Year: 1873

OF ner DlsS HAC1re ana irony were met


with mild superiority. We were be-


coming desperate, when q delightful


incident broke up the monotOny, gave


us new phase to study, and revived all


our Interestingly quarreledl I can


not for the life of me remember what it


was about, but think Netty had worn


a dress which his highness considered


ugly, upon some festive occasion which


he graced his presence, and he came to


the wise conclusion that she 's did it on
purpose, as the children say. At any


rate, we heard what sounded from the
piazza like pretty serious argument,


honorably remaining too far off to catch


anything but the tones. We saw the
prince depart, forgetting his hat In
/ his wrath, and obliged to make
an ignominious return for it, and we
found Netty, flushed and indignant, at
the piano, warbling saucy ballad in a
clear and rather unnecessarily loud
voice, which she managed to keep up
until the prince was fairly out Of the
lane, when she broke down Historically
and rushed sobbing to her room, deaf
alike to questions and consolation.


For one long and miserable week the
object was unheard from, and nothing
but the study of the new phase consoled
Ada and myself for the gloom which
pervaded the house, for Aunt Sally, in
stead of laughing at Netty, or scolding
her well, had, to our utter astonish.
ment. taken to petting her in surrep-
titious manner, In her long fits of silent
meditation. To cap the climax, a dis
NAL storm of wind and rain set in, and
the chimneys moaned and demonstrated,
and whimpered until we were nearly
| out of our senses.


Ada and were sitting in the library
by the blazing wood-fre-a real wood
fire on an open hearth with andirons-
the second evening of the storm, yawn-
ing undisguisedly and wishing heartily
for bedtime, when Aunt Sally appeared
upon the scene with resolute face and
no work in her hand. We were loung-
ing upon the hearth-rug, too lazy to
support ourselves, and so supporting
each other. Aunt Sally placed low
chair fer each of us on the two ends of
the rug, picked up first one and then
the other, and put us into the chairs,
then raised Netty, who was stretched
out upon the lounge at one side of the
fireplace, in the same unceremonious
manner, and stuck her in the corner eff
the lounge, in a manner which remind
ed me of how used to make my doll
90 SIT up like lady"


"Girls, she said, "you are too lazy
for anything. I am going to tell you
story, but you'd all be asleep in five
minutes"


This startling announcement galvan- |
lied the three inert voices in a manner
amazing to behold. We had always
wanted to get Aunt Sally started upon
her own history. and now we had feel |
ing sense that our wish was near its
fulfllment. Three earnest voices tes- |
titled to three wide-awake eager listen
ers.


''Well, then get your work, " said her
ladyship, severely, " and don't all sit |
staring at me or you'll put me out. y


Knitting and crochet-work were obe-
diently produced, and the oracle, as
suming the attitude into which she in
variably fell-or rCse-in her few brief
hours of leisure-bolt upright in her
chair, with an elbow in each hand-be-
| gan her narrative.


"Iknow you all want to know why
am an old maid. Xou need not think I
have not heard your little caeklings
| and whisperings about it, and you need
not blush, either curiosity is nothing
to be ashamed of, so long as you take
no mean way to crafty 1t. know very
well what most of my kind friends and
relations think they take it for grant
ed that I have alwaws been as
fierce as am now, and that no man ev-
er dared to come within shooting dis
tance of me and they may think so if
they like, it makes no odds to me-only
tickles me to see how mistaken wise
people can be. The fact of the bust
ness is, have came within one of be-
ing married but there's no truer pro-
verb than a miss as good as a mile


When I was girl was pretty good
looking, and folks may say what they
please about handsome is as handsome


does, and all that sort of thing, but
pretty faces have fooled men from the


beginning of time, and viii do it to the


end of the chapter, I reckon. So had


chances enough to be married, IN spite


of my tongue but dear mel I'd sooner


have been choked and done with it,


than to have married one of them, till
well, we will call him George; per-


haps that was his name and perhaps it
was not till George came along.
used to find myself talking to him as


never talked to anybody else; he


frightened me up till hardly knew
myself, and we liked the same books
I read more then than do now-and


the same sort of music, and both enjoy
, ed a good argument and by and by
the evenings he didn't come began to
) be stupid, and just about the time I
: made discovery he seemed TO make it
too, and after that had nothingto com
plain OF ON that score. In fact, used
: to think sometimes I'd like to try an
t evening or two without him, just to see
t if I would miss him much for whether
l I went out or stayed at home, a bird of
. the air seemed to cary the matter 70


him, and there ne would be I had
: my second wish gratifed in the course
3 of time, too, but several things hap
pened first. I knew he had q high
{ temper, and didn't enjoy being contra
= dicted, and though was hot any too
I much given to self-examination had
e sometimes suspected myself of being a
y little bit like him in those respects
= but il love doesn't make man civil,
: then nothing ever viii, and perhaps il
z toned me down a little, too. at any