Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-27

housekeeper. and she came, and
brought her children with her.
Her rule from the outset had been
as hard as might have been expected
| from one who prided herself on her
| self command quality that covered
everybody, including my mother and
me. and was only subject to soften
] ing in favor of her own offspring.
Aunt Bridget's own daughter, a
year older than myself, was a far
child with light gray. eyes, round
cheeks of the color of ripe apples. and
long yellow hair that was carefully
combed and Curled. Her name was
Betsy, which was extended by her
mother to Betsy Beauty. She was
usually dressed in a muslin frocA
with a sash of light blue ribbon, and
being understood to be delicate was
constantly INDUCED and nearly al
ways eating. and giving herself gen
orally the airs of the daughter of Che
house.
Aunt Brdgetrs stepdaughter ten
years older, was a gaunt, ungainlY
girl, with red hair and irregular fea-
lures. Her name was Messy, ami
having an instructive sense of her
dependent position, she was very
humble and subservient and, as
Tommy the Mate used to say, "as
smooth as an old threepenny bit" to
the ruling powers. which always
meant my aunt, but spiteful, inso-
lent and acrid to anybody who was
outside my aunt's favor, which usual
" meant me.
Between my cousin and myself
there were constant feuds, in which
Messy Macleod never failed to take
the side of Betsy Beauty, while my
poor mother became a target for he
shafts of Aunt Bridget, who said I
was willful, wicked, underhand liz
tie vixen, and no wonder, seeing how
disgra cefully | was INDUCED, and how
shockingly was being brought up.
A Foolish Climax.
These skirmishes went on for
quences, but they came at last to a
foolish climax which led to serious
results.
Even my mothers life had rs
CLEANS of sunshine and flowers were
constant joy to her Old Tommy,
the gardener, was aware of this, and
every morning sent up bunch OF
them, freshly cut and wet with the
dew. But one day in the spring he
could not do so, being out in the dubs
of the Curragh, cutting peat for The
fires. Therefore | undertook to supply
the deficiency, having already With
the large solemnity of six, begun to
consider it my duty to take charge
of my mother
Never mind. nanny; I'll setch
some showers sor wou," | said (every
being an in those days., and
armed with a pair of scissors l skip
ped down to the garden.
l had chosen a bed of ANIMALS be-
cause they We're bright and fragrant,
and was beginning to cut some gil
vers" when Messy Macleod, who had
been watching from a window, came
bouncing down on me.
Mary O'Neill, how dare your"
cried Messy. You wilful, wicked,
underhand little vixen, what will your
Aunt Bridget say? Don't you know
this is Betsy Beauty's bed, and no.
body else is to touch it?"
| began to excuse myself on the
ground of my mother and Tommy the
Mate, but Messy would hear no such
explanation.
Your mamma has nothing to do !
with it. You know quite well that
your Aunt Bridget manages every
thing in this house. and nothing can
be done without her"
Small as l was, that was too much |
for me. Somewhere in my little heart |
there had long been a secret pang of |
mortified pride-now born | do not |
know--at seeing Aunt Bridget take |
the place of my mother, and now |
choking with veXation, but without |
saying a word. swept off the heads |
of all the flowers in the bed, and, |
with my arms full of them-ten times
more than l wanted-I sailed back to
my mothers room.
Taken From Mother.
Inside two minutes there was a
fearful tumult | thought was /
doomed to punishment when ! heard
the big bunch of keys which Aunt
Bridget kept suspended from her
waist come jingling up the stairs. but
it was my poor mother who paid the
penalty
Isabel" cried Aunt Bridget, Il
hope you are satisfied with your child
at last"