Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-02-26
WINNING A HUSBAND.
BY VIRGINIA PAINE MADISON.

1t was the first cold night of the season.
Without, the north wind blew brisk and
cold; the heavy clouds overspread the
whole heavens, hiding the light of every
star. The rain fell in a slow, steady driz-
zle, and but for an occasional spark from
the pipe of some passer by all was dark
ness. Winter had begun in real earnest,
and the sound of the rain and the whistlinQ
of the wind sent shiver through and
through me.
/ had been standing at the wiz dow, but
turned away tired of the dreary aspect,
seated myself at ore end of the hearth,
threw a stick of wood on the aDdrons. and
leaned back on nv chair waiting for Aunt
Bess The fire blszed and popped, sending
a warm, bright glow over the carpet, wall
and ceiling, making the cheerful little
room prettier than ever. 1t was long be-
fore annty came hurrying in with pink
tipped nose, a rain-bespriDk face and
her bangs, which she had curled so nicely,
banging straight ard limp. She drew her
chair nearer the fire and sat quie'ly warm
lu1 her hands.
"Aunty," 1 said, twill you please tell
me why, after all your losses and fights
with poverty during the war, you are the
only one of my aunts who married a Yam
kee?'
It was the first time, no doubt. this
question bad been asked in so direct a
manner, ard she looked up quickly, little
fondled the broad gold band on her finger,
thought moment, then said: "My dearie 1
could answer your query in three short
words if l liked, ard they would tell you
why l married a Yankee But these
all-important words might not Prove satis-
factory to q dear little maid filled with
loves young Dream Besides, the cur all
ment would be so great that it would de
stroy what to me is the sweetest story
ever knew. But the n, every ones romance
is to them the dearest, isn't it pet2" And
when she glanced up shyly from the corner
of her eyes for an answer | just looked
down and replied, Eyes, 'em." She
reached over, gave my band tender press,
for my honest answer and then began tell
ing me why she had licked her life with q
Yankee soldier.
:'You know, dear, there were ever so
many of US girls at home, and father used
to say sometimes, to tease us, that he bad
a good notion to put half of us in sack
along with other ecraps and hand it over to
the first rag man that came our way. But
when he came in some nights earlier than
usual from the sugar house he always de-
pended on us girls to entertain him until
bedtime. Many right be came at eight
O'Clock, and after the accustomed kisses
went round he'd light his pipe, get in his
ronnd armchair, cross his feet and say:
Now, girls I've the blues again tonight.
This continual talk of war wears me out
So get at antics and didos and smuse me
till I'm sleepy. Then if the war does come
aud frees my negroes, why I'll keep every
one of you TO hoe corn, plant cane and dig
potatoes. Tbat'll be better than giving
you to the rag man.
"W hen we looked up in his face and
saw besides his tender smile a shadow of
sadness which he bad tried so hard to con-
ceal, we were inspired, as it we're, almost
at once with hundred different devices
with which to .dispel bis melancholy. All
of us were some sort of musicians, at least
each one could play on different instru-
ment and all sing little. After reading
awhile and discussing the merits of the
subjects selected, father would tell us some
amusing incident of his young days. Then
we'd get Aunt Sue, who was black as root,
but a real nice old creature, to come in and
tell us a story. She knew host of them,
too, and when she began We became as
mute as mice until she'd ended her story,
then ten to o-e if not laughing in sol'd en-
iny ment, we'd be, as fathor said, sniff e.
but even SO we couldn't help it, for her
stories were often so sad.
safer our sniff we're dried our con-
cert began. Each one of US sang and
PLAYED alone, then all cbimed in together
Our pleasures was so thorough that we
never heard the click of the clock or gave a
thought to fleeting time You may be sure
that Aunt Sue had her share in the music
ale, too. No undertaking at home wss
qnite com plete without her assistance. She
tpew The qneerest little songs one ever
heard, and when accom- panied her on the
banjo she was The happiest old colored
woman IN South Louisiana.
'sAh, those were happy, bapry days
with us all. l remember time and again.
after cutting up our antics and didoes,
father would jump up from bis chair and
exclaim: Bless my heart, girls; bless
your souls! Here it is five minutes to
midnight and l was going to bed at O.
Such another set of little ,mps never saw.
The idea of keeping fellow from all bis
beauty sleep. My! My! Why, girls,
you'll make your old dad lose all of bis
roses You may be sure we retired in
high glee over cur power of success in
entertaining father. Many times he came
in at about 10 o'clock, kissed us all good
evening, then kissed US over again good