The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-03-25
5Misctllanenlt5
AUNT BETIIIA.
BY BELLE GREENE.

aunt needs no introduction. Perhaps
you have met her in the city at some
recent art exhibition, or picture sal
where she sat among the crowd, a little
bewildered, but sufficiently alert
listening to the glib chatter of the
critics as they discussed the merits Of
some thousand dollar landscape.
The same being, as she declared tC
the friend accompanying her, "only q
picture of what everybody can see fol-
nothin' up to Craney Holler," where
she lives. Why" said she, regard
ing the great work of art with one eye
severely shut up, Jest go to our back
door of summer morning and stand
and look, and there you have it, fol
all the world!
The same smooth, green medders
with the pretty brooks windin
through 'em, and on both sides, to the
right and left, the pastur' lands where
the cattle are fed, so peaceful and con
tented; then, way off in the distance,
them sollum lookin' mountains, with
the shadders creepin' round 'em, OF
restin' on their tops; and all the time
the sun shines bright and pleasant
down below in the valley.
Il do declare, | could a most believe
the man stood in our back yard when
he painted that picture!
at is a hanson view and no mis-
take; but don't it seem a pity to spend
so much money jest for picter, when
you could buy Il small one-a live
picter, as it were-for a thousand dol
lars!"
She sees much in our city to disap-
prove. Most of the so-called modern
improvements are denominations to
Amt Bethia.
The electric light finds no favor in
her eyes.
How must our Maker look on 't?'
she asks, Indignantly.
1T wouldn't be so bad if they only
used it as they do gas, or kerosene lie;
but when they come to light up all out
doors with it, and makes it take the
place o. the heavenly bodies-that, 6
what | call impious! nothin' more mol
less than tryin' to Guido the Creator
when the moon and stars DOM
shine, let folks walk in the dark, Oh
else carry lanternn' says she, within
sically.
The telephone she regards as an in
fernal machine, and insists that there
is something supernatural about it.
She has never been prevailed upoL
to use it once.
Il won't have anything to do will
it in any way nor shaper' says she
Jest as if any human invention coult
do what that thing does!"
So she always keeps safe distance
from it, as if it were liable to "gC
off, at any moment or play some dia
bolical trick upon her.
She does not approve of the lin
proved methods" in our schools, ant
much prefers to have the children
learn their lessons from their book
and recite them standing in a nic'
straight line, with their toes to a cracl
in the floor. She would like NOR,
prominence given to order and to thu
Ten Commandments; and she sadly
| misses the dinner-baskets and thu
| WATERFALL and tin dipper.
She went to see the latest conf
opera, and her womanly soul wa
shocked beyond repair at the conduc
| of the love-sick maidens; she felt per
sonally Inundated and disgraced, ant
sat there with burning cheeks, no
| daring to 60, and too indignant t.
stay and see it through.
Words were thrown away upon her
"All the words in the English Ian
| guage," she declared to us, "couldn'
excuse or explain away such shame
full exhibition-such immodest be
havior on the part of them youn!
| girls. The trollopesm said she
angrilv, "wnere in the world wer
| their mothers? Poor things, though,
| she added, as an afterthought, per
haps they hadn't any mothers; can
believe they had"
| There's nothin' like work for keep
in girls out O. mischief" she is fon'
of saying.
when our girls leave school let eel
take right hold and help their mott
ers with the homework and the plat
sewin' and takin' care of the baby. an
then they won't be hankerin' to pain
old pots and jars or to embroider sag
green curtains and table cloths
| Though why that color is called sag
green | can't imagine; it certainl
amt the color of any sage that eve
grew in my garden; and it's unat
countable to me that SO many folk
nowadays prefer such dirty, faded OF
colors that you can't look at withor
feelin' sick and faint, when there
plenty oil DrlgnG ones IlaL Will was
and bile, as it were"
Aunt Bethia is born nurse, and g
such is recommended by the ''Holler
folks with as much enthusiasm {
their own favorite spring bitters {
cough remedy.
She is indeed excellent in cases
sickness" and she comes at such tim,
like veritable angel of mercy, brin
ing with her soft voice and gentl
soothing ways, not forgetting tt
noiseless slippers and the wifi
aprons.
Aunt Bethia is, suppose, an o
maid; but there is no bitter blight
disappointment upon her life.'
She has never loved, and her u
worn heart is still fresh with the de
of youth. Though her lovely hair
lust beginning TO be threaded wit
gray, she knows not the feeling
: growing old, neither do the passir
r wears bring any definite sense of wa
i, to her peaceful, sunny nature, excep
! perhaps, sometimes dreamy feeliI
:, of Incompetence, like the fainte
shadow only of pain.
Her city nieces tell her often, wi
many a hug and careEs, that her ia
is the sweetest and dearest in all Il
world, that she looks quite too L
D terlyn quaint and lovely in her la
1 | Il fIynrol,iof,. nn1 hnr