Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-17
cHAsTgR ".
BY
IRVING DACHELLER
osSvsishs, 1917, Irving Dseheiler,


Ballybeen, came to our house and
left a box and q letter from Mr..
Wright, addressed to my uncle. which
read:
"Dear Sir-i send herewith q box
Of books and magazines In. the hope
that you or Miss Baynes will read
them aloud to my little partner and in
doing so get some enjoyment and
profit for yourselves.
i "Yours respectfully,
rs. WRIGHT, JR.
"P. S.-When the contents Of the
box have duly risen into your minds
WIN you kindly see that 1t does
like service to your neighbors in
School District No. z? 8. w. Jr."
II guess Bart has made . friend O.
this great man-sartin ayes!" said
Aunt Deel. II wonder who'll be the
next one?'
The work Of the day ended. the
candles were grouped near the edge
Of the table and my aunt's armchair
was placed beside them. Then I sat
on Uncle Peabody's lap by the fire
or. as time went on. In my small chair
beside him, while Aunt Deel adjusted
her spectacles and began to read.
remember wildly the evening we
took out the books and tenderly felt
their covers and read their titles.
There were "Cruikshanks' Comic Alma
nae" and Hoods Comic Annual;
tales by Washington Irving and James
X. Paulding and Nathaniel Hawthorne
and Miss Milford and Miss Austin
the poems Of John Milton and Felicia
Hemans. OF the treasures In the box
/ have now in my possession: A life
Of Washington, THE Life and Writ
ings Of Doctor Duckworth." "The
Stolen Child" BY "John Gait, ESQ.,;
"Rosine Laval" by "Mr. Smith; Ser
mons and Essays BY William Ellery
Claiming. We found in the box also,
thirty numbers Of the United States
Magazine and Democratic Review"
and sundry copies Of the New York
Mirror"
Aunt Deel began with "The Stolen
Child" She read slowly and often
paused for comment or explanation or
laughter or to touch the corner Of
nm eye with corner Of her handker-
chief sini moments when We wers all
deeply moved by the misfortunes Of
our favorite characters, which were
acute and numerous.
In those magazines We read OF the
great west-"the poor mans para
tiise"-"the stoneless land Of plen-
ty": Of its delightful climate, Of the
ease with which the farmer prospersd
ON its rich soil Uncle Peabody spoke
playfully Of going West after that,
but Aunt Deel made no answer and
concealed her opinion on that sub
ject for . long time. Al for myself.
the reading had dsepened my inter
est in the east and west and north
and south and in the skies above
them. How mysterious and inviting
they had becomei
One evening Z neishbor had brought
the Republican from the post-onaee.
/ opened It and read aloud these words
in large type at the top Of the page:
"Silas Wright Elected to the q. g.
Senate"
"Well I want to know!" Uncle Pea
body exclaimed. "That would make
me forsir It II was goin' to be
hung. Go on and read what trays"
read the choosing Of our friend
for tho sat made vacant by tho res
ignation OF William L. Marcy. who
had been elected governor. and the
part which most impressed us were
these words from q letter of Mr..
Wright TO Azariah Flagg of Albany.
written when the former was asked
to accept the place:
II am too young and too poor for
such on elevation. have not had
the experience in that great theater Of
politics to qualify me for place SO
exalted and responsible. I prefer
therefore the humber position which
/ now occupy
"That's his way" said Uncle Pea
body. "They had hard work to con-
vince him that he knew enough to be
Surrogate"
"Big men have little conceit-ayes"
said Aunt Deel with q significant
glance ut me.
! The candles had burned low and I
was watching the shroud Of one Of
them when there came rap at the
door. It was unusual for any one to
come to our door in the evening and
we were Z bit startled. Uncle Pea
body opened It and old Kate entered
without speaking and nodded to my
aunt and uncle and sat down by the
IRE. vividly / remembered the day
Of the fortune-telling. The same gen
tie smile lighted her face as she
looked at me. She held up her hand
with four. fingers spread above 1t.
ayes" said Aunt Deel, "there are
four perils."
nv aunt rose and went into the
but'ry while I sat staring at the
ragged old woman. Her hair was
white now and partly covered By q
worn and faded bonnet. Forbidding
~ she was did not miss the sweet
ness in hes smile and her blue eyes
when shu looked at me. Aunt Deel
came WITH q plate 81 doughnuts and
bread and butter and head cheese
and said in a voice full Of pity:
poor OIL Kate-ayes! Here's some
thin for ye-ayesw