Year: 1871

knowingly from side to side, as if it wer
In deep meditation upon some subjec
3 through all It's restless hurry? Well, yer,


much after that same fashion, Miss Jemi
ma Neer went fitting about in the littl,
, drab house under the hill one bright sprin!


morning. She shook out the white mus


lin curtains with tender respect for theil


old age, and arranged them so that the


darns should not show, placed cushion


carefully over damages wrought by little


feet III the seat Of the old-fashioned rock
ing chair and busted the tall clock in the
corner as faithfully as if its long hand had
not been missing. In truth that rooH
was sort Of hospital for disabled furni-
ture but then the invalids all had such a
cOzy, well-cared for look that one never
thought OF noticing their deficiencies
and the little brown-eyed, brown haired
woman who hustled about among them was
as bright and cherry as need be. But
this day there was an unsolved problem
looking out from the eyes, and now and
then Miss Jemima would come to a moment
/ ary pause IN her occupation, and strike an
interrogation point attitude at the end of
some mental question. At last she stopped
! by one of the windows, and drew from her
pocket a somewhat faded green and silver
purse-a lean, dyspeptic-looking purse,
that Topped about in a downcast way, as
| if aware that it would be called upon to
deliver up what 1t had not got. Miss
Neer's thorough fingers searched It's ut
most depths, then turned it wrong side up
and shook it, that no shirking penny might
be hidden away in its corners. The amount
in her hand was small enough when all
was done She counted it forward and
backward but it didn't grow any either
way; so she closed her fingers over it,
with the fainte-t breath Of sigh, and
said, with decided shake of her head


g. l can't DO it. Teddy wants new shoes,
Rob must have a jacket, and bonnet
isn't to be thought OF"


Which didn't follow at all for she
thought of it more vigorously than ever
after having ascertaiued beyond q doubt
that there was no money to buy new one
she did not need 10 look at the one she
had worn all winter to see how shabby il
was she could teeI that, even with It
away up stairs in the bandbox. 1t had
been twisted and turned, made and re-
made, from year to year, until It was
=. poor but respectable " no longer beside
being all out Of season; and 80 her head
berelt of its ancient shelter, went seeking
q new covering. When the house was all
in order, and Rob and Teddy laulably
employed in trying to plow up the back
yard with the -four scoop, she went UP
stairs, and from the cast-of treasures of
certain old red chest in the attic fished up
a straw bonnet-immense in size. yellow
in color and Of shape indescribable. She
laughed at the effect as She tried it on be-
fore her tiny mirror but, after all, it was
not a laughing matter indeed, il seemed
more like crying one Is she turned the
antique affair on her hand and wondered
soberly what it would be possible to make
of it.


Upon her meditation there suddenly
broke the slight rustic of a stiff dress and
the sound OF a footstep that spoke Of dig
nifty aud one hundred aud fifty pounds,
and announced the coming Of Aunt Hes
ter. 1t was the only announcement that
lady thought it necessary to make for
she entered without the formula Of
knock, seated herself in the rocking chair,
or attempted to do so, but Immediately
resumed her feet again.


Hum l advise you to put that chair
out Of the way, Jemima. One can't be
always remembering that the bottom Is
broken out, she remarked, severely
unless you Intend it as a trap to catch
your friends in


" If that was the object, I'd set it Just
outside the gate, and try to catch them
l l. ..l-4 -
pered rebeIliously to herself as she arose
to bring forward another chair-a sound,
substantial wooden one


Aunt Hester surveyed it doubtfully, as
if she suspected some deception, but final
ly settled herself in it, shook her black
a paca into proper folds, and said


" thought L would call to see how you
were getting on"


1t did occur to Jemima that if she had
| known of her coming she would have got
so far on as to be out of sight; but she
only answered, quietly,


About as usual we are, thank you,
Aunt Hester"


Aunt Jem Aunt Jem - cried Rob
and Teddy, making a rush from the yard
getting terribly mixed up in the doorway
and each trying to explain the others re-
marks before he had made any. Deed,
Aunt Jem, we won't hurt it any-a rum
breller to build barn with cause we
can't put our horse nowhere; and we want
it top o the chicken-coop. Say, may
we p


Yes, dear, yes; but don't be so noisy,
boys. Don't you see Aunt Hester is here p
answered Aunt Jem, indulgent but dis
tressed.


Yes; that's what we don't want to
come in for" answered Teddy, with re-
freshing frankness. Wont you please
to hand the rumbrella out, Aunt Jem ?''


Aunt Jem produced the umbrella, in
full consciousness that the visitor was
watching with grim disapproval, and was
prepared for the speech that came next.


- You are spelling those children, Je-
spelling them. l am
really astonished at you"


1t was point upon which the lady's as
tonishment had become chronic, so Jemi-
ma did not attempt to lessen 1t, and a mo-
mentary silence ensued.


"Ahw said Aunt Hester, in more
gracious tone, after her eyes had scanned
every other article in the room and rested
finally on the bonnet. What do you pro-
pose to do with that, my dear p
Il don't know" answered Jemima
rather disconsolately.


&" recollect that bonnet; [ thought it
looked familiar, and | remember now. 1t
was one my daughter Susan wore for a
season or so, and then gave to your moth