Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-22
MY AUNT WASHINGTON
BY VIRGINIA FRAZER BOYLE.

not whit Of the vantage thereby.
had observed it with pride, for nothing
at that time escaped my note, though
own with modification that only the
Sunday before the time of which l speak
/ had cried aloud in the great meeting at
| the Court House, from having lost my
red morocco shoe, by reason of stout
man sitting on my foot. Not that my
foot was hurt, but that feared che loss
of my shoe, which being red, was very
pretty, though truly a 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,
a great journey in that day, meaning To
me the whole of the outer world. l re-
member we'll how my round checks
burned, though my tears were still drop
ping from the loss of my fnery, when my
father lifted me by one arm over the
heads of the people, the seats being ar
ranged in 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 headache, though
found her in the garden among the
sweet alyssum beds, laughing and talk
ing with Henry Lyle. 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.
l 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 Lyle made a
wry face, Struggling up his shoulders.
Aunt Washington was the youngest
child of my grandmother and only sur
viving 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 subservience
of her former childhood, particularly
until five years of mourning should be
passed; and though Aunt Washington
| was possessed of a cosy little fortune in
her own right, from her husband, grand
mother ruled her youngest daughter with
a rod of iron. My father, being mostly
under the same roof, came in for his
portion Of courtiership, and though my
grandmother was 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, 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, hkening 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 90 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 q peppermint, which was a suffi-
cient 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, y
day of clearing away the literal and
imaginary cobwebs that had gathered
over Sunday, that being the only day in
the calendar, excepting Christmas, where
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 a
time for oil things, even time TO dance,
which she Afterwards proved, but in
spite of the ties of years Of association,
it was very unreasonable in Martha to
take to dying of Monday, she averrcd.
However, duty was duty, and us such my
grandmother never shirked it; so, with
out delay, the family carriage was fetched,
and with many directions TO the maids
and special admonitions to Aunt Wash
ington in regard to the ounce preserves,
now in a state of preparation, with a
rustic of silk and Whit of lavender,
grandmother was driven away, leaving
the household world to Aunt Washington
and to me.
NV ideas as to our respective occupa-
tions for the morning are not very clear
at this late day. had an allotted daily
task upon my sampler, into which pat
tern grandmother had stuck a pin to
mark its limitations, and l remember
that my Aunt Washington was unusually
busy.
My sampler was very exasperating and
my crewels snarled numerically. Tho
text was, "Honor and Shame from Nc
Condition Rise" had gotten through
the basket of primroses with cross-stitch
and into "Shame, and now | was slip.
ping my canvas in most slovonly man
ner, wishing that was boy or butter
fly or something not required by grand
mothers or nature to work samplers
when my senses were assailed by voices
from the kitchen, as well as the aroma
of boiling ounces. My intuition told
me that Il was Henry Lyle, an / had
no time in satisfying that sense by proof
He was standing by one side Of the bis
brass kettle. aud Aunt Washington OF
the other, with wooden spoon In he
hnnd. They we're arguing about some