Year: 1873

'''''''hoCS, We OeBall 10 leel
little injured and wished that Netty
would either become rational or 90
home. We were having very lively
time, but for her Picnics, and walks,
and drives and rides, and tea drinking.
went off in rapid succession, like pack
OF tire-crackers all lighted ut once, as
they never did anywhere except at
Aunt Sally's but the object could not
be at all of them, and when he was alb
sent, Netty loped Remonstrance was
useless; she responded with pity for
our forlorn condition and our ignorance
OF her bliss ;satire and irony were met
with mild superiority. We were be-
coming desperate, when a delightful
incident broke up the monotony, gave
us a new phase to study, and revived all
our Interestingly quarreled! I can
not for the life of me remember what it
was about, but l 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 " did it on
purpose" as the children say. At any
rate, we heard what sounded from the
piazza like a 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 hysterically
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 a surrep-
titious manner, in her long fits of silent
meditation. To cap the climax, dis
nal storm Of wind and rain set in, and
the chimneys moaned and demonstrated,
and whimpered until we were nearly
ont of our senses.


Ada and Iwere sitting in the library
by the blazing wood-fire-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 a 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 a low
chair for 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 manner which remind
ed me of how l used to make my doll
"slt up like lady


"Girls, she said, "you are too lazy
for anything, Tam going to tell you a
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-
tilted 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.


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. You need not think |
have not heard your little cacklings
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 it. know very
we'll what most of my kind friends and
relations think they take it for grant
ed that l have alwaws been MS
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 busi-
ness is, have came within one of be-
ing married but there's no truer pro-
verb than a miss as good as mile.


When was a girl was pretty good
looking, and folks may say what they
please about handsome is as handsome
does, and oil that sort of thing, but
pretty faces have fooled men from the
beginning of cine, and will do it to the
end of the chapter, I reckon. So l had
chances enough to be married, in spite
of my tongue but dear me- I'd sooner
have been choked and done with it,
than to have married one Of them, till
we'll, we will call him George; per-
haps that was his name and perhaps it
u,os NOT till George came along.