The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-09-13

James and his bride cause to be
ashamed of her.
The wedding was TO take place the
next evening, and there would be no
opportunity for her to meet the bride
or her family until then. All was so
new and strange to her
She had expected to ''take right
hold' and help Mrs. Holbrook with the
wedding dinner, even if she did "keep
girl. There was big, new kitchen
apron in her trunk, brought with Aunt
Susan to be worn while she was "mak.
ing herself useful in Mrs. Holbrooks
kitchen" 1t disappointed her to be
told by her nephew that her services
would not be required, and that a
caterer would provide the supper.
She did not know what caterer
was, and felt confused aud uneasy, and
went TO sleep half wishing herself
home.
When, the next evening, she found
herself in the beautiful house of Mr..
Holbrook, surrounded by finely
dressed ladies and gentlemen who
looked curiously at the odd-lookinR
little old woman in the queerly-made
and old-fashioned black silk, she heart
lily wished that she had not come.
Mr.. and Mrs. Holbrook were as at
tentive to her as they could be with
house full of guests; but Aunt Susan
soon found it convenient to slip off
into corner, where she hid like the
little country mouse she was.
But she was glad, after all, that she
had come when James, looking SO tall
and happy and handsome, came into
the great parlors with his bride on his
arm in her trailing, white satin dress
and long veil. Aunt Susan was 30 COM
pletely overawed by this magnifcence
that, instead of going forward with the
others to offer her congratulations, she
slipped off upstairs to the room in
which she had taken off her bonnet and
shawl. In it was her wedding gift to
Jimmy-the quilt that had but yester-
day seemed to her as beautiful and APP
propriate a gift as she could bestow
upon him.
Across the hall was the open door of
room almost filed with shining silver
and glittering glass, with pictures, and
rare ornaments, and beautiful books,
gifts to James and his bride.
Aunt Susan felt that her own offer
ing, although it was the gift of her own
labor and love, would be out of place
1t might offend her nephew and his
bride to see it there. Some one might
laugh and jeer at it, and she could not
bear to think of that. 1t seemed SO
poor and trihing, now; she could not
bear to think of allowing Jimmy and
his wife to know that she had brought
them such gift.
She turned back a corner of the
quilt, and looked at piece of the pink
and white muslin of which one of
Jimmy's first garments have been
made. A flood of tender memories
filed her heart, and she buried her
face in her gift and cried as she had
not cried for years.
There she sat for long time, pay
ing no heed to the noise and merri-
ment downstairs. Presently she heard
a rustic of silk and satin in the hall,
and a low murmur of voices. In a
moment a pair of soft arms were
around her neck, and a girlish voice
was saying:
81 am SO glad that we have found
you at last We have been looking
everywhere for you!"
When Aunt Susan looked up she
found the bride kneeling by her side,
while James was bending low over
her.
"You haven't been up here all this
time, have you?" he said. "We have
wondered where you we're. Helen was
SO anxious to see you.
''Of course l was" said the bride.
There is no one here / am so glad to
see. James has told me all about you,
and it was SO good of you to come so
far to see us married. You must kiss
us both and wish us Joy, won't you?"
"lf you'll let me, said Aunt Susan,
with the tears still in her eyes.
'Let you !" said James. "'We should
think it very strange if you didn't.
What have you here? 1t looks like one
of the quilts you used TO make. 1t is
a quilt, isn't it?'
Aunt Susan tried to conceal the quilt,
but James took it from her and un-
folded il. Suddenly he said
"Why, Aunt Susan, didn't you bring
this for a wedding present?'
'Well, Ibid think I'd give it to
your wife, James," said Aunt Susan,
soberly. 81 thought that well-well,
you see, l made it ev'ry stitch myself
and--and--there's lots of pieces in it
from the first clothes you ever had,
and-l thought maybe she'd like it be-
cause | did it ev'ry stitch myself, and"
Like it?" cried Helen. 81 shall
value it above any gift have had 1t
is beautiful never saw such exquis-
ite needlework What weeks of labor
it must have cost you. i am so proud
of it I"
''She. said them very words" said
Aunt Susan to half dozen of her de-
lighted friends who came to see her
the day she reached home. "She was
so tickled over the quilt. She fairly
cried when l showed her the blocks
made out of pieces of Jimmy's things
",he said she'd think the world and
all of it, She and Jimmy had TO 90
off their weddin' tower in about an
hour, and l expected TO come on home
that night but Mr.. and Mrs. Hol-
brook wouldn't hear TO it,
''Ihey made me stay there a whole
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