West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-01-30

for my keeping 1t for a summer place,
should never come here summers any
more than | should winters, so Whose
would be the usel
why, my dear girl, aside from the
fact that the place is haunted, which il
Is with memories, il nothing more. il is
so vast, SO gloomy and 50 damp that no
human being could he happy IN A. and
to descend 20 minor drawbacks, there is
not door that ! can open myself, nor a
window that ! can raise. The doors nro
not made with knobs, but with kind
OF hanging handle set on q thick brass
escutcheon which | suppose holds
latch, but it tako- genius 10 manage IL
Then the windows To raise one of them
you must press small brass knob set In
the side of the frame, which takes all tho
strength Of tnc hand, aud il you can lift
The sash with the other YOU are
stronger than !. And then to pro-
cced with my objections The
beds' They are great catafalques. with
a kind of petticoat all about them,
which hangs down to the floor, and
posts which reach to the ceiling, and
hold thick cloth curtains upon rods mt
their tops There was never ANYTHING
more hcarse like. My grandmother Ian.
dor died IN the ono that have. and two
OF her daughters died there before her
IL is all very wen i6 ask why do not
take another room but they are all
alike; somebody has died everywhere,
Aunt Augusta and papa are the only
ones Of efaudfather's immediate family
who lived TO be over twenty five.
"Aunt Augusta showed md n watch
mans rattle which she keeps in case
robbers should ever come There
never used to bc any robbers, she said,
but times were changed, SO she keeps up
with the progress OF the century, /
asked her how she expected tiat the
rattle would serve her, and she said that
If robbers came she could shake IL out
the window, If they would let her /
thought that IA conscientious burglar who
loved his business probably would not
let her, but did not tell her so.
Poor Aunt Augusta She is A sweet
little creature naturally asked her
plainly tho other day il she would not
leave the retainer in charge cf the house,
and come and stay with mamma and me.
Ion would have thought that was pro
posing the most impossible thing in the
world why, child, this is my homep
she said. Il shall live and die here' In
her heart think that she is afraid of the
retainer halo and hearty old woman
who has served the family all her life.
aud hates NC because do not favor the
Landors
"No, ] an obliged to her l should
be in ny grave by this time if / did.
"Aunt a. tells me some very pretty
storios Of our 'forermncrs, One of my
young great-aunts was rash enough 20
run away aud be married. and when she
camo back TO see her father for the first
time, she stood at the library window.
not daring the come in; and there he sat
alone, with the letter in his hand which
She had left; and rs she stood she heard
him say ooh, daughter daughter! 50
kindly and sadly that she forgot her
fears, and rushed in to comfort him and
be forgiven, She died when she was
twenty. There is beautiful little mini
aturc OF her in muslin dress, and with
white turban wound thousand times
about her head, / hope that you arc
able 10 sustain an interest in my rela-
tious; they seem to fill my letters as they
do my mind
~ think thar one Of tn, queer things
IN living in a hamlet Is the interest
which strange people take in your efTaire.
The postmaster doesn't even wait fer re
t) tell him the number Of Aunt a = box,
but hands me its contents with the most
friendly smile. The other day, when +.
C.'s letter came, he fairly bcamed. AZ if
the fact that he knew its address 10 be
in q masculine hand were the one touch
o! nature that made us kin; and enc old
gentleman, with whip in his hand,
who only saw the box from which the
letter was taken, asked nc if belonged
to Square Landor's fo'ks, because ne
used to know the square, was glad
10 shake hands with hin. for hc was
fine old man, with kind, honest eyes.
Thank r. G.. for his letter. I really
wish that he would write again IF YOU
should ask me what being I think the
happiest in the world, ! should say
young college bred man.
"GoOd-by, my dear. Tell mamma I
sent her my love. She is always so de
lighted to sec you that am glad you find
10 in your heart to call so often"
a year had passed before another let