New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-05
get q book I been readin' about
It's called The Ant"

| =" y %s~ASN LAG <x1Ats
For a moment Noble was con
fused; he followed his youne
friends discourse but hazily, ant
Herbert pronounced the word "ant'
precisely as he pronounced the
word "aunt." The result was thai
Noble began to say something
rather dreamy concerning the bool
just mentioned, but, realizing thai
his intended remark was mala
propos, changed his murmur into 6
cough ard inquired:
when was she over here, Her
bert?"
"Who?"
"Your Aunt Julia"
Yesterday evening"" said Her
bert. "Now, FIR instance, you take
common lightning bug"-
"Did che lose it them"
"Lose what?"
Her earring"
II d. KNOW" said Herbert. "Yor
take the common lightning bug, or
as it's called in some countries, the
FREELY -
He continued, quoting and mis-
quoting the chronological authorit,
OF the recent Sunday supplement
but his friend, on the other side
OF the fence, was inattentive to the
lecture. Mobiles mind was occu.
ped with wonder: he had real.
lied, though dimly, that here was
ne, trying to make starry Julia the
subject Of a conversation with q
person who had the dear privilege
OF knowing her-even Of being
closely related to her-and vet pre-.
ferred to talk about bugs. Noble
began to feel that nephews were
strange creatures, probably outside
the pale Of civilization.
Herbert talked at considerable
length about lightning bugs, but as
MS voice happened rather preco-
clously to be already in a state of
adolescent change the sound was
not soothing; yet Noble fingered.
Nephews were queer, but this one
was Julia's-and finally mentioned
her, as an incidental to lightning
bugs; whereupon the mere hearer
OF sounds became instantly a list
ener to words.
"Well, and then l saws "
Herbert continued-"I says: It's
phosphorus, Aunt julia { guess
there's hardly anybody in the world
doesn't know more than Aunt Julia,
except about dresses and parasols
and piano playin' and every other
useless thing under the sun. She
says: My! always thought it was
sulphur Said nobody ever told
her 1T wasn't sulphur. I asked her:
\ sad: You mean to sit there and
tell me you don't know the differ
ence" l said. And she says: i don't
care one way or the other she SAYS.
She said she just as soon a lightning
bug made his light with sulphur as
with phosphorus; it didn't make anv
difference to her, she says, and thew
could go ahead and make their light
any way they wanted; she wouldn't
interfere! That shows what Aunt
Julia knows, I guess! l had q whole
hatful of 'em, and she told me not
to take 'em into their house, because
grandpa hates insecks as much as
ne does animals and violets, and she
SAID they never owned o microsc one
or magnifying glass in their lives,
and wouldn't let me hunt for one.
All in the world she knows is how
to sit around on the front porch and
say: oh, you don't mean that!' to
somebody like George Plum or New
land Sanders or that ole widower
Ridgely."
"When?" Noble asked impulsivc-
ly. "When did she say that"
"Oh, I d. know" said Herbert.
II expect she probably says it to
somebody or other about every eve
ming there is"
"She does!"
FLORENCE says So" Herbert in
formed him carelessly. FLORENCE
goes over to grandpa's after dark
end sits on the ground up against
the porch and listens"
Noble first looked startled, then
uneasily reminiscent. II don't be-
lieve Florence ought to do that"
he said gravely.
II wouldn't do it," Herbert was
emphatic.
That's right, Herbert. I'm glad
you wouldn't"
mo, SIR" the manly boy declared.
"Yod wouldn't never catch me takin'
my death o cold sittin' on the
damp grass in thu night air just to
listen to lot O. tooty-tocty about