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AUNTIE TOOTHACHE |
1099 |
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died he would be one of God's little angels in heaven. I thought much over the change, and whether she would be in a position to recognize him in the new shape. When Auntie and he were both young, he had courted her. She considered too long, sat still, remained sitting too long, and became an old maid, but always a faithful friend. And then Brewer Rasmussen died.
He was carried to the grave in the most expensive hearse, and had a great following of people with orders and uniforms.
Auntie stood in mourning at the window with all us children, with the exception of the little brother whom the stork had brought a week before. When the hearse and the company had gone past, and the street was empty, Auntie turned to go, but not I; I waited for the angel, Brewer Rasmussen ; he had become a little, winged child of God, and must show himself.
' Auntie,' said I, ' don't you think he will come now, or that when the stork again brings us a little brother, he will bring us Brewer Rasmussen ? '
Auntie was quite overpowered with my fantasy, and said, ' The child will become a great poet ! ' and she repeated it during the whole of my school-time, even after my confirmation, and now in my student years. She was, and is, to me the most sympathetic friend both in poetic ache and toothache. I have attacks of both.
' Write all your thoughts down,' said she, ' and put them in the table-drawer ; Jean Paul did that ; he became a great poet, whom I really don't think much of : he doesn't excite one ! You must excite, and you will excite ! '
The night after this conversation, I lay in longing and pain, in vehement desire to become the great poet Auntie saw and perceived in me : I lay in poetic ache, but there is a worse ache—toothache ! It crushed and pulverized me ; I became a writhing worm, with a herb bag and Spanish flies.
11 know what that is ! ' said Auntie.
There was a sorrowful smile about her mouth ; her teeth shone so white.
But I must begin a new section in Auntie's history and
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