The Monitor-register., 1897-11-19
ENTERTAINING AUNT HANNAH
ANNIE HAMILTON DoNNELL

| the way upward, she was Aunt Han
nah" to both of them, and admitted to
all the privileges and love of real rela.
tionship. They were ''her girls" and
her first visit to them in their own,
| grown up, married homes was antici-
pated and planned and lived over on both
sides long before "Aunt Hannah" step.
ped off The way train, dusty and tired
with smile of welcome beaming under
her askew bonnet and tumbled gray hair.
She had been away SO long in ''John's'
home away out West, that this old New
| England home wore an aspect of be-
wildering strangeness. She stood ON the
station platform, admiring Elnathan
Dobb's new yellow sign board. creaking
cheerfully, and, furt her up street, the
imposing block of stores where she used
to go marketing to 81 Wethelfield's meat
shop. Then Ben came bustling up. He
was one of Aunt Hannah's "boys."
''Bless my heart v' she cried, show
you've grown An whiskers, too !''
Ben laughed. "But you're as young as
ever, Aunt Hannah. Now we'll go
home. and I'll show you my little wife
This way to the hack"
"The hack You don't say you're
putin on hack airs to Smithtown p
She eyed the trim. shiny vehicle with
disfavor. Couldn't we walk, Ben s',
she ventured. "If 'tisn't fur, l. really
ruther walk. We could look round
better"
But Ben was persistent. "Copnie
would never forgive me-" he said. 'She
wants you to go in style, Aunt Hannah,
and she drilled me before started"
In the close carriage, Aunt Hannah's
bonnet bobbed and bumped in tipsy
endeavor to get view of passing houses
tory, and she longed to be out on the
sidewalk, peering about her at new sights
and old. ...i
Connie met them at the front door. She
fairly beameG hospitality and welcome.
Aunt Hannah must come into the parlor
and sit in the stiffest, "companyest"
patent King chair, and be waited on
royalty. Now, Aunt Hannah liked
above all things, to wait on herself 1t
was part Of he- inheritancs from sturdy,
self-reliant, foremothers and fathers.
And it always made her "6dget" inside
to have anybody else fold her shawl and
stick in the shawl pin. And went it
came to smoothing out bonnet strings.
who else could do it quite so we'll as
their owner? Connie rolled them up the
wrong way. Aunt Hannah noticed, but
she smiled vita true beroism.
After tes-and it was such pretty,
6xed-up little tea Aunt Hannah began
to roll up her cuffs. 'I'll wipe the
dishes, Constance. I'd like to, an we
can sorter talk over old times"
20, no, Aunt Hannah no indeed
Do you think I'm going TO let you work ?
That isn't the way l treat my visitors.
Ben'll entertain you in the parlor till
Pm through with the dishes and mix up
my bread" Aunt Hannah and Ben sat
opposite each other, very proper and
prim, and which was the more miserable
entertainer or entertained-wouldh have
been a moot question to compassionate
lockers. on.
Several days went by. Conoie worked
hard to get up dainty dishes and elaborate
hat anta
tanned" Aunt Hannah as hard as she
could. And Aunt Hannah read maga-
zines and looked at portfolios and folded
patiently her poor old fingers that longed
rdinately to be in some of Connie's
yellow mixing bowls, or darning Ben's
socks. She told her self she was having
a "dretful nice time," but the days
dragged good deal, and she must be
goin' over to Relen's soon, she guessed.
If Connie would only let her make up her
own bed and dust the parlor chairs and
get out into the tidy lite kitchen now and
then and "helpP' Aunt Hannah wasn't
used to being entertained, and it tired
her all out.
At weeks end she went to give
Helen and Dick their turn. They were
costly settled down to housekeeping, and
Helen was developing some wonderful
little housewifely traits. She would
never be quite the natural "born" little
Martha that Connie was, but Dick was
perfectly satisfied, and Helen herself
was radiantly happy. She took Aunt
Hannah in with big hug of welcome.
Now then, auntie." she cried, throw
ing the door wide open. ''this is your
home and you're TO do just exactly as you
want to in it, if you'll only have a good
| timel"
"Well, will.' Aunt Hannah declared
| ioyfnlly. "An' you'll let me help some
round the house. won't you, dearie, an
kinder be home folks? I'm spilin' to do
somethin'! Let me go out in the kitchen
an set while you get dinner, an pare the
potatoes for You. We can talk real cozy
| in that way"
| Helen agreed promptly. "For, don't
you see, Dick," she confided 20 him that
night, "She'll be heap happier if l let
her trot round in big kitchen apron
while I'm at work. She'll feel stiff and
and uneasy all by herself in the other
room, being proper Aunt Hannah
likes to do as she pleases pretty well.
bless herp'
"Most folks do," Dick murmured.
Helen went Oh reminiscently: 81 can
rember Aunt Hannah visiting us when
was a mite of tot, and she used to hunt
up mothers darning basket first thing
and mend little stockings and. big ones
while she visited. 1 do want her to enjoy
herself, Dickp'
"Well, she SHALL" Dick said, emphati-
cally, ''if have to poke holes in my
socks with the poker!
Next day, and the next, the visit pro-
gressed beautifully. Aunt Hannah went
marketing with Helen, and lotered along
in familiar and unfamiliar spots to her
hearts content. She wiped the dishes
and peeled the potatoes unrestricted. and
took solid comfort setting the vases and
brio a-brac on the mantel pieces into
orderly, straight lines after she had busted
them. 1t was beautiful visit, and she
found herself dreading it's ending, and
counting the days in dismay. She
and Helen chattered and laughed from
morning to night, and Dick took hand
in the good time every evening.