Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-04-18

James Larkin was just taking his
wedding suit from the box in which it
had been sent home, when there came
knock at the door of his room.
Aunt Susan was trembling with ex-
element when her nephew opened the
door.
"Why, Aunt Susan p he cried; and
then he took her in his arms and
kissed on both cheeks.
There was no lack of tenderness in
her nephew's greeting, yet the changes
in him were painful to her. He was a
beardless, boyish-looking young man
when she had seen him last. Now he
was tall, road-shouldered, full
bearded man with way that made it
hard for her to call him Jimmy" He
did not say so, but she felt that he
would rather have her call him
'James," and that sounded so cold
and formal to her.
He now had the graces of q city
bred young man. She found it hard
to accommodate herself to them, and
to the usages of the fashi enable board
house in which her prosperous young
nephew lived.
He might, perhaps, have wished that
Elvira Hodge had made his aunt's gar
ments more stylish, when he took her
down to dinner, but he was in no sense
ashamed of her. When they were
going downstairs with her hand timidly
resting on his arm, he made her very
happy by looking down into her face
and saying tenderly and heartily, 81
am SO glad you came, Aunt Susan"
~ thought you would be-" she said,
patting his arm affectionately. "You
know you're the only boy ever had. I"
"And you were always tho best Of
mothers to me-"
But when she was alone in her room
she wondered if it had been wise for
her to come after all. She did not
doubt now that James was genuinely
happy to see her, but she had discov-
cred that his betrothed was the daugh.
ter of rich man, and that the we'd
ding was to be an elegant affair. Aunt
Susan learned she would be out of
place that she might in her innocence
do or say something to give James
aud his bride cause to be ashamed Of
her.
The wedding was to take place the
next evening, and there would be no
opportunity for her to meet the bride
or her family until then. All was so
new and strange to her!
She had expected to take right hold
and help Mrs. Holbrook with the we'd.
ding dinner, even If she did keep a
girl. There was big, new kitchen
apron in her trunk, brought with Aunt
Susan to be worn while she was
''making herself useful in Mrs. Hol-
brooks kitchen" 1t disappointed her
to be told by her nephew that her SER
vices would not be required, and that
caterer would provide the supper.
She did not know what q caterer
was, and felt confused and uneasy,
and went to sleep half wishing herself
home.
When the next evening she found
herself in the beautiful home OF Mr..
Holbrook, surrounded by finely
dressed ladies and gentlemen, who
looked curiously at the odd-looking,
little old woman in the queerly made
and old-fashioned black silk, she
heartily wished that she had not come.
Mr.. and Mrs. Holbrook we're as at
tentive to her as they could be with
house full of guests; but Aunt Susan
soon found it convenient to slip of
into corner, where she hid like the
little country mouse she was.
But she was glad after all that she
had come when James, looking SO tall
and happy and handsome, came into
the great parlor with his bride on his
arm, in her trailing, white satin dress
and long veil. Aunt Susan was so
completely overawed by this ma gnifi.
cence that, instead of going forward
with the others to offer her congratu.
lations, she slipped of upatairs to the
room in which she had taken off her
bonnet and shawl. In 1t was her wed.
ding gift to Jimmy-the quilt that had
but yesterday seemed to her as beauti-
full and appropriate a gift that she
could bestow upon him.
Across the hall was the open door
of room almost filled with shining
silver and glittering glass, with pic
lures and rare ornaments and beauti-
full books, gifts to James and his
bride.
Aunt Susan felt that her own offer
ing, although it was the gift of her
own labor and love, would be out Of
place. 1t might offend her nephew
and his bride to see it there. Some
one might laugh and jeer at it, and
she could not bear to think Of that.
1t seemed so poor and trifling now;
she could not think of allowing Jimmy
and his wife to know that she had
brought them such gift.
She turned back a corner OF the
quilt, and looked at q piece of the
pink and white muslin of which one OF
Jimmy's first garments had been made.
A flood OF tender memories filed her
heart, and she buried her face in her
gift and cried rs she had not cried for
years.