The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-09-22
SCRANTON. MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER

accompaniment, aud | used often to
think how she looked in her dark blue
stuff gown and white lawn kerchef
folded across her bosom, its ends con.
fined under the band Of her dimity
apron, as she stepped lightly back and
forth while the thread heightened in
her hand. No panof0rte exercise
brings out the curves and gracious
lines of IA woman's figure as did this
forgotten accomplishment of the old
fashioned woman.
Then there was break in my life,
and for more years than l really like
to remember l saw nothing of Aunt
| Harriet, heard of her but infre
quently, for she was not akin to me,
and aunt only by courtesy. Ten years
ago fate brought us together again,
residents of the same city. But ah,
the changes time had wrought The
child who had played store" in the
grape arbor and importuned Aunt
llarriett's heauX to exchange pennies
for the pungenL tentrils Of the vine
and buntonniers of grass pinks and
eglantine was "A middleaged woman,
and Aunt Harriet was seventy. Not
seventy years young, as Oliver Wen
dell Holmes has it, but seventy years
old
From the very first | felt profound
ly sorry for her. The more | knew
her, the more my pity grew She was
the oldest one in a house where old
age was not regarded with either love
or tcnderness-or charity. Her broth
er, who gave her a home, had married
a hustling energetic, ambitious wO-
man, and there was a family of grown
up nephews and neices all too intent
on their own interests and pleasures
J to bother with an old woman. So
: Aunt Harriet was neglected, ignored,
bundled out of the way, given to un.
derstand she was to keep out of the
way company. Any self-assertion was
, met by an outburst Of i'll temper, till
I at last, cowcd IN mind and spirit, she
, submitted to be in the, family but not
of it, In summer she kept her room,
5 where she darned interminable pairs
Of hose and mended for the children,
who never condescended to offer her IA
thank YOU She was Giving on them"
it was her duty to do all she could for
; them in return. In winter she hover
r ed round the kitchen fire, or ventured
into the stting-rOOm OF an evening II
, every one was out, for it wasn't worth
while to keep another fire for her
comfort.
Once, when she had nared up with
remnant Of her old-tme spiritin re.
sponse to some slight put upon her by
Mrs. Dacy, John turned to me, after
she had left the room, and said:
"God only knows what | have en-
dured from that old woman"
"'That old woman John Dacy, is
: your own sister," | retorted. Sand
. she has been a very faithful servant
!; for you aud yours for thirty years,
too.
couldn't help saying it: it 'said it.
: self" in fact, but Mrs. Dacy never for.
= gave me, and | always despised John
Dacy from that on.
> 1t is not so very long since heard
the story of Aunt Harriett's love af
fair 1t happen ed when l was babe
:, and she girl of twenty-five or three
y John Baker, handsome, accomplished
u gallant fell in love with her. Fol
some reason Harriett's parents did not
u like John. He lacked stability, fol
. one thing; for another he was ~nd,
y aud was one of the 'fast set' OF the
. nearby college town, which was hi
= home-a set whose pranks scandalizet
a the sober minded citizens OF the vii
u lage. Really, John and Harriet wer'
betrothed, but the engagement was
. kept secret, though John came Otter
< to the Dacy home. He always brough
" some chum with him, so his visit
y were considered less significant, AM
', few suspected that he had more thai
:, a passing friendship for Harriet
But, poor girl, she loved him with a
:, the strength Of an intense and force
vi full nature. With her love was n
: will-o'-t the e-wisp, now here, now there
20 it was a divine light, burning steadil
and serenely, eternal and unquencl
:, able.
or Harriet was pretty, ia far,swee
r. Puritan way, but her sister Debora
80 was beauty. Nature had given ht
- as fair and eweet face, but had II
~ tensi1ed its tints. Where Harriet
-, ~ was neutral in colorlng, Debcie wa
-, m brilliant. She had sparkle, too, ana
- witty tongue; and she had that inde
scribabIe magnetism we call fasclna
tion. She was nineteen when 81
=" came home from school IN far ava
=, CITY where she had lived with rlc'
-, aunt, and had enjoyed many advan
~ tarcs not vouchsafed her sister. A nj
nc Of course you can guess what happen
10 ed. The imrressionable John was
= = victim at once.
or To do him justice, he old tryat frs
~ to resist the spell Debbie flung abou
n. him. She liked him; he was the mos
Il. pcrsonablc young man other acquail