Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXI, No. 5, November 1842Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXI, No. 5, November 1842
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Aunt Adeline had penetration enough to put a favorable construction upon
this last interrogation, and, leaving her niece, she started off to pay
a visit to Greenleaf. After an abundance of circumlocution, she ventured
to sound him upon the subject of her niece. To her disappointment, she
found him cold and impenetrable, and when she put him the question
point-blank, whether he wished to marry Amy, the upstart replied that he
had some young ladies in his eye, who, if they did not possess the
personal charms of her niece, could boast of more illustrious ancestors,
which, of course, rendered them far more eligible. Aunt Adeline could
only groan. The weapons with which she was foiled were of her own
forging.
Poor Aunt Adeline! After being tormented a couple of days longer, the
joke was explained to her, the money and jewels were restored, and
Colonel Mornington and Harry Ammidon were shown to be one and the same
personage. In the first blush of her mortification and rage, she packed
up her trunks, and removed to the city, where she bivouacked upon a
niece, who was blessed with a houseful of small children. Soon after her
departure, Greenleaf and Amy were married, and established in the new
and tasteful structure built by the father and embellished by the son.
Since that event, there has been but one ripple in the smooth stream of
their felicity, and that was occasioned by the reception of a letter
from Aunt Adeline, in which was the following passage:
“You know, Amy dear, that you were always my favorite niece, and I am
sure you will be pleased to hear that I intend paying you a long visit
next month. I am quite willing to forego the gayeties of New York, for
the pleasure of passing a year or two with you and your charming
husband. I hear you see a good deal of company, and are visited by many
highly genteel people from the city. I always said that my darling Amy
would make a creditable match. You may expect me early in October.”
Immediately on the arrival of this letter, there were a number of
anxious consultations in regard to its contents. A proposition was
brought forward by Harry Ammidon for blowing up the old woman with
gunpowder, after a plan that had been communicated to him in Paris by
one of the conspirators against Louis Philippe. This project being
objected to, he suggested whether she couldn’t be put into a haunted
room, and a ghost hired, for a small compensation, to torment her
nightly. But the house being one of modern construction, and no well
authenticated murder having been yet committed in it, this contrivance
did not appear altogether feasible.
When I took leave of the family, which was on a pleasant afternoon last
September, they were still plotting the means of averting the menaced
visitation. Should any thing interesting transpire in this connection,
perhaps I will give an account of it in a supplement to my present
narrative.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account