Aunt Amy; or, How Minnie Brown learned to be a Sunbeam Read online

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  My Uncle Toby's Library Aunt Amy.

  AUNT AMY;

  OR,

  HOW MINNIE BROWN LEARNED TO BE A SUNBEAM.

  BY

  FRANCIS FORRESTER, ESQ.

  AUTHOR OF "ARTHUR'S TEMPTATION," "MINNIE BROWN," ETC.

  BOSTON: GEO. C. RAND, 3 CORNHILL. WM. J. REYNOLDS & CO. 1853.

  Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by DANIEL WISE,

  In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

  STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. PRESS OF G. C. RAND, CORNHILL.

  AUNT AMY.

  As Minnie Brown was walking one day along the principal street ofRosedale, she met Arthur Ellerslie, who said to her,--

  "Minnie, there is a letter in the post office for you."

  "A letter for me!" exclaimed the little girl, her bright eyes flashingat the bare idea of a letter being sent to _her_.

  "Yes, there is a letter for _you_, Minnie. I saw it myself in the postoffice window," replied Arthur.

  "O, I'm so glad! It must be from my aunt Amy. I will run and get it;"and away she skipped to the post office, with a step as light as afawn's, and a heart as cheerful as merry music. It was very pleasant tosee her standing before the little window of the post office, her facewreathed in smiles, and her hand stretched out, as she said,--

  "Please, sir, give me my letter."

  "Yes, Miss Minnie, you shall have your letter," replied the good-naturedman who kept the office, and who seemed, by his looks, to share thechild's delight, as he handed her the letter.

  "Thank you, sir," said Minnie; and then, with swift feet, she ran intothe street, and almost flew along the sidewalk. When she reached home,she was nearly out of breath. Finding her mother in the parlor, sheexclaimed,--

  "O mother! I've got a letter! I've got a letter!" and throwing herbonnet on the chair, she eagerly opened the letter, and, after lookingat it a moment, cried out,--

  "Ma, it's from aunt Amy!"

  "From aunt Amy!" repeated Mrs. Brown.

  "Yes, mother, and she says she is coming to see us next week. O, I am soglad--ain't you, mother?"

  "Yes, Minnie, I shall be very glad to see my sister."

  "She wants me to write to her directly, and tell her if it will beconvenient for you to have her come. What shall I write, mother?"

  "You may say we shall be very happy to see her at that time."

  "Shall I answer the letter at once, mother?"

  "You may, Minnie. Though, perhaps, you had better let me read itfirst."

  Minnie blushed a little, as she handed the letter to her mother. She hadbeen too hurried, and her mother's request sounded like a kind rebuke.Minnie's gentle spirit felt it, and she grew more quiet, as she waitedfor her mother to read the letter.

  "There, my child, that will do," said Mrs. Brown, giving her the letteragain. "Now you may go to your chamber and write as pretty a reply asyou can to your aunt, inviting her to come, as she proposes."

  Minnie carried the letter to her room, where she had some nice writingmaterials of her own. She spread a clean sheet of white paper on thetable, and began her letter. When she wanted a thought, she stood thepen in the ink-stand while she read over her aunt's letter anew. When anidea came, she wrote it down, and so kept on until she finished heranswer.

  And a nice little letter it was, written in neat style, without a singleblot. Minnie took it to her mother, who said it would please aunt Amyvery much. The thought of adding to her aunt's pleasure increasedMinnie's joy. So, after folding the letter very smoothly, she directedit in large, bold writing to her aunt, and, with her mother's consent,took it to the post office.

  When she had placed her letter in the box, Minnie thought she shouldlike to tell Arthur Ellerslie that her aunt Amy was coming to Rosedale.So she walked round by Arthur's house. Her gentle rap at the door wasanswered by Arthur's mother, with whom Minnie was a great favorite.Taking the little girl's hand, and printing a kiss on her lips, Mrs.Ellerslie said,--

  "Come in, Minnie. I am very glad to see you."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Ellerslie. I came to tell Arthur that my aunt Amy iscoming to see me next week."

  "Is that what the letter was about which Arthur saw in the post officefor you, Minnie?"

  "Yes, ma'am; and I am glad aunt Amy is coming, she is _so_ good. I'msure you would love her, Mrs. Ellerslie, if you knew her."

  "If she is like Minnie Brown, I think I should. But will you come in,Minnie, or will you go round into the garden? Arthur is there, studyinghis Sunday school lesson."

  "I'll go into the garden," said Minnie; and she tripped away, to findher friend Arthur.

  Arthur was seated on a bench, just within the garden gate. He was sobusy with his book he did not see Minnie until she was close to him.Then he looked up, and when he saw who it was, he smiled, and said,--

  "Did you get your letter, Minnie?"

  "Yes; and it was from my aunt Amy, who is coming to see me next week."

  "I'm glad for you," replied Arthur; "because I've heard you say you loveyour aunt. But come here and sit on my bench, while I read you thisinteresting chapter in the Bible." Then Minnie sat down beside Arthur,and he read some beautiful verses from the book of Daniel. Afterlistening a while to Arthur's reading, Minnie arose, and said,--

  "I must go now, Arthur. Good by."

  "Good by, Minnie, if you must go," replied Arthur; and then, with a gladheart, Minnie hurried home again.

  The days seemed very long to the little girl during the next week. OldTime always seems to move slowly when any one wishes him to quicken hispace. But, like all other days, they were gone at last; and when thetime drew near for aunt Amy's arrival, Minnie took her work and sat downby the parlor window. I don't think she did much work, however, forevery sound which fell on her ear caused her to raise her head and lookdown the street to see if her aunt's carriage was coming. Sometimes shelaid her work on the table, and went into the street, looking in everydirection, and whispering to herself,--

  "I wonder why aunt Amy don't come."

  You may think all this was very silly in my gentle Minnie. Perhaps itwas; but you know she was only a child; and I have known some grown uppeople to do just as Minnie did when they expected visitors. Minnie'smother thought of this, and did not chide her daughter. She thought ofher own days of childhood, and only smiled at Minnie's eagerness.

  At last, a carriage, drawn by two noble horses, and driven by ajolly-looking coachman with a fat, red face, and arms which looked stoutenough to drive a war chariot, dashed up to the door. Minnie droppedher work, and exclaimed,--

  "O ma, ma, aunt Amy's come! aunt Amy's come!"

  She was too well bred to rush into the street, as some little girlswould have done. So she waited until the hired girl had opened the door,and Mrs. Brown had welcomed her sister. Then it was Minnie's turn. Shesprang to return her aunt's kiss, and said,--

  "I'm _so_ glad to see you, aunt Amy!"

  "And I am happy to see you, Minnie; especially as you look so well andhealthy," replied her aunt.

  Aunt Amy was Mrs. Brown's sister. She was a widow. The grave had takenher husband and children from her; she was lonely in the world, and herheart dwelt in heaven with her children, her husband, and her Savior.She was rich, and delighted to spend her money in doing good. Havinglost the earthly objects she best loved, her life was spent i
n makingthe miseries of the world less, and in adding to its happiness.

  The day after her arrival at Mrs. Brown's, she took Minnie out with herfor a walk through the village. Minnie waited by her aunt's side, andpointed her to all the changes which had taken place since her visit ayear before. She was pleased to listen to the little girl's prattle, andtheir walk was a very happy one.

  The weather being fine, they went beyond the village and down a lanewhich led to an old granite quarry on the edge of a fine piece of woods.On reaching the quarry, they sat down upon a large fragment of graniteto rest themselves, for their walk made them feel a little tired. Asaunt Amy was viewing the scenery around her, she saw a