Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-05-23


Besides, 1 a n
dying for want Of exercise"
Aunt Kitty looked as if struck by
small torpedo.
"Dear aunt, have you uot heard o.
Hercules's sweeping the Augean stab 6 II
one day7 They contained thrae thou
sand head of cattle, whici hadn't haC
any clean straw for t.I.rty years. Well
l dare say he began with his mother
parlor, and trained mis- muscles tn Is."
caught the broom and performed serie
OF 6. mnastics, throwing it back OF m.
lead, and twisting my neck in and ou
of the loop, till the shade of the student
lamp began to tremble.
My aunt yielded with many cautions
"Don't break anything, but move on
tie furniture, aud sweep the corners
and shake the table cover and the rug
and don't lift the broom high SO as L
make big dust"
Enough, madam, my aunt. You
will soon see how accomplished in sucl
matters 1 nm. Wait q minute. Even q
such trying tune, aesthetics must no
be forgotten"
l ran up stairs and reappeared with
my hair done up in white null fichu
fastened at the side with bunch o
mi9nolette; my dress skirt pinned back
and covered with large sprop, trimmec
, with red bows.
"Beauty and the Broom" sail I. as /
saw my black eyes and dark cheeks un-
der the soft white turban, in the small
| mirror. "Grace Brown, have seen you
with less becoming surroundings. Now,
aunt, exit please. The curtain rise:
| upon the first act."
My aunt well knew that rambling in
the woods after flowers and insects was
my delight, and that l regarded house
work as necessary evil, which, ike
duties in a custom house, let those slir;S
who might. l speat weeks in this
charming country home every summer,
in preference to visiting any OF the fash
ionab.e resorts, simply because l Lad
enough of fashion the rest of the year
| and because l was, with all my short
ings, Aunt Kitty's favorite niece. Father
and | lived all alone; or, rather, he
lived with mis- grain elevators. He was
very good TO me. might 60 anywhere
l liked, or stay at home and invite COM
pany. So l joined Shakespeare Club to
improve my mind, and took lessons in
free hand drawing. Or course, had to
so great deal to the dressmaker's, for
a city girls wardrobe takes time and at
tention. l had dog cart and pony,
and took one of the girls every pleas.
ant day to drive in Central PARK.
As for housekeeping, we had the best
OF servants, and 1 only had to decide
whether it should be beef or mutton for
dinner. No wonder Aunt Kitty regarded
thls freak as new and startling de-
velopnent of my character. But she
left me with:
''Dont sweep the dust into the hall,
but to the hearth, and
| actually kissed her and pushed the
Gear soul out of the room, and shut the
door in her face.
Now 1 threw open oil the windows
and blinds. A flood of beautiful sun
shine came in. Dark rooms are an in
vention OF the Prince of Darkness-but
then folks in the country are awfully at.
tached to them. Never mind, have all
out doors to live. How lovely those
roses are this morningl climb over the
sill to the veranda, and pick large
bunch of Baltimore Bellies, which l pin
to my throat. A sparrow has her nest
in that honeysuckle vino. Ga, she is
sitting, and l will not disturb her.
almost wish 1 had gone for a walk.
''But, Grace Brown, you shall no.
be fckle. You are going to sweep
this room; so climb in again. This
small round table shall be the starting
point. y good beginning Is work half
done. ," The carpet is modest tapestry.
l will take it, one breadth at a time,
narrowing ever the horizon OF dust and
dirt, tic hearth my radiating point, en-.
largIng the area of brightness, till all is
clean-wLen, Enter Dust Pan, and per-
form thy menial but useful officel
The table is pretty and quaint, COW
cred with an embroidered cloth that |
worked and sent last Christmas. o. it
lie a handsome piece of coral under
glass, some rare and beautiful shells,
and al illustrated book, Poems of thu
Sea-"
Well do know the sad story en-
shrined here. Fifteen gears ago, Arnold
Wood sailed on his last voyage. He was
Aunt kitty's lover, and fine seaman.
But Aunt Kitty would have no sailor for
q husband, and he agreed that after one
more voyagc-ho had just been pro-
noted to be second mate-be would
settle down 20 farming. She could not
bear that he should go, but
lie was jubilant. New lands
to see-rarc and pretty things
TO bling back to the pretticst bride in
rown--it was but right that nc should
have one more tastc of tho wild, free
life; and sadly she let him 20. For
.evCrll weeks letters came regularly,
The last was from Calcutta. No one ever
heard of that ship again. As months,
rasscd, Aunt Kitty grew pale and silent,
Sith wistlul look on her face. Pcopio.
stopped talking when she went by, and
said under their breath, Poor thingsr"
At last she took to her bei with a slow
fever. That's what they always call
these broken heart troubles. But she had
strong pny.iluc. aad did not die, as
seemed lI.;ciy, 5ut after weeks Of illness
took ~ the Uv-iea of her life again.
Well for hcT, perhaps, that her father
was growing too old to look after the
farm, aud, as he died soon with stroke
of apoDiexy, she assumed entire control
of the business. Then her mother grew
fe,5le, aad they cared for her like an
tlts-.. Sac could only. help herself o