family and few Others
to meet our distinguished guests and &c
sit the old year out and the new year In. +"
We cooked q bountiful dinner. aud ouI
guests all came. ! wore my new blus
| gown, with some lace that grandmother
gave me In the neck and my own dean
mothers gold necklace. tied back my
eurls, that Cousin Nat will not allow me
70 braid with blue ribbon, which he bought
In London. Aunt Esther said men disliked
20 see girls % brave. but grandfather
kissed me. calling me - bonny bluebell."
Aunt Content has been much pestered In
her mind because she knew not how 10
cook and serve tea, and after our neigh
bors had assembled she confded TO them
Der perriexity. They all gathered about
the tea chest, smelling and tasting the
| fragrant herb. Mrs. Lieut.. Macy said she
had heard Il ought TO Be well cooked 70 be
pslsfable, and Aunt Edward Starbuck
said O lady In Bostoa who had drank ten
told her Il needed . good quantity for
stseping. which was the reason Il wa 20
expensive.
So Aunt Content hung the bright ave
gallon bell metal kettle On the crane. and
putting q two quart bowl full Of tea In q,
with plenty Of water. swung II over the
Gre Aunt Esther and Lydia Anne Macy
said In the kitchen to keep IL bsilins-