The state capital., 1891-11-21

|
intimate friend.
Lille said: why don't you try and
make a match between your aunt and
uncle? If you should they would prob
ably ask you to come to the city and
live with them, and give you lovely
presents. That's the way they do in
novels"
I never read novel-we don't have
them-but Lille has lots of them. Her
mamma buys them and Lille steals
them and takes them to her room and
reads them on the sly. She tells me
about the lovely things she reads in
them, and I'm crazy TO get one and
read it for myself.
| We talked long time about the
match, but couldn't think of any way
to manage it. But Lille said if | kept
my eyes open something might happen
| just right / told Lille to be careful
what she said when Toot was around,
or there would be trouble.
Aunt Grace intended to go home right
after Thanksgiving, and Lille said
had better do everything l could to
please her and Uncle Jack, so l wiped
the dishes every day, and didn't make
any fuss about taking care of Freddie
while they went visiting, and stopped
leaving my things around for mamma
to pick up, but oh! that loot. was so
provoked at her One night at the tea
| table she asked, all of sudden:
Mamma, do you think Minnie is going
| to die?"
What do you mean, Toot?" said
mamma, looking frightened.
| "Why, mamma, didn't Mrs Brown
say Mr.. Brown met with change be-
fore he died? and Minnie's stopped be-
| ing SO lazy and disagreeable since
Aunt Grace came, and been so extreme
ly good that thought perhaps she was
going to die, too Anyway, she's met
with d change but there's room for
her to prove more yet, for she slapped
me yesterday when you were all away,
| and then she gave me some candy not
| to tell, that's why 1 didn't" Papa said:
Don't you want some more peaches,
| Toot?" and the peaches stopped her
| mouth, but didn't l want to slap her
again? And | do think Aunt Grace has
| the most unpleasant way of looking at
| me sometimes. Some days l almost
| wished she had stayed in New York,
| because, besides her unpleasant looks,
that Thanksgiving dinner made so
much work
It was minnie, do this" and Min
ME, do that" till 1 was nearly worn
out. There's one thing certain, if
Aunt Grace hadn't been there I
wouldn't have stood mammals making
such slave of me- ] had to stem
raisins and beat eggs and sift -four and
wash currants and cut citron, and one
day Aunt Grace got lot of greasy
| dishes together and made me wash
them! Ugh!
| All of our relations came to dinner on
| Thanksgiving day, and some of them
| came the day before and stayed all
| night. Mamma said Cousin Kitty
would have to sleep with Toot and me.
After we went to bed Toot was SO
| still thought she was asleep, SO l told
! Kitty all about the match was trying
to make She thought it was splen-
| did idea, and said sac would help me-
Our table looked lovely Thanksgiving
day. Mamma bought a new table
cloth and napkins and some new dishes
Aunt Mary brought lot of flowers,
and we picked all we had on our house
plants and put them in our glass pitch
ers on the table, and we had all of
grandma's silver.
Mamma told loot she mustn't talk,
and she said she wouldn't and she did
MT until we were half through dinner
then she looked at Aunt Grace and
said: ''Aunt Grace, / wish you would
stay hundred years!'
"Do you, dear?" Aunt Grace said.
Eyes, cause we can ford so many
things when you're here. | don't s'pose
we could have 'forded this tablecloth
and napkins and these dishes if you
hadn't been here. Nor this turkey.
And probly grandma wouldn't have
let us take her silver if we hadn't had
comp'ny."
Papa said: "Toot, here's another
slice of turkey for your and every
body began talking about something.
She didn't say any more till they
were passing the pudding around.
Then she said: Mamma, will we have
plum pudding at the wedding?" The
minute she said that knew what was
coming. and thought should die.
What wedding?" asked mamma.
''Why, when Aunt Grace and Uncle
Jack get married. l s'pose that will be
the next thing we will have to see to.
/ didn't know they tended to be mar
ried til heard Minnie tell Kittie last
night. Aunt Grace, what makes you
and Uncle Jack look so funny? Oh
dear! ! hope you amt got mad at each
other again and changed your mind
bout having the wedding / shall be
so 'spointed if we don't have 1t.
Kitty says people jump over the broom
stick when they get married, and
want to see Aunt Grace jump. never
saw fat woman jump but I know I
should just JOY it. Won't she look aw-
full queer, Uncle Jack?''
Mamma told Toot to stop two or
three times but she didn't pay any at
tention to her but went right on. Papa
laughed so he couldn't say anything
Everyone laughed but Aunt Grace and
Uncle Jack, and mamma and me /
never saw mamma so angry before
She got up from the table and took
Tcot in her arms to carry her out Of