Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-12-25
THE SISTERS
A TALE OF THE CHRISTMAS TINE.

-. I'D -
/ BY NARY W. STANLEY GIBSON. .a
"And my sister said that oe me-my owr
sister-N1rs. Dawer2 How ,shauefulW
ayes, wasn't it!a said the self,appointcc
]. mischief:maker for the village Of C
:" That, for q young widow, you were the gay
est of any one she eyer-saw." -
"And she widow, too! Handkerchief
thing Just because L happened to laugh out
loud the other day, when Mr.. Gray was tel
ling one of his funny stories! No one but
Susan could have helped laughing. How un'
kind she isl She seems to have quite forgot
| fen her own trouble"
"Oh, fer the matter of that l can assure
YOU every one hears enough of it. Ii is,
dear Joseph here, and dear Joseph there,
till people are heartily sick Of it. One ex-
poets young widow like you, you know, to
speak of her husband--''
aOh, Mrs. Dawer!" aud up went Mlicent
Archers pockct.handkerchief.
"There dear, don't cry But, as was
saying, when man has been in his grave for
four gears, it is quite time TO leave Off talking
about IN. l wish some one would tell Mrs.
Thomas so. would, only don't know her
we'll enough
"Her ipoor Joseph indeed" said Mrs.
Archer, tossing her pretty, little head. "Why,
my dear Mrs. Dawer, she used to"
"What, my dcara cried the scandal.mon-
ger, pricking up her ears.
ooh, forgot; l won't say anything about
! it, since the poor man is dead and gone. |
have nodoubt he was glad enough to get out
of the world, if the truth was told"
"ScolI him-d;d she ?"
Millicent lifted her hElds and looked to.
wards the ceiling as much as to say, 81 be-
leye you"
+ ':Good gracious she didn't beat him, into
ttheyoarg gaiis!.
Milicent burst out laughing.
"There, Mrs. Dawer, now you have said
that, it just reminds me to caution you against
saying anything to anybody about what just
said"
"Mv dear, am not person to fetch and
| carry said Mrs. Dawer, with an injured air.
"No, L know you are not" replied the un-
suspectins Miiiccnt, tying her bonnet strings,
and drawing her thick Grape Val! over her
face Or | could never come and talk 10
you as freely as do"
"But you are not going home so soon."
~ must I have quantity OF things TO
see to- and this is Friday. Do come and c
me soon, dear Mrs. Dawer, aud We will have
tea together. Can't you come tomorrow
evening"
Saturday evening, LEI me sec; we'll yes.
| | thiuA Can, and l >hal! bc delighted.
! The two ladies shook handS-Alilicent bur-
ried home, never once looking TO the right or
the left in the street, for fear Of ' what peo-
pie woald say; :" and Ms. Dawcr sailed forth
to pour into the wondering ears oi some ol hcI
"lriends," the dreadful tale Of Mrs. Thomas
wickeduess--how she used to beat poor llttl.
Mr. Thomas, because he wouldn't wear high
hccled boots, and walk on stllts Did they
ever kear of stich thing! But it was quite
true-shc had it from the best authority
from a person, indeed, who saw it done, anl
heard him crying cut for help. With this ad
di.ional hot-water, it may be imagined thai
4 the tempest in the C-tea pot was not lonG
tIeEing. Mrs. Thomas also rejoiced i'll {
confidential lricnd-a sharp-nosed, thin1ippot
lady Of very uncertain age-Nliss Joice 5oy
name; who was quite match for Mrs. Daw
er. and cauvassed the district even.m more as
X siduously, having nothing to do but attend t
other peoples affairs Party feeling ran high
| BIZ Saturday night the whole town was in al
uproar, and tongues we're wagging in all di
rectons, making the niusoa still worse con
founded. Mrs. Thomas sat in sulky wrath
| listening to Miss J5icc's account, and heaEin!
The story of the beating, along with scvera
other cnormitics attributed to her for the frs
time. Milicent was crying lcr eyes out ol
.hc paror sofa, under her husbands portra!:
while Mrs. Dawcr cmptied tie budget OF til
last two days at her feet.
Sunday morning came, and the bells ram
out gladly fo: ch,irch. 1t was lovely day
clear though cold, With brigh. sun and blu
sky, AID the ground frozen firm and hare
though there had yet been no fall OF sno"
People who were very negligent about goin
to church, came that day, and the lniHiste
from his pulpit could see that something NOR
than his sermon had brought so large cor
rrerat;on there But The scandal had not ye
reached his cars, and he was greatly puzzle
| 10 account for some things he saw. Ever
time the great door crcaked, a score Of head
were turned at last there was Il llulter and
bpzz ell over the place. Mrs. Thomas, sever
and stately, was marching up the aisle, 10
loved by her prime minister, Miss Joic
Milicents usual. place was in the choir bl
tho red curtains were drawn so close that L
one could tell if she was there or not. I'll
bell ceased toling the minister was just ri
+, ING in the pulpit, when the door creaked Fl
the last time, and slight figure, robed
widows weeds, gidcd up the aisle and entert
the Archer pew. Mrs. Thomas tossed h
head viciously, as her sister passed, but Mi
Is cent noticed no one, and kept her val! dow
during the service. When it was over, pc
: nls made sudden rush to the door, to S
how the two would meet and tue two stream
coming down from either aisle, brought the
exactly face to face, in full view Of the co
rrcgation. Milicent drew herself up; NJ
Thomas looked at her second, then grasp
:, Miss Joice's arm, aid hurried away. Eve
=. -. one went home satisfed-they had not spok,
's' " This was only the beginning of difficult
U.s. C was rather gay place in its own SIN
way; there wore quilting trolics, and surpr
as parties and donation parties, and concerts,
,o- something of the kind, coming of every we'
mt The sisters had always been present at su
ire merry makings. How. should they mana
now? Miss Joice submitted the question
her principal \,
Thomas, sternl7. "Do they think am go
to shut myself up forever because sal
Young widow sees fit 10 say | beat my b
= band, Chat angel in Heaven,) and to te
-. thousand other lies about me? They II
eao .,bora uba ;a no Ynnch no thav Ii