Year: 1878

Prosper Judge, named after our late
respected pastor; his father lives down
to the Corners, and his sister made so
much talk by her coming to church
with strange young man with n blue
neck.tie and"


But don't see as how that's to the
pint. want to know the number and
the street where your nephew lives"


"Here it is, right here, on a card that
Jane writ and gave to me when I was
startin'." "All right ma'am," and be-
fore the old lady knew it, there was a
sudden start that nearly threw her out
of her seat


In due time the carriage halted in
front of q comely brick dwelling, the
door opened and there stood the nephew


claw sakes, Prosper, how do you
do? Oh dear me, what q nice house
you've got, but I'm tired out; why
didn't you paint your blinds green. Look
out for that hair trunk"


All this was spoken while she was
going up the steps, and at the top she
met. Prosper's wife and here again she
stopped.


"Why, Susan how do you. do; if you
knew how glad was to get here; just
look at that cobweb on your hall lamp
Jane said-but, me, Tn so huttered, 1
don't know what all she did say. 1
thought never would get here; my best
bonnet is all smashed, and had to give
the rose.bush to boy to carry and /
never saw it after that; law what q
pretty collar you've got on, and where
did you get that pin with the rubies in
itP


Why, Aunty," inquired Susan.
"Ain't you most tired out ?"


"Tired, child; that's no word for it. I
thought never would get here. The
engineer broke loose and run smash into
another, and man with a big sign on
his hat came to me and says he, old
woman, be you much hurt p and says 1,
1 amt hurt and amt an old woman,
either, and says he, its a wonder; for
guess there's three or four hundred on
'em killed Just to think of three or
four hundred old women being killed,
says L; is my trunk safe? Says he, L
guess so, ma'am = Oh, law, I'm so
tired"


"Here's your trunk, Aunty," said
Prosper, as he brought a bundle of lath
| lulO OuS


"Is that my trunk" gasped the old
lady. "Sakes, Prosper, how under the
canopy can 1 ever get away from New
ark. All ruinedl And I sot 50 much
store by it. To think that old grandma
Charity's trunk should come to such an
end If that man that was takin' care
of it was only alive, I'd like to see him
Just to tell him what / think of him.
But we must unpack it, Prosper" AND
they did unpack it; but sad sight in.
deed was it. There was the jar of ounce
preserves smashed all over Aunt Hepsy's
best cap, which lay deeply imbedded in
a pumpkin pie; over it was generously
spread all her snuff, by way of spice; 9
bottle of hair dye had soaked its way
through the purple and fine linen into {
loaf of cake, on the bottom of which was
pasted box of corn salve. Susan com
forted the old lady, while Prosper extri.
Gated the cap from its bed of pumpkin
pie, and Betty, the maid, ran for glass
of water; it was evident that ACCUMULATED
misfortunes had overcome Aunt Hepsy
for Prosper was only through with hi
work in time to save her from sitting
down in the coal hod. She had tainted
| Ill.


At the conclusion of Aunt Hepsy's visi
to the Judge mansion, she had so far re
covered from her fatigue and trepidatio1
that it was decided she should visi
another nephew in Boston, the Rev
Parsimmon Fucker furthermore, tx
make the trip as agreeable as possible
Prosper was to go with her as far al
New York, and then see her safely OF
board the Fall River boat. The hail
trunk meanwhile had been neatly re
paired and was in as good condition al
ever, barring its faded and ancient look
and Susan had put q. few extra touches OF
Aunt Hepsy's bonnet, which gave it {
more recent air. Her old shawl gave
way to a brand new cloak, and there wal
a general transformation in her appear
ance. She looked ten years younger
than when she arrived in Newark. Still
all these elegancies of attire could no
extinguish those characteristics of persoI
which distinguished her from other in
dividuals. How many times she inquired
of Prosper concerning the safety of tina
trunk as they hurried along on the cars
it would be difficult to enumerate. A
last they stood together on the whar
close by the steamer Prosper saw he
safely on board and then hurried of
toward home. AS she sat looking out o
the window of the ladies' cabin she dis
covered her trunk on the whar
and alarmed lest 1t should be lef
behind she hurried out and along
the gang plank just in time to NEE
truck load of baggage. The porter did
not see her but kept on, the truck strucl
the old lady there was squeak and {
splash few minutes after a very we
old lady was carried into the cabin sh,
didn't look so pretty as she did {
few minutes before. She was put il
charge of the stewardess, and the hal
trunk was resorted to. An hour late
she occupied one of the sofas in the cab