Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-01-17
AUNT RACHEL'S NIECE.

~ N't> ~ lcAlBiiL III lh1t sort of eXer-
else, from the railway station to Aunt
Rachel's home over north of CARROTS.
vile, bnt the road Ia SO delight
fui and the country SO pleasant that
one does not weary even If he does
walk. Once there, there is every
femptntionfto take long walks every
day, for 1t Is not far to the ledqes.
and In all Ohio there is not pleas
antcr place to idle away pleasant sum-
mer days than along those lodges.
! haven't the least reason in the
world for calling her Aunt Rachel"
but | began to do so the second time I
saw her and have kept 1t up ever since.
She Is aunt to everybody, old and
yopng, in her rcighborhood, and it
just comes natural to claim the rela-
tionship, and fell into the habit easi-
~ consider it piece of good for
tune that has brought me many pleas
ant friends in Ohio that happened to
Ind myself at her home one summer
day not many years ago.
Besides Aunt Rachel there were
three other members of the household
at that time in\whom soon felt some
interest beyond. the ordinary. These
were Aunt Rachcl's hired man, joe
HIS other name does not matter-her
niece, Margaret Kelley, and young
fellow from Cleveland who was staying
there simply because he liked to and,
as afterward learned, because Miss
Kelley was there.
Between Joe, the hired man and
Harry Perrin, the gentleman guest,
there was a great contrast, and | soon
made up my mind that Joe knew more
in a minute than Mr.. Perrin would
ever be able to learn. The hired man
was nice young fellow, but not par
ticularly noticeable, for he had
fashion of going about his work in a
Rnatter-of-fact way that did not attract
attention. He was polite and kindly
disposed toward the people he met and
the live stock under his care. He was
made one of the family, as is the
fashion in the western reserve, and
took 1t as a matter of course that he
was the equal of anyone on the farm.
He had a fashion of always appear
ing neat and of coming to the table
with coat on that is not exactly uni
versnl among the people of his class
lie was intelligent and as well edu-
Gated as most of farm boys, and that
he suited Aunt Rachel was proven by
his continuous service with her for
more years than the average hired man
stops at one place.
I soon found that he was pretty we'll
posted as to his business. was really
interested in the prominent events of
the day, and could even discuss the
tariff without making me feel as If it
was dreary subject Altogether, Joe
was not o bad sort to know, and |
soon got into a fashion of following
him about @hia work, and have no
doubt it was an exaggerated notion of
the claims of hospitality that pre-
vented him from telling me plainly
that he was dreadfully bored by me on
more than 8one occasion. We got to
be pretty good friends, however, and
it was not long before I discov-
cred that Joe thought Miss Kel-
ley was most churming girl.
I pitied the poor fellow, for /
knew she had never given him a sec.
ond thought, and never would. l shall
not try to describe Margaret Kelley
except to say that she was one girl in
ten thousand. A perfect blonde, she
was good to look at, and a girl that
one likes instinctively, for she carried
about with her the gladness of life.
Rich in her own right; proud of her.
self and of her possessions, she was
not at all above being companionable
TO anyone who could be Interesting.
Prond as she wasrss he was not one who
tshought hdS better than others
who behaved themselves Intelligent,
well educated, with all an American
girls smartness at repartee, she was
very democratic in her views and
treated Joe as politely as she did Mr..
Perrin, and laughed with him as free
ly as sho ever did with those who had
been brought up in her own plane of
society.
Ha. Perrin was well enough in his
wa be and got along very nice
" and what time was not
ljoyed in his company,
hpded to be good
circumstances that
w had sno1led