The Shasta courier., 1866-03-10


SCENE 1.
Mrs. Primes kitchen. Mrs. Prime par
ing apples at II table.
Mrs. Shaw (entering in great haste)-
Good morning, Mrs. Prime declare! I'm
eenamost beat out. it's so warm and sultry.
But thought must come over, rest or not.
Have you heerd of it?
Mrs. Prime (seating herself and readjust
ing her glasses of what, Mrs. Shawl
Mrs. S-Why, the dreadful news
Deary me, how out of breath am my fore
head is dripping with sweat! This is an
| awful hot summer
Mrs. P.-Do speak. Mrs Shaw. Don't
be afeared. I'll never tell On it as long as
live and breathe.
Mrs. S.-Oh, it's sich an awful-awful to
happen right here in our quiet community !!
| told sister Susan hadn't had sich shock
sence our hen. house was burnt, and fourteen
hens and six turkeys into it, and | feel as
| weak as q rag.
Mrs. P.-Good land, Mrs. Shawl what
can it be2
Mrs. S.-Ah, mel it's enough to make a
body doubt poor human natur' more'n ever.
YUM! | told sister Susan | never should
dare to put my confidence in nobody ag'in.
It's completely upset me. You hain't got q
little tea in your pot, have you?
Mrs. P.-Land. yes plenty of it; the
kittle's billing now, and I'll make you good
| strong cup. Proceeds to do so.
Mrs. Swell, l yum, Mrs. Prime.
didn't mean to put you to all that trouble,
but l feel so overcome, and tea is restorer
to me. And no wonder Pm weak it's
| terrible-a leading church member, tool
Oh, the heart is deceitful above all things,
and desprit wicked
Mrs. P.-Yuu may we'll say that. It's
astonishing to see how some folks 60 on
Good land it makes me tremble in my
shoes to think ont. But you hain't told me
about this ERE new breakout, Mrs. Shaw.
Mrs. S.-Wall, you see, it's all about
Deacon Borden!
Mrs. P.-My soul and body you don't
say the deacon's been and done anything.
Mrs. -Humph l guess you'll think
so when you come to hear declare, I'd
about as soon expected our Isaac to have
been guilty of sich thing.
Mrs. P.-Well, l never but your tea is
stepped now ; jest set up and try it; don't
be afeared of the sugar because there amt
but little ; there is enough more in the baled
firkin
Mrs. S. Casting with great deliberation)
This tea is nice-frst-rate What was it
pound? Tea is awful dear nowadays.
Mrs P-Dreadful l give two dollars
pound for this 'ere; l got it over to Squire
Lanes and paid for it In butter. Buffers
master high, amt it?
Mrs S.-Yes, it is; and folks had ortter
be economical of it, and sell all they can.
don't really think we've eat two ounces in
our house for six weeks. Sister Susan s
Benny is humorous, and butter is desprit
bad for humors.
Mrs. P.-So It's. But yon hain't told me
about the deacon.
Mr.. S.-No, to be sure but I m a. going
ter. / think it ort ter be told on, and car.
ried abroad to the ends of the arth on the
four wings of heving Only think of the
beautiful prayers and the stirrin' exhorta
tions that mans made and how he's talked
to us about original sin-and now he's bin
and showed the original sin right out
Mrs. P.-Well, never!
Mrs. S. (confdentially)- Now, Mrs.
Prime. jest atween US, didn't it never strike
you that Mrs. Deacon Borden has looked
kinder disconsultory and melancholic like.
for considerable of spell back along?
Mrs. P. (refectively) DWELL, yes seems
to me I've noticed it; yes. Pm sure have,
and spoke to Nehemiah about it, and Nehe-
miah he Topped out of the house, as mad as
hornet. He's allus bin dreffully took with
the deacon's folks ever since he bought the
striped pig of the deacon. And l must say
it did the best of any pig we ever had ;
weighed nigh unto five hundred, without
the fat sassenger meat. Yes. Mrs. Shaw. l
have noticed that Mrs. Borden has bin
ruther down lately, and she's dressed a
sight in green. too; and green's forsaken,
you know.
Mrs. S.-Humph no wonder she's dress
ed in green; cause enough for it, 1 guess.
Mrs. P.-What do you mean to say
Mrs. S.-Yes, do mean to say that Dea-
con Borden is after other women!
Mrs. P. (sinking back with uplifted
hands We'll, yum to goodness
Mrs. S.-Yes, and what's more, it's a
young gal!
Mrs. P.-Wus and wus, and more of it
declare, if it was anybody else told me
but you, should misdoubt it.
Mrs. S.-There, that's Jest what said to
sister Susan. But / seed it with nv own
eyes!
Mrs. P.-Marcy you don't say so!
| Mrs. S.-Yes, and blush to thing ont
| You are sure thar ant no men folks round
here to hear me tell ont, hain't you?
should sink to hev any any man know that
ever witnessed such scandalous perform
ance.
Mrs. Pho, thar hain't soul; Nehe
miah's moving in the Downing lot, and
Asa's gone down to the mill. You can %
right on.
Mrs. Swell, yesterday. seed Deacon
Borden drive past our house in that new
buggy of his. with gal alongside of him.
1t was just after sunset, but my eyes is good
ones, and seed 'em jest as plain a. If i,
was day; and as sure as l am living
woman, that dreadful man had his arm
round her And his wife has been gone "a
Alton more'n week to see her sister.
Mrs. P.-Oh,, poor Mrs. Borden! I'd BE-
divorced right of, if l was her-I yum ]