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Updated: June 17, 2025
O, Aunt Clara, wouldn't Catherine love it?" Miss Lyndesay was so unused to the house, herself, that she took a keen delight in showing the girls all over it, taking them from one big room into another, and telling them how to appreciate the fine old furniture. "The hangings are all new," she explained. "Aunt Abigail's taste was not like her heart!
Of all the shiftlessness!" and she turned and flounced upstairs. In Abigail's room she flashed on the center dome light from force of habit, although she knew that the room had been left in proper condition after the girl's departure earlier in the day. The first thing amiss that her eagle eye noted was the candlestick lying on the floor beside the dressing table.
"This 'ere," said Grandma, pointing to the short one; "is Rachel, and this 'ere," pointing to the tall one, "is Abigail, and Abigail's a graceful creetur' to be sure," Grandma reflected admiringly; "but then Rachel has the most powerful delivery!" I was thus enabled to understand the allusions I had already heard to Rachel's being "dry," or Abigail's being as "full as a tick," or vice versa.
Familiar as they all were with Aunt Abigail's eccentricities, it was impossible to believe that she had improved the occasion of their absence to climb a pear-tree, especially as its fruit had been gathered weeks earlier. Moreover, even granting the possibility of so erratic a proceeding, she must have descended from her perch, unless she had continued her journey by airship.
Jonas Prim of her position of dictator of the Prim menage the engagement was to be announced. It was some time after dinner on the night of Abigail's departure that Mrs. Prim, following a habit achieved by years of housekeeping, set forth upon her rounds to see that doors and windows were properly secured for the night.
Then there came murmurs and exclamations, with Miss Abigail's voice gasping above the others: "What would the directors say?" "What do they always say when we ask a favor?" demanded Blossy. "'How much will it cost? It won't cost a cent." "Won't, eh?" snapped Aunt Nancy. "How on arth be yew goin' ter vittle him? I hain't had a second dish o' peas this year."
Ten o'clock was the sensible bedtime decided on in Dolittle Cottage, but on this occasion the big clock chimed ten unheeded. Apparently Aunt Abigail's repertoire was far from being exhausted. She had rung the changes on all the familiar horrors in a dozen stories, and yet no one seemed willing to have her stop.
The Captain had a funny way of leaning back in the chair, and eating his apple with his eyes closed. Sometimes I played dominos with him, and sometimes Miss Abigail read aloud to us, pronouncing "to" toe, and sounding all the eds. In a former chapter I alluded to Miss Abigail's managing propensities.
While I could not doubt Abigail's fitness as a mate for me, and though I was in desperate need of a companion, Dorothy would not out of my mind and my heart. My indomitable will had asserted itself in the pursuit of Dorothy. Even if my judgment had favored Abigail I could not have given up Dorothy.
After the first inevitable half minutes of stupefaction, there was a wild rush for the house. "It seems to me I never saw the sky prettier," was Aunt Abigail's astonishing beginning. But no one was in the mood to join her in discussing the beauties of nature. "Where have you been?" was the cry echoed from lip to lip.
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