Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-04-21

where the hog fields were till the immi-
grants began to settle around u.s.
''But what's the difference, Aunt
Martha? It's all one now There amt
no Greenwich any more; it's all just
New York city. So what is the use of
pretending?"
The impotence i'll the young man.
tone amazed his aunt almost as much
as the sentiment he uttered Never be-
fore had he failed to show her respect.
On the contrary, the humbleness Of his
demeanor had been a grievance to her;
it did not become one of her own blood
to manifest the same awe before her
that an ordinary Ninth warder did.
The old lady Strengthened in her
chair, the lines about her mouth stiffen-
ed, and her eyes glistened like her
knocker, as she answered.:
you are speaking. You forget yourself,
sir, and your good breeding is evidently
suffering from the associations you per-
NIT yourself.
Percy was frightened The last time
he had been rebuked in this temper by
his aunt was when he was boy. He
meant no offense.
II beg your pardon, Aunt Martha, !"
he murmured.
Mrs. Leveen took her knitting from
the table and worked busily at it till
she was quite calm. She looked up after
every few thrusts Of her needle, indig-
nantly at first, then coldly, and finally
the habitual expression of kindness re-
turned to her face.
II dare say you are in hurry to go
to town, Percy, and shall not detain
you much longer. You may tell me
something about this young-this girl.
How old is she?"
"She is going on 10, Aunt Martha. "
SIS she cultivated, educated? Come,
Percy, tell me all about her."
"She, went through the grammar
school, I think, but she had to work
after that So she can't play the piano
or sing, but she is nice girl and can
tend the house and cook, now that her
mothers dead"
That's right. She ought to be able
to manage her husbands household.
But tell me more about her. Is her
voice soft, are her manners gentle, is
she modest? Describe her to me, my
dear. Is she pretty?"
Percy was encouraged by the few
words of approval he had won.
''Aunt, she's beaut, that's
"What do you say-a what?''
II mean she's a beauty. She's got
blue eyes and blond hair and the incest,
biggest reddest cheeks. She amt what
you would call quiet; she's more lively
like. You ought to hear her laugh when
we're down ON the docks nights with
the rest of the crowd. I'll bet you could
hear her across the river in Hoboken.
And jolly? If she gets mug as is too
fresh, she can jolly him along to beat
the band. But she's on the level too.
She does the square thing by her old
man every clip. The homework has to
be done before she's in for the game.
And she slaves for her little sisters and
brothers, just slaves for them, and yet
she does it as willing. But then she's
good to everybody; always ready to
help out with work when neighbors are
behind or sick Or have company, and
she sticks up for horses and cats and all
like that. You wouldn't believe she
was that way, though, to see her at d
ball OF dancing on excursion boats up
the river. She's good locker and good
dresser, and when she's out in full rig
well, say, she's a sight. The other
fellows don't do nothing when we're
OUT
Percy stopped short. Mrs Leveen had
risen suddenly, and she stood erect be-
fore him, tall and white and proud.
"Why, Aunt Martial" he exclaimed.
''That is enough, Percy. Thank you.
I see have been wrong, all wrong in
this matter from the first. You shall
have your way, for it is right. / con-
sent
ooh, Aunt Martie, +" he cried, spring
ing up and Selling her hand to kiss, II
am SO glad But I knew you would after
hearing about her. And, say, aunt, you
ought to see her once. You couldn't
help but like her and admire her.
Everybody in the ward does. Why, do
you know what they call her, the men
down at the Grapevine? The way you
looked then made me think Of it. They
call her the pride Of Greenwich vii
lage "-J. Lincoln Steffens in New
York Post.