Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-03-19
Aunt Solly's Conscience.

more conscientious woman than Aunt
Sally Warner, relict of Joab Warner,
who departed this life after fall from
the roof of his barn. Aunt Sally had
no children of her own, but did have
half dozen nieces and nephews, and
among the latter was the rollicking,
frolicking Joe Henderson, who Was
twenty years old at the time the great
calamity fell upon the house of War
ner. Reference is not made to the
fall from the ROOF of the Darn, but to
a calamity that overlook Aunt Sally s
conscience.
One day nephew Joe, whose parents
lived five or six miles away, arrived
at Aunt Sally's on an errand. She
was about to set out for the village OF
Rawsonvllle to do some trading, and
Joe volunteered to 60 along as driver
of old Robin. Aunt Sally had not
been over that road for month, and
she was surprised to see circus pic
lures pasted up on every barn on the
route. Since childhood she had had a
fondness for circus pictures, but had
been brought up to believe that eter.
nal punishment awaited every one
who passed the doors of the circus it.
self. During his lifetime Joab had
discharged various hired men for stay
ing day off to go to the circus, and
he had refused to deal with certain
men who had accepted free tickets for
the privilege of posting pictures on
their barns.
AS the good aunt and her nephew
logged along the dusty highway and
came to barn after barn decked out in
gayest colors of printers ink Joe heard
her signing. He didn't stop to ask
himself whether she was sighing over
the death of Uncle Joab or the fact
that she couldn't attend a circus
promising so much entertainment, but
he forthwith proceeded to concoct a
plan.
If a single person could cOnspire it
would have been called a conspiracy
as well as plan. He made no COM
ment on the barebacked riders, on the
women jumping through hoops, on the
rhinoceros grazing along the banks of
the African river and the hYena
sneaking about in the Indian thicket.
He Just sat still and chuckled, and
when he wasn't chuckling ne was talk
ing about going to Alaska to dig for
gold.
When they reached town and found
things in a hustle he had to make
some explanations. He explained
that an exhibition was to be given
that afternoon for the benefit of wild
ows and orphans, but he didn't say
too much. While Aunt Sally was
making her purchases the merchant
might have referred to the "exhibi,
ton" and called it by some other
name if nephew Joe hadn't given him
the wink.
When ten yards of calico, fifteen Of
sheeting, three towels, one table clott
and thread, pins and needles had beer
bought Aunt Sally suddenly. remem
bered something and turned to Jot
and said.
"If there is anything going on fol
the benefit of widows and orphans
ought to be interested. being as l an
a widow myself. Is it a spelling be-
or anything of that sort ?"
"Oh, no. They have got a ten
AMI a collection of wild animals. It
what you might call natural histor,
exhibition. Did you ever see a liv
lion or tiger, Aunt Sally ?"
"No, I never die"
"Ever see an elephant or a zebr
or giraffe2"
"No."
"Well, you can see them now an
help the widows and orphans the sam
time. It's so cents apiece, but "
got the money for my ticket"