Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-07-06
AUNT CALIsTA's WAY.
How She Brought Happiness to a
Needy Sister.
This was the letter Aunt Calista
Jones stopped washing her dishes to
write one May morning:


JONES STATIC N, 3, ID, 1893
DEAR JIM AND JANE: have q trick Of asking |
iavors Of folks and 1t is right and proper that
your turn should come to DO something for me-
want you to slip down here and keep house
for me spell, You write Jim that you have
been sick take 1t that by this time you are
just we'll enough to come down and look after
the farm, and see that the hired man doesn't
loaf away more than half of each day. And
there are tho Jerseys to look after and the our
rent bushes to spray ana I fancy 1t will seem
good and old fashioned to you, Jane, to be on
the farm once more. To have chickens and
pigs about you and make butter and sell eggs
and things, and take care of the garden as you
used to before you married that Jim Of yours,
who insisted upon being carpenter instead of
farmer and live In the city and have bad luck
and never ''get on" In the world, as we both
know he deserved to- And speaking OF being
carpenter will mention this for fear shall
forget IT when you come, for come you must,
as shall not take no for an answer-I wish,
Jane, you would remind Jim to build o
new grape arbor and flower stand for
my geraniums. You will find paint to
smarter them up In the Toulouse over
the door. You see right away that I intend
you shall be kept busy while I am gone, and
which, laws me, haven't said word about
yet But there is time enough now. The
truth Is l banker for change and resting
spell. find l am getting worldly and rheu-
matte and Unjust declare halt before 1t is too
late. have enough money and to spare and
yearn to squander II. My James might be liv-
ing now and this very minute smoking his pipe
on the front porch had he taken the world
bit easier and treated himself to a picnic now
and then. There is q lonesome, homesiok
feeling creeps into my heart when / reflect
what lonely old woman am. Jim dead and
the children scattered; you must come and
give me chance to pick up and throw of this
melancholy. There is no telling where I shall
go when once get started. may develop into
great traveller yet. 1t is possible I may even
visit your city and stop at hotel and put on
more airs than few. There Is no guessing
what capers an old woman may cut up when
once she gets fairly on her mettle. Inclosed
find railway fare, and enough besides to buy
whatever you think you may need. And I
wish you would bring me Jardinier for my
Anna Maria pellargonium, Such as I want
will cost dollar Your loving sister,
CALIsTA JONES.
The world had been very kind to
Aunt Calista and it was highly proper
that it should be. She deserved fair
share of the good that was going. She
was seventh daughter of seventh
daughter-if this genealogical coinci-
dence counts for anything-and in the
light Of circumstances 1t Is reasonable
to believe that 1t did, for she was SO
agreeably different from all of her sis
ters, except Aunt Jane, They were
an average lot and very like the aver
age of mankind, or womankind. They
were ambitious and thrifty and married
well one after another; grew more
thrifty and money making and money
saving, and all were comfortably set
tied in comfortable homes, which they
very gingerly enjoyed, which was as
much as their narrow, selfish natures
would permit them to do. All mar
ried good, substantial farmers, pos
sessed of fair amount of intelligence,
but whose highest ambition was to
make money. Their summers were
one long day of toll and their winters
a school and season of scheming to ad-
vance their thrifty projects.
But poor Aunt janet Poor Jennie
was the one black sheep of this gener-
Gus fold "She lacked hard horse
sense" her sisters said. (All said so
but Aunt Calista.) She had married
badly, just as might have been ex-
pected, they all agreed. with but
one dissenting voice, Aunt Calista's. J
She had taken her chickens to poor
market and was now enjoying the dis
comfort of bad bargain. All were
unanimous in this conclusion, with
Aunt Calista counted out.
She had in a manner defied Provi,
dence, had Jane, when she recklessly
married Jim Hanly, with his hand
some face, his warm, true heart and
his kit of carpenter tools which he had
just learned to use. Jane might have
married old man Brewster, with his
eighty acres of land and nearly years
enough on his stubborn head to match
every one of them; his bank, barn, and
his windmill and club foot, and tenn
per not conspicuous for its mildness
But she wantonly declined this rise In
life, brilliant and ornate as it was
married Jim Hanly and moved away tc
the city, with not much to begin life
with except their love and courage
and Jim's tool chest. But they hat
not prospered as the world reckon'
prospecting. There was never day
when their courage failed or theil
love let go, but many time came
when Jim and Jennie sat hand in hant
, wondering what misfortune would be
fall them next. Children were borr
. to them and each last one was the mos
! welcome, each bringing them added
r love and care. But sickness came ant
swept the city; neither rich nor poo
[ were spared 1t was a cruel monster
, that red-breathed fever but it showed
, no favor, and in Jim's and Jennie
home in the pleasant suburb of tn
city, 1t claimed all. Not one was left
The sad old story of the vacant chair
J and the empty hands and desolat
, hearts was repeated In all its sorrow
, full details. The little half-worl
| clothes on the nails behind the door
q and the little worn shoes in the corner
= told their silent and wordless story t
3 their bereaved and stricken hearts.
, And when sickness and trouble ha
I once found it's way into their home,
e kept coming and coming as if it like
t the pathway that led up to the nea
y little cottage. Now it was Jennie no,
J. it was Jim, and with this came loss an
distress, and poverty stood gaunt an
IL a
$ almost courage to raise the latch. Tn
n little home in which their childre
/, were born had long since ceased to b
d theirs, and yet they held to it as some
Il thing too sacred for strangers to pas
n over its threshold.
l. But never in their direst need ha
) there been complaint or had the