St. Landry democrat., 1892-10-29
MY AUNT WASHINGTON
BY VIRGINIA FRAZER BOYLE.

1
Sunday before the time of which speak
had cried aloud in the great meeting at
the Court House, from having lost my
red morocco shoe, by reason of a stout
man sitting on my foot Not that my
foot was hurt, but that I feared the loss
of my shoe, which being red, was very
pretty, though truly snug fit, grand
mother and my maid Jane making much
ado'in getting them on in time But
they were brought to me from New York,
great journey in that day, meaning to
me the whole of the outer world. | re-
member well how my round checks
burned, though my tears were still drop
ping from the loss of my tinery, when my
father lifted me by one arm over the
heads of the people, the seats being ar
ranged in a semicircle one over the other,
and never paused until he had deposited
me safely in my own chair at home.
Aunt Washington had not gone to
meeting, pleading a headache, though l
found her in the garden among the
sweet alyssum beds, laughing and talk
ing with Henry Lytle. He chucked me
under the chin, when he had heard my
fearful story, for my shoe had been left
behind, and | doubted that my father
would trouble to fetch it; but Aunt
Washington laughed and gave me a
peppermint from her pocket. She liked
my small frivolity, she avowed, and de-
clared me thorough woman.
liked not the appearing of Henry
Lyle, by reason, perhaps, of my grand
mothers aversion, for she could not
abide his presence; particularly, as Aunt
Washington touched her lip at my sud
den appearing, and Henry Lytle made a
wry face, struggling UP his shoulders.
Aunt Washington was the youngest
child of my grandmother and only sur
vlving daughter, and was pretty widow
of three years standing.
Now my grandmother held peculiar
views in regard to widowhood, bearing
out all principles with honest practice,
that upon the return Of woman to her
fathers house, she having been wild
owed, she should resume the subservicnce
of her former childhood, particularly
until five years of mourning should be
passed; and though Aunt Washington
was possessed of cosy little fortune in
her own right, from her husband, grand
mother ruled her Youngest daughter with
rod of iron. My father, being mostly
under the same roof, came in for his
portion of courtiership, and though my
grandmother was a wonderfully charm
ing woman, she was none the less des-
pot in her own way.
We dawdled among the flowers until
high noon of this August Sunday, 1 free
as air and barefoot, Aunt Washington
having suggested the ACCESSIBILITY of re-
moving my remaining shoe; altogether
unrestrained in grandmother's absence,
chasing the white and yellow butterflies
with my Sunday hat, at the expense of
the artificial wreath upon it, whose
petals were wofully shattered. But what
difference did it make, when the garden
was full of the living flowers?
Henry Lyle looked at his watch when,
at the turn of the lane, we saw the church |
party approaching, and, likcning us to
mice, said something unintelligible about
the morrow, stopped his tall head and |
kissed both Aunt Washington and me,
much to my establishment, for grand
mother was wont to deliver severe dis
sertations upon the promiscuous oscula-
ton of the sexes, holding that kisses
were unholy things, even upon an unof-
Tending infant, but Aunt Washington
gave me peppermint, which was a suffi-
Gent hint as to my discretion. When
grandmother's royal silk rustled in at the
front gate grandmother was more gra-
cious of Sunday Henry Lytle's long
legs had girdled the garden fence at the
rear for an instant, and he was gone
Monday was great day at the "Elms,"
a day of clearing away the literal and
cobwebs that had gathered
over Sunday, that being the only day in
the calendar, excepting Christmas, where
in the whisk and dust cloth were not
used with mental and moral vigor.
Upon that particular Monday grand
mother was summoned to attend dying
friend, friend Of her own girlhood.
Now, grandmother believed there was
lime for all things, even time to dance,
which she afterwards proved, but in
'pite of the ties of years of association,
t was very unreasonable in Martha to
lake to dying of a Monday, she averred.
However, duty was duty, and as such my
grandmother never shirked it; so, with
'ut delay, the family carriage was fetched,
md with many directions to the maids {
md special admonitions to Aunt Wash
ngton in regard to the ounce preserves,
low in state Of preparation, with +,
ustle of silk and Whit of lavender, S
was driven away, leaving
he household world to Aunt Washington G
nd to me. t
My ideas as to our respective occupa- c
ions for the morning are not very clear j
t this late day. had an allotted daily
ask upon my sampler, into which pat j
ern grandmother had stuck a pin to v
lark its limitations, and I remember =
hat my Aunt Washington was unusually
usy.
My sampler was very exasperating and
~ crewels snarled numerically. The v
ext was, "Honor and Shame from No S
Rise" / had gotten through
ne basket of primroses with cross stitch C
nd into Shame" and now was slip r
ing my canvas in most slov,nly man l,
CT, wishing that was boy or butter a
y or som Thing not required by grand b
lothcrs or nature to work samplers, c
hen my senses were assailcd by voices n
ON the kitchen, as well as the aroma
boiling ounces. My intuition told S
e that it was Henry Lyle, an I had a
D time in satisfying thatsense by proof.
e was standing by one side of the big b
rass kettle, and Aunt Washington on ri
lie other, with a wooden spoon in her tt
and. They were arguing about some