Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-07-18
MINE ANTIQUE AUNT.
BY ST. JOHN Dyer.

served, predestined, and as it were
with malicious intent, suspended alike
the sword of Damocles, until the
morning she came to make inspection
of the smoky, twilit meat house, then
to precipitste itself at the very in
slant she came Hereunder, and to
fall foully upon the prominent out
standing member Of her face and
knock off the point of her finely CHS.
eled aquilins nose, thereby running
it's elegant, aristocratic contour-was
a question of casulstry that puzzled
mine antique Aunty in her meditative
moments, and was also dispensation
of Providence to which she was never
reconciled. To womanly pride of
personal appearance, this accident
was source of deep regret, for
though this rosy tip was duly plas-
tered and seWed on by the surgeon,
yet the fracture was keenly apparent,
giving sharper down and inward
curve, making it more like the bill of
the hawk or eagle, thus adding a
twang of acerbity to her already awe.
inspiring countenance.
That nose and its history are well
remembered. Alike the mother of
the Gracchi, our own was anxious to
inspire her two jewels, to-wit, Will
and myself, with an ambition for ar.
tistic culture so she delegated to US
the sculpturing Of pictorial designs in
watermelon rind conserve and pickle
which should adorn our banquets when
preachers and other high dignitaries
vouchsafed their presence. We carved
out hearts, anchors, stars, sharp'legged
steeds, gingerbread rabbits with vari-
atoms, Chinese idols, and for economy
sake even the cut out scraps were
shaped into some suggestive image.
Once upon complaining to my good
mother that nv sculptures did not
turn out equal to those Of my older
brother, she consoled me with the
sage remark, that "my conceptions
were good but Will had the best jack.
knife "a piece of wisdom of appli.
cation in the modern contest about the
values of temperament and technique;
-inspirationis very good, but patient
industry is Of more account; as said
by Carlyle, "genius is the transcend
emit faculty of taking pains"
After breaking through the second
commandment and making every con.
ceivable image, there was one design
that came upon US alike the fash Of
genius, and that was the profile or
silhouette of dear old Aunty's face,
exhibiting exaggerations and varia-
tions Of her prominent beak. When
this line was opened we worked at it
with all our mischievous ingenuity,
Of course never daring to hint at our
meaning; we duly observed the maxim,
"ars est celare artem," for we stood
in due awe and reverence toward that
threatening beak and did not want it
to pouncs upon US for any disrespect.
| But if she were absent and our pieces
of art were in evidence, Aunty's pre-
served or picked proboscis was as
sweet a morsel for discussion as the
Pope's nose at Thanksgiving dinner.
| Peradventure, every man has right
to live up to the physiognomy vouch.
safed him by Providence, so our Aunt
took the dispensation that sharpened
her countenance as warrant that she
should be more alert and sharper
Waterman on the wall of Zion to keep
the soldiers iof the cross and weaker
Christian militia in their proper path
Of duty and daily exercise. She as.
pired to be strict disciplinarian, a
stern religious mentor, as the Pilgrim
fathers, determining to worship God
according to the dictates Of their own
conscience and to make others do the
same" She was eager to dispense
the wrath of the Lord on the children
of disobedience it seems that the
Dantesque nose is ever an index OF
birthstone threatenings and sulphurous
torment. To the reprobates who
came under her scorching glances, one
| look of that severe face would bring
them to a realizing sense of their enor'
mitiea-eyen as it would stop a clock
| from its needless ongoing. 1t was one
of our surreptitious quips that though
her nose was alkaline her face wal
/ a. e.. &c thaf aharr conn.