Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-03-23
AUNTIE'S DIARY.
Thomas Frost, in Harper's Bazar.

Auntie Jane has got story, written IN a dlr
book,
Locked up in her saratogy. Yesterday foun'
| hook
And key a-hangin' on it. She was driving
| out with dad,
So went and read the story, and it's awful
awful sad!
If you give me that big marble, john, I'll tel
you what read;
But you mustn't talk about it, on'y when we
go to bed
Cross your thumbs and say you'n never tel
Bill Marks, or Ted, or Sue,
Cos if auntie heard about it, why, you know
what dad 'ud dol
Well, she'd ulster go a courfn', Just like me and
Polly Rand;
Her folks lived in Pennsylvania; he'd a farm
in Maryland.
There was Scarce mile between em-them
two States near disagreed,
Cos ole Penny thought as Mar'land was
a-goin' to secede.
Dave, he was so big and noble (prettier than
you and u,
Cos she says so in the story, and she wouldn't
write lie.
wv N~SN 1~~~~
Wednesday nights,
And they'd sit in grandpa's arbor, whisperin'
in the soft moonlight.
There's page that's awful scribble-bet she
wrote it very fast
And the only thing that's plain is, Dear ole
Dawes perposed at last!'
Then there comes lot of crosses-meanin'
kisses-fifty odd,
With a copy of letter that guess she sent to
God.
Askin' Him to keep a-watchin', just to see he
don't go wrong
Cos us men folks can't be faithful to sweet
heart very long
Tellin' God she wouldn't swop him if the wide
world she could search.
Oh, it starts out like a circus, but it ends up
like church!
Well, one day some Marylanders backs their
ears and wants to bite,
And at Baltimore they killed some Fed'rals
goin' to the fight
Dave was just a-huggin' auntie when they
heard tremenjus cheers
From some Mar'land chaps as come out plump
for Sourthron volunteers.
they's goin' to be a muss,
Course you won't fight in the wrong, dear, but
will stay and fight with u.s.
Dave, he turns as white as Christmas, for just
then distant band
Plays so awful soft and pretty, Maryland, my
Maryland!'
Then he kissed her, OH so often, and he cried
and said good-by;
But she says she was too proud to let him see
her go and cry.
But theys somethin' on the pages-Jim, my
throat's a-gettin sore!
Heyl now you just stop that blubbin'; what are
you a-cryin for?
So next day he j'ined the rebels-went to fight
just as he thought;
And our auntie stopped a-prayin'-didn't say
'em as she'd ought.
Guess she reckoned God might fancy, if for
Dave she went and prayed,
That she wanted Him to look out for the rest
Of the brigade.
One hot day the Southron army crossed the
border line so grand;
Forty million trumpets playin' Maryland, my
Maryland!''
And a sojer told poor auntie, Dave had fallen
in the fight,
And had sent her this last message, 'True to
what he thought the right!''
Then she started in a-prayin', just as If she'd
never stop
Prayed right down the hull Church Service
then went back gin to the top.
And she actiwally prayed for blessin's on each
Southron gun.
But the long delay was fatal, for the North
went in and won.
P'r'aps he'd made a decent uncle, Jim, for
such as you and me;
But can't feel quite as sorry as 1 s'pose I'd
oughter be.
And about them prayers of auntie's-I keep
thinkin' more and more
That it's lucky for the Union she didn't pray
before!