Warren sheaf., 1896-11-19
THIRTEEN AT DINNER
A NEW ENGLAND "REMINISCENCES.
Copyright. 1895, by the Author. !

! A NEW ENGLAND "REMINISCENCES.
!: Copyright. 1885, by the Author.]
Everybody in Misery Cove knew Aunt
Mary 'Lisher, re]ict for so years and
more Of Elisha Dewbery and who lived
with her daughter Hitty in the ole
4ouse on the Gloster road. The Cove
was very full Of old folks. but not all
It them we're thus made appellatively
5istinotive-only the salt Of the earth.
There, for instance, were Aunt Nancy
Ben, Aunt Betsey Isrul. Aunt Mary
Sam, Aunt Abigail Richard, and go
40, every one relict Of some good man
bng since departed. for the "Covers"
did not believe in q surplusage Of
words in their daily speech, and 60, in
stead OF saying, MARY, the widow Of
Elisha," they referred to her az plain
Mary 'Lisher. afaxing to her own, pre-
aomen that Of her deceased husband.
Those good people who were still blessed
With oonjugal partners were addressed
without the: distinguishing prefix Of
sunt OF uncle.
It seemed to me, when became old
anough 10 reason. that I had been born
into community composed entirely Of
selations, moro OF less remote. butwhen
! had at last successfully wrestled with
tho problem I found that our family
vas not connected BY marriage with any
sther in the village. I mention this in
passing merely that the reader may
not be plunged into the genealogical
slough in which wallowed until extri-
sated. Aunt Mary 'Lisher. then, was
not my aunt at all, but an adaptive rel
alive, az it were. However, that made
10 difference in the eyes Of childhood,
which accepts things a. It finds them
snd asks no impertinent questions Of
The gods who bring gifts in their hands
Aunt Mary Usher was little, worn
and wrinkled old woman, with . kindly
lace, from which peered two bright
black eyes, and form bent nearly dou-
He with the infrmities OF years. She
vas somewhere between 20 and 80 years
# age when I first know her. but il I
Had beon asked at that timo I should
1ave said she was ut least 100. :.
Ny first acquaintance with Aunt
Hazy 'Lisher was, you may say. sym
pathetic one, dating from I certain day
when I saw her in my fathers shop. Il
vas the ordinary county store, in
which, besides the common groceries,
was carried . small stock Of Bottled
medicines, essences and such like mo
lions" ltseems that Aunt Mary Usher
Lad one or two infrmities in addition
10 those which people Of her age gener-
nlly carry-she was addicted to the use
4 opium and tobacco. And. a. her
Mood relations had decided antipathies
against the drug and the weed lin q
vicarious way). they had forbidden all
stores and shops in the township to sup
ply the old lady with her tipple and her
smoke. The shifts she was driven TO in
sbtadp;ng them-for get them abe did
were sometimes pitiful to witness, and
from perhaps an innate sympathy with
the under dog In fight I took sides
with her as against her relatives and
ny worthy parent. Soft happened that
whenever was on duty in the shop.
and Aunt Mary Usher would come Gas
she always did twice q weekly ostensi-
My to purchase an ounce of tea, or half
. pound Of sugar, she went home much
happier than if my father had been be-
fAind the counter.
It may not seem, then, at all unrea-
ssonable that she should hold q reciprocal