Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-07-12
AUNT NIxlz



She wasn't rs own aunt, you
know; when we were al little chaps
father married her sister, and pretty
soon she came to live at our house,
so we always called her Aunt Mike.
Her real name was Elizabeth, but
nobody ever said that.
heard some one call her an old
maid once, and / suppose she was,
for she was forty years old and nm
married, but there was nothing
prim or old fashioned about her in
the least.
You see the way she happened to
come and live with us was like this.
Mamma waa the last DAT iI5Sl left
at home with Aunt Mike, so when
their father and mother died she
wanted her to make us visit and
if she got tired Of us then she could
60 to another sisters and make
visit; theirs was very large family,
so Aunt Mike would not want for a
home among eight different house
holds. After she came to our
house. my little step brothers and
sisters were all sick one after the
other, and she staid on and on, un-
til revere SO used to her we could
not bear to have her go away. She
did go once in a while, but she did
not stay more than few weeks, for
we always wrote and told her we
were so lonesome we wanted her
right back.
People used to say, 'Your Aunt
Mike will be getting married some
fine day, then what will You do?'
Then we said she'd have to bring
her husband home to our honse.
Then l don't think Aunt Mike
cared to have men any older THAI
twenty five or six dangling round.
She said she would rather have us
boys escort her, than fathers md
dle-aged friends, and of course that
delighted us; it made us feel so
grown up, and Will, that's my oldest
brother, was only twenty-five, and
Ned. his chum, was twenty-five
They took Aunt Mike to all the
concerts and theatricals given by
their college clubs, and when they
couldn't go she would ask me to
take her. l tell you she used to
look as young and lively as any of
the girls there; the fellows would
beg for an introduction, and would
not believe she was more than twen-
ty-five at the most.
Mamma said one time that Aunt
Nix was very homely girl, but it
don't seem to me that could ever
have been; any way she is irregular
sumner now, and dresses in tip-top
style.
Mamma had her own children to
take care of, and the house to man.
age, SO that without any intention
of sighting or illtreating us we were
left more in charge of Aunt Mike.
| think a great deal of my step
mother, and | don't believe any fell
low has q kinder or better one than
| have; but Pm telling you about
Aunt Mike now, and trying to ex-
plain why we were all SO fond of
her.
She would do anything for us
boys, but she would't stand any
nonsense; when we did any thing
real wicked we dreaded more to have
her find it out than father, although
he was pretty strict.
| was always the unfortunate one,
forever getting into trouble and
breaking bone or getting bruised,
cut or other wise maltreated. But
Aunt Mike would nurse me till /
got quite well and strong. Then
she would help Win in his studies
and try to keep him ug to the mark,
but you see we'll all so full of fun
that it's dreadful hard work TO be-
have and do what we know is right.
Now | can learn lessons very quick
ly; father says if I had to study
harder my knowledge would do me
more good. In school could learn
in about a quarter of the time we
were given to study, and then / ex-
pected Satan was finding me some~
thing to do for the other three
quarters. The last term, though,
/ did try real hard, for father and
Aunt Nix had been talking very
seriously to me. Will had warmed
up to his work and was to enter COL
lege in the fall. Twas too young to
enter, but father had induced the
faculty to consent to admit me il
could pass the examination in good