The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-10-08
MY AUNT WASHINGTON.


county at her feet; she knew it, and lost
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 | 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 the loss of my shoe, which
being red, was very pretty, though truly a
snug fit, grandmother 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 then the whole of the outer
world | remember well how my round
cheeks burned, though my tears were still
dropping from the loss of my finery, when
my father lifted me by one arm over the
heads of the people, the seats being arrang-
ed 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 meet
ing, pleading headache, though | found
her in the garden among the sweet alyssum
beds, laughing and talking with Henry
Lytle, He chucked me under the chm,
when he had heard my fearful story, for
my shoe had been left behind, and doubt
ed 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 declared me thorough woman.
| liked not the appearing of Henry
Lytle, by reason, perhaps, of my grand
mothers aversion, for she could not abide
his presence; particularly, as Aunt Wash
ington touched her lip at my sudden ap-
pearing, and Henry Lytle made a wry
face, Struggling up his shoulders.
Aunt Washington was the youngest
child of my grandmother, and only surviy-
ing daughter, and was pretty young wild
ow of three years standing,
Now my grandmother held peculiar
views in regard to widowhood, bearing out
all principles with honest practice, that
upon the ereturn of a woman to her father s
house, she having been widowed, she
should resume the subserviences of her for
mer childhood, particularly until five years
of mourning should be passed; and, though
Aunt Washington was possessed of a cozy
little fortune in her own right from her
husband, grandmother 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 despot
in her own way.
often wondered, as sat in the sun
shine nursing my old wooden doll and
watching the light as it played upon my
grandmother's face as she sat at her nett :
ing, what position in the great house,
with its great head, my late lamented
grandfather had occupied, but upon that
matter all were as silent as the grave, and
| burst not question.
We dawdled among the flowers until
high noon of this August Sunday, | free
as air and barefoot, Aunt Washington
having suggested the advisability of remov-
ing my remaining shoe; altogether unres-
trained in grandmothers 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 ii
make, when the garden was full of living
| flowers
Henry Lytle looked at his watch when,
at the turn Of the lane, we saw the church
party approaching, and likening us to mice
said something unintelligible about the
morrow, stopped his tall head, and kissed
both Aunt Washington and me, much to
my astonishment, for grandmother was
Wont to deliYer severe DISSERTATIONS upon
the prOmiscuOus oscillation of the sexes
holding that kisses were unholy things
even upon an unoffending infant; but
Aunt Washington gave me a peppermint
which was sufficient hint as to my dis
cretion. When grandmothers royal silk
rustled in at the front gate grandmother
was more gracious of a Sunday Henry
Lytle's long legs had girdled the garden
fence at the pear for an instant, and he was
gone, leaving Aunt Washington and mt
with smiles, but with u guilty SUNDAY
feeling, | as to the butterflies and my
Sunday hat, Aunt Washington as tc
Henry Lytle and the kisses,
Monday was great day at the "Elms,
a day of clearing away the literal and i'm
aginary cobwebs that had gathered oyel
Sunday, that being the only day in tn,
calendar, excepting Christmas, wherein the
whisk and dust-cloth were not used witt
mental and moral vigor.
Upon that particular Monday, grand
mother was summoned to attend dying
friend-a friend of her own girlhOod
Now. grandmother believed that there wa
a time for all things, even time to dance
which she afterwards proved; but in spit'
Of the ties of years association, it was yer!
unreasonable in Martha to take to dying o
a Monday, she averred. However, duty
was duty, and as such my grandmother
never shirked it; so without delay, th'
family carriage was fetched, and with man,
directions to the maids, and special admoni
tions to Aunt Washington in regard t.
ounce preserves, now in primary stat
of preparation-with rustic Of silk and {
Whit of lavender, grandmother was driver