The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-06-11
HOW MRS. SMITH TALKED ABOUT MRS.
BROWN.


{" Sure aud sartin because, see, them tha,
heard her say it told me l'
The first speaker, lady somewhat past
her youth, and dressed in deep morning;
bu, whose pale face was very attractive in
its quiet sadness, made no reply, and Mrs.
Paroluet went on to say:
"And that wasn'. half so bad as she did
say ard knowcd how muua y"i, had al
ways sot by her, ,n-t thinks l to myself PlI
tel! Miss Brown the fust time put my two
eyes on her face, and Pm swine to, only you
mu$5.i nerer tell ont from me"
Madame Paroquet- she prlded herself on
her husbands French extraction, and insist
ed on her name being pronounced as if
spelled with "kav' for its last syllable,
though the boys in the neighborhood, much
to her scandal used to call her " Polly Par
rot''-saucy little imps that they were-but
the name ras siDgularlv siSnifcant-as you
shall see.
Madame Paroquet went on again, for the
pale lady bent her eyes p.rseveringly on her
sewing. though anybody might see she was
beginning to be good deal annoyed and
somewhat worried and anxious.
"You see it's sartIn fact that Miss Smith
has talked awful bad about you and as told
my husband last night, says !, the w!dder
Brown is real live, goose ninny, if she
bears it wouldn't do it'd make her
smart for it just to think how Miss Smith
talked about Miss Brown makes my blood
bile and the mean spirited man told Inc
to mind my own business but Will tel! you
as a .tricnd.'
Still Mrs. Brown sat in rigid silence de-
terminel not to ask what it all meant. She
would not have suffered herself to listen at
all, bu. that she might as well hear it now,
q, by-and-by, from any other member Of the
Gashmu family one of our oldest and most
respectable families and alas very numer-
Gus is the family of Gashma.
But Mrs. Paroquct didn't need to be ask
ed, and as she leaned over towards her un-
willing listener, her little black eyes twin
kled with something akin to pleasure, as she
said in u half whisper:
" Now for the good massy's sake don't
bring me out. Paroquet would eena-most
kill me for's know but Miss Smith told
somebody that when she was sick with the
neuraler.y last summer and YOU took care
on her--and Sich cace as you did take OF
that woman If it hadn't been for you and
DR.. Epicac- shed been dead and in her
grave as sure as you're born. Well she
said that YOU and her husband tried to stdrrt
her to death that the medicine you fixed
for her. she used to throw away, for she was
afraid it was pizened, and she SAID that YOU
and Smith was just as bulge as bulge could
be and"
sStop-I will not listen to - Now the
pale cheek flushed crimson, and her whole
frame trembled, though she evidently Y made
strong effort at self coutrol, and directly
went on with assumed calmness.
sit is all a SANDER, base wicked Sian
DER Mary Smith is one of my deares,
friends, and will never believe it, never
believe it, never while | live !"
Well" snapped out Mrs. Polly Paro-
ouet, " IF | amt credible woman, sup
pose Miss Ben Clackett is and she heard
her say it with her own ears and nobody
elso's.o
"lt would be fortunate for US all, if ev-
ery one of US heard with our own ears anG
still more fortunate if we couldn't hear al
all, sometimes" was the quiet and some
what sarcastic reply.
At this rather severe home thrust the dis
appointed little woman rose to leave, saying
"Now do hope you will never tell OF II
from me. do desspise to get into fuss
and Paroquct he"
elf ever tell Of it at all, you may be
sure certainly shall give my authority fo'
it, but give yourself no uneaslness, shai
probably never think of it after to-day il
is vile fa!sehood and don't care anything
about it-good day -
But she dad care though as what woman
does not when she finds herself to be the he
roine of any of the "games of scandal" tina
are going on so merrilv from day to day =
Not that She distrusted her friend-but what
web had been weaving for her out Of
mhat? Was there anything to make it of
All the thought would come in spite Of hc1
hadn't Mary Smith said something thai
had caused ali the scandal, and how mucl
else sh did not care to think. She was indig
nant at herself for harborins the thought fol
a moment! Then again, would not her rep
utation be wounded by this coupling hei
name with that of her friends husband? ant
| her reputation once wounded, could it evel
| be healed without beng SCARED for life
| All Mrs. Clackctt and good humane tende
hearted little Madame Paroquet, If you coul,
have heard the burst of weeping which fol
lowed the stabbing of your unconscious
tongue! il you could have heard the una
vaiIipg cry "Oh! my husband, why am
left so unprotected, so exposed to uncivili
ty and suspicion"
One shor, year before, Alice Brown wa
the mistress Of cosy little cottage home,
loving and beloved wife and mother. Blu
one day her husband came home from hi
work with heavy eyes and palid face and
strange shivering in his limbs, though tn
day was unusually warm even for mldsum
mer.
"He was not sick" he said, d" He woul
be better in the morning."
But morning found him delirious and tn
physician who was hastily summoned locke
gravely at the sick man and pronounced 1t
Violent, dangerous case of Typhoid fever
The very name sent cold horror to tn
heart of the poor wife, but she watche
faithfully, day and night by her husband
side, with those alterations of hope an
foar which only the anxious watchers by th