A Grandmother's Recollections

ey loaded them with presents at their departure, and invitations to come again. There was one old lady, in particular, who engaged my fancy; she came to see us quite often, and in the family we

thy acquaintances and relations, and enjoyed visiting around among them very much; praising everything that was set before her, and never contradicting any one. It teemed impossible to put anything on the table which she did not like; everything was "good,"

e hostess, "to be able to offer you nothing

ith rather a ruefu

and felt a little disappointed; but cousin Emma soon restored her equanimity by a liberal displa

ming to me much taller than myself-and the cumbrous dress of the period was calculated to make her appear much shorter. She would sit and relate wonderful occurrences which seemed constantly taking place in her daughter's family; one of the children would cut his foot, and for sometime there would be danger of amputation-another urchin would upset a kettle of scalding water on himself, and then he would be la

n, when I had been teasing sometime for a new tortoise-shell comb to keep back my hair with, it sudden

s money to Aunty Patton? It is no benevolence in you to ask me to give away money, unless you are willing to do without so

" My mother pressed the subject no farther; but after a while I exclaimed with a comfortable feeling of magn

ade great efforts to entertain him. He was travelling West, he said, and endeavoring to collect on the road sufficient money to pay his expenses. My father invited him to remain with us a month; and he seemed very much to enjoy the good things so liberally showered upon

n, and she didn't intend to now." The wandering clergyman departed quite enraged; and reported proceedings as soon as my father returned. He was very much displeased at Mammy's obstinacy,

n my return home, I threw out various hints and inuendoes-scarcely hoping that they would be attended to. They were, however; for on examining my stocking on the eventful morning, the long-coveted pocket-book was found sticki

phetically, "you'll never see a

re. My little pocket-book accompanied him, as he quite forgot to return it; and Mammy's triumph was almost as provoking as the loss. She had, however, with characteristic caution, abstracted whatever money it contained; and the reflection that the reverend

he latter. She could not speak a word of English, and would scold and rail at her husband in Spanish for hours together. We did not understand what she said, but we knew, by the flashing of those great black eyes and her animated gestures, that her words were not words of love. She was a large woman, with straight, black hair, that seemed to be always hanging about her face, and rather handsome features. She spent most of her time in playing jackstraws with us, or else lounging on the sofa; muttering in rapid succession the words of a small pra

to her; and when we sometimes mischievously pretended not to understand these signs, she would let the article remain until some one restored it to her. She never seemed to experience the l

sympathy and generosity. The Spanish lady made her adieus, if so they could be called, with an easy indifference-apparently considering her fellow-mortals as machines invented for her sole use and benefit. Captain Vardell presented us children with a handsome collection of shells, picked up

of the long visit I made there one summer. Aunt Henshaw was very proud of her farm and farming operations; her cattle and vegetables had several times won the prize at agricultural fairs, and she boasted that her land produced more than any of her neighbors'; who, being men, were of course expected to be more accomplished in such matters. She appeared to delight in giving away

n Mammy and Jane's ingenuity had been exhausted in framing instances of the marvellous for my special gratification, I would often fold my hands before my face, to shut out all actual scenes, and thus sit and dream of wonderful adventures with fairies, witches, and enchanted princesses. I

f-of cooling fountains springing up at every step-of all sorts of impossible fruits growing just where you wanted them-and lamps and songs that gratified every wish. At length I could bear these tantalizing visions of unattainable pleasure no longer; I put on my bonnet and determined to go the whole rounds of the village until I met with some success. People wonde

ng, leather-covered book, observed, "I happened to come across this stowed away in an old

de my escape as quickly as possible; and mounting up to the cupola, a tiny room with glass sides, that commanded a view of the country round, I effectually secured myself against interruption, and soon became fascinated out of a

mises, they sent around the neighborhood. I was known to be extremely fond of visiting, and every acquaintance was interrogated in turn-of course, without success. No one had thought

sometime with the book in his hands-apparently resolving some problem in his own mind; Mammy was stooping over the nursery fire, when she was suddenly startled by an unexpected

me of you, you good-for-naugh

, instead of being peopled with fairies and genii, were now filled with distressed damsels who met wit