Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-08-10
HOW WE MOVED: AS TOLD BY
JOHNNY BROWN.
BY LILLIAN GREY.

out this is Jest how it was: We hadn't
moved before in a long time. but pa
has had his salary raised, so he said he
guessed we could afford to live IN @
better house: an ma said SO, too.
Aunt Hester helped us move Ma
told her she needn't take the trouble,
an pa said she better not, for 1t might
break her down for life; but it didn't
stop her.
She said it needed somebody with
experience an a level head to manage
movin, an bein' We was bound to do
it, she was bound to see us through.
Still she thought it was a piece of nom
sense, an the house we was in was
plenty good enough.
She is pas aunt, SO that makes her
aunt to all the rest of us. 1 don't like
her-not 80 very much. Pa says that's
wicked He says she's got quite some
money, an when she dies she can't take
it with her.
He likes Aunt Hester real we'll, only
he didn't like her to go house huntin'
with HIM an ma, cause there didn't
nothin' suit her; they come home all
tired out both days; an then they
that's pa an ma-they went off by
themselves and hired house without
any trouble. Aunt Hester was kind OF
nifty about it, an said most likely it
was damp, or somebody had died in IT
Of some cstchin' disease, cause if it
ws1 all right the folks wouldn't think of
movin' out themselves.
She don't like me much. She says
I'm the worst boy that ever drew the
breath Of life, exceptIn' pa when he
was little, an 1 am limb of the old
block. Pa laughs an says he guesses
I'll come out all right after a time; an
she goes at him, an shows him all how
he orto bring up his olive branches;
that's what she calls me an the girls.
The girls is older'n l be.
1 amt such dreadful bad boy most
times, either My clothes are always
gettin' hooked onto the picket fence
or on nails or something, an they tear
awful easy. The cloth isn't no ways
stout enough, for Aunt Hester will
make me trousers out of pas clothes,
an then they tear, an she rolls up her
eyes an says it takes half her time to
patch. She don't have to do it, for
she don't live with us all the time.
Uncle Peters folks have to have her
some; but when she comes to see us
,he stays an stays, an then comes
back in little while an stays some
more.
She's always pickin' at the girls
about their hair an clothes an lessons,
IN patchwork; an if they speak up to
her, then she goes to pa, an says she
isn't treated with due respect and
children wasn't brought up that way
when she was young; an pa he has to
ak an talk to smooth her down.
[ started to tell about movin', but
other things keep comm in the way.
Aunt Hester said there had got to
oe some system about it or she
wouldn't lift finger, an so days an
lays before the time she begun to pick
up little things around an pack 'em
up. She got pas razor an blackln'
brush put away, an had to hunt 'em
up; an We eat without any tablecloth
two or three days cause they had to be
all washed an counted an packed to-
gether. We had newspapers spread
On our table, an pa eat to a restaurant
'eal often.
An when We got the carpets all up,
the rooms seemed so big an funny, an
made lovely noise when l run through
EN-, an up an down the stairs; but
Aunt Hester said l had got to stop
that, for the racket made her head
crack. She only said that to make me
be quiet, for there wasn't thing the
matter with her head only little bald
spot on top of it. She says trouble
made that an turned her gray before
her time; she's got little gray curls that
bob when she shakes her head, which
she does most all the time. Ma says
she's been disappointed, an it's had a
'ourin' effect on her temper.
An come to think, how funny it is
that there amt no women with real
bald, shiny heads, as there is men.
always count 'em when go to meetin;
we've got los of 'em to our church.
Deacon Smiths is the worst; he's only
got the least bit of hair back Of his
ears. Mebbe Aunt Hester will git Jest
like him yet. If she has any more trou-
BILE; an won't she look funny then? I'd
love to see her.
Well, there, ] amt told how We
moved yet. 1t didn't rain, as we was
afraid 1t would, but was as nice as if
made purpose, Aunt Hester said.
She got us all up awfully early, an tore
the beds down, an the house looked
like fury. had lot of things to
move. She said they was more n half
trash an ought to be burned, but pa
said l should keep 'em if 1 wanted to;
an he got me big box to put 'em in,
an she said was INDUCED past all be-
lief, an would be ruined forever was
growed up; then pa laughed an