The record-union., 1898-02-25
IN BLACK AND WHITE.

Yes, Josephine was beautiful. There
was no denying it. She was beautiful
at any time. but when washing dishes
she was at her best AS she stood at
the sink in her dark-blue cotton apron,
the clouds of steam circling around
her, she might have been an African
Princess engaged in mysterious rites
Her hair, its fatal kink loosened by the
steam, lay in soft damp rings on her
head; her black features were outlined
against the frosty window with fine
cameo-like effect.
Dish-washing was the one housewife
ly art 1 had been able to teach jose
phine successfully. Even Aunt Tllda
was obliged to acknowledge her fault
less in it. With the water scalding hot
and covered with a soft white sudS,
she deftly twirled each dish at the end
of long mop and lifted it steaming
and shining without so much as the
tips of her slender fingers having
touched the hot water. l knew that
it was dangerous to attempt to inter
Tupt her, but the temptation was ire
sistible l had been keeping house
only five months. / had not learned
that it was far more important that the
housework should be done in an order
ly fashion than that / should be enter
tanned by Josephine's remarks.
Besides there was the ever-present
sense that Aunt Tilda might at any mo-
ment open the door and find me hob
nobbing with my dusky maid. and like
any child, was possessed with a de-
sire to do the thing l knew she would
disapprove of So, as 1 sat at the
foh ctr ci 7 hnCaI1 ~. fT0Sq- -
phine. how many brothers and sisters
have your
Josephine, in the act of dipping hot
water from the boiler, stopped with her
dipper suspended over Nhe edge. Lem
me see'-said she Observation-Disclosures S
Sam, he's dead, and there's Inez, she's
a-living and there's Dell she's a-llv-
ing; and there's 10, my twin, he's dead; +;
and there's me, I'm a-living; and there's S
Moses, he's a-living."
How many are there, then, jose
phine?"
That's all; just what I told you,'
she replied briefly.
Never could Josephine be made to
admit that she could not count. Each
day for the last year she had been sent
to the public school But as yet she
knowledge. Although 13 years old, she
had been placed in the primarv-room.
and there she seemed likely to hemain
until Providence should terminate her
academic career.
l was thinking of this and Of the
probability that she would be Tate to
school, if 1 interrupted her again, when
suddenly she broke out in a shrill yell of
LIZ n
cleared a larger place on the frosty
window-pane. "Oh, Miss Annie. there S
Miss Tilda a-chasng that ar big long
= legged rooster. H-yi! There he goes"
she exclaimed, fairly jumping UP and
down with excitement.
Josephine, you will certainly be late
to school if you stop any longer" I
retired hastily to the pantry with my
bowl of raisins. There I was at least
able to conceal my interest in the
chase, though 1 could not shut out GER
tain snorts and exclamations from Jo-
sephine, who continued her watch at
the window.
Suddenly she appeared at the pantry
door 'Golly, she's got him!"
"Josephine."
'Scuse me, Miss Annie, I forgot
but amt that just like herr" she said
in a tone of fatality, returning to her
dish-waShing.
1t was indeed, Just like her" Aunt
Tilda was Johns aunt. 1 loved John
so we'll that 1 had thought nothing of
giving up a beautiful city home for a
very ordinary one in country town.
because John refused to be in any way
dependent on his father-in-law. But
Johns aunt was not John
John had said to me, II am sorry, An
ME. but Aunt Tilda must make her home
with US for awhile. / cannot afford to set
her up in housekeeping by herself, and I
don't want her to go on teaching school
any longer" For Johns sake 1 would
have lived with Xantippe. So I ac-
quiesced in the arrangement that made
Aunt Tilda a member of our household.
Peeping through the blinds, 1 could
see her now as she made her way from
the henhouse. Her long, scant skirts.
twisted about by the wind, emphasized
her peculiar walk, which Josephine had
once aptly and irreverently character
lied as "nippy- -tippy." Aunt Tilda was
tall and spare, with arms and legs very
long in proportion to her body. AS she
habitually carried her hands clasped one
over the 0IneT just ABOVE the waist line
and her elbows close at her sides, she
was obliged to raise the shoulders 10
make room for the extra length of up
per arm. This combined with a natural
inclination to stoop gave her something
of a Uriah Heep attitude, which was,
however, counteracted by her thin, keen
face, where conscious rectitude of pur-
pose mingled with look of critical acu-
men. Even now, as she battled with
the unseemly wind, her face retained its
look OF unimpeachable serenity. Yet
there was an indiscribable something in
her air which warned me that trouble
was brewing for somebody.
I began hastily sitting -four, deter
mined TO meet the storm We'll fortified by
a previous occupation. The kitchen
door opened and shut with a click.
"Annal" The voice was heavy and re
proachful. II should like to see you
when you are at liberty"
Yes Aunt Tilda, as soon as / finish
this cake" I replied briskly though my
spirit was anything but brisk. Too
often. when l was at liberty" had
been summoned to Aunt Tilda's pres