The Van Buren press., 1894-08-25
Tor a days outing; party we'll chap.
efoned, horses and dfiyee absoiutaiv

ene'ht ana chorus OF girlish voices
ADDED their entreaties, while the boy.
ougler blew a delicately suggestive
ilttle sonSlet out into the air by way
OF fatterng invitation,
Aunt Hetty's old eyes filed with
Tears OF disappointment, but she brave
~ wlnked them back before anyone
could see them-so she thought.
"Got up at five o'clock, did all the
work, tramped over to Zene Lucas to
catch ride on his milk-cart, and then
walked three miles more from the
mills In the hot sun, and alt for moth
'ngI she was thinking. "But, dear
ME! ! was a pretty girl once myself,
and had my good times, too" SO it
ehanced that what she said, in all sim
eerlty and earnestness, vas almost
convincing. "Do go right along, Bet
| W shall be over again in few
days, mebbe, and this will give me a
nice chance to visit with your ma."
ana by avoiding Betty's eye the old
lady considered that she had made
very neat thing of her hard task.
Rose turned eagerly to Mrs. Dexter
and waited; but Betty took the old,
withered hands that were nervously
clasping and unclasping in excitement,
and without shadow OF regret on lips
or In her heart, said:
u am so much obliged to you, Tom.
but have other pleasures on hand fo1
to-day. But Miss Houston will go.
think You have never seen Eagle
Cliff, dear" she continued, turning to
her friend, "and it is glorious up there
in tho darkness Of the pines"
But the sunny face of the heiress
was clonded with disappointment; and
to hide that look from Aunt Hetty's
sharp eyes, Betty drew her friend.
quietly away to the house to prepare
for the drive
Tain't no matter about me at all"
said Aunt Hctty. Betty won't stay
ut home on my account, will she?"
asked the wayering old voice.
'She said that she had some pleasant
plans for to-day" answered the moth
er, with loving glance down the
walk where her daughter was waving
her hand to the departing coachers.
You may think the girl was practic-
ing self-denial; but her mother de-
teeted no trace Of regret or disappoint-
h1ent In the dear face and Aunt IIetty
had one of the happiest days in her
whole life-a day remembered with
deepest gratitude to the last of her
soon-closing life.
Looking over photographs is COM
monplace amusement to most of us;
but when ones eyes have seen Just
about the same sights year after year,
for over fifty years, until the world
seems made up of little brown farm
houses and barns and sheds, and the
church and store once week, then u
glimpse of handsome buildings, broad
lawns diversified with picturesque cot
tages and groups of pretty girls scat
tered about under the trees, of art
treasures cleaning in marble white
ness, of smooth waters covered with
dancing boats rowed by girlish oars
men, of study parlors decorated and
cushioned in the last and daintiest
4
looking over photographs ceases to be
commonplace.
Betty had no end OF pleasant stories
to tell of the college life; of its good
times and disappointments; of the days
when she visited the great city and
walked through the busy streets which
Aunt Ietty had never seen; of the
concert when Betty had been show
cred with roses by her enthusiastic
classmates, and how some of the roses
were as large across as saucer, and
so sweet; of the days when she worked
so busily to refashion the three sea-
sons old hats or gowns into dainty
confections fit to be worn by the side
Of the gay headgear of her compan.
IONS She lived over again all her
pleasant college days, her freshman
hopes, sophomore ambitions and
Junior triunphs. She brought out
Roses banjo and made Aunt Hetty's
! face shine with youthful delight as
she sang the lively boating songs and
rollicking tunes beloved of college
girls and men. For Aunt Hetty had
been lively GIRL too in her day, and
I loved merry times She would always
! be little gayer in spirit little less
| likely to sit down in her old brown,
worn room and think of her bereavc-
ments, than she had been; and once
in awhile, out in the little orchard
where not even the hired man could
hear her, or by the winter hearth
when the wise cat was asleep, she
would hum to herself, with great sat
isfacton, some of these college airs
They had pretty luncheon of bouil-
lon, lettuce sandwiches, fresh eggs,
berries, and great golden custard
pie, Aunt Hetty's special delight. Then
Betty's deft fingers attacked the time
worn black bonnet, to make it look
little more "lillc folks" as its owner
expressed it; and if particular piece
of black ribbon which was to have
made a smart bow on her own little
turban made sunshine in a shady
place" so to speak, on the dreary waste
of that ancient piece of head-gear,
think that none of Betty's friends
missed it, because under the turban
was a face that made You forget what
was above it.
"Who gives himself with his aims, feeds
three
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.
Helen M. North, in Demorest's Mag
azine.
Queer Guests.