Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-12-25
The Village sewing-Circle.
BY CHRISTINE II. CARPENTER.

wood. The leaves OF the cluSterin.
Wines framing the pretty white cot
tages just stirred in the sunshine
while even tho bees and buttcrf1ic
-crept to shelter in the hearts of TIN
great red and white roses, family nod
ding to some occasional zephyr as i
languishcd by. From the open win
'dows of Widow Mays "best-room" :
hum OF voices stole out upon tn,
scented air, and within, moro than q
score of busy hands fashioned divers
fabrics into fair; shapcllness. It was
the weekly sowing circle Of the
Greenwood church, for which fair
was in prospect for autupn, fact
that formed the secret Of this fcmi-
nine conclave. Who ever saw sew
ing circle without it's little t4tbits of
gossip? This was no exception to the
rule. Presently Cherry face looked
up from its owners glapcing needle ::
"Do you know" said she to her
neighbor, "thst I've quite altered my
opinion of Mr.. Wells, lately? Pray
don't start-slc has not arrived yet
there's NO one icre one need care for"
elbow is that" asked the re-assur-
ed little matronthus addressed: "you
used to think hr the most extrava-
giant woman in he village, and I'm
not sure but yo' were quite right.
To my certain k Sowlcdgc she wears
the most new dHsses, the most new
bonncts, and 30 Qstly, to say nothing
of the style in which those children
OF Gers are primRd up! You don't
pretend to imagin, her husband can
stand it so much bitter than others I
emight mention 2"
ooh! no; Mr.. Wills is not rich
only comfortable"
"Wcll, I should say it must tax him
awfully. poor fellow! Now 1 have
more consideration hat, although 1
could impose upon Md, he's so easy
and good-natured. Tie docs some
times say, :How nice M.s. Wells al
ways looks, and how proty she fixes
up those children; ; but when tell
him what power Of mc,ey it would
cost him for mo and my children to
dress up like that, I guess he don't
mind being little tired of seeing the
same old thing on us. have all 1
can make off the place the garden
truck and fruit-quite round sum,
too; but I can't make sch a show of
1t, for all that. I can; afford four
new bonnets year, and can't afford
two new dresses to m2 ncighbor's
one; and when I get one, its got to
be plain, because drcssm:kcr charge
80 much to trim it,"
MAY be you don't know how to
economizc."
"Economise! Well you astoish me !!
lshouldn't say. it, perhaps, ,ut I'd
like you to point out another yoman
in Greenwood who has the plncple
of economy .more at heart ,r one
that can stretch out dollar fu1hcr'n
camp
eyes, I can do it.''
,."Just tell me, and I'll take lsson
right of"
"You might profit by it, too 8 I
have"
"Do tsllr' i
ats Mrs. Wells"
"Mrs. Wellsl That does beat nv
ii ne-to set her up as my manl!
Now,I dare say, if ono really khw,
she spends just three times as muo."
"No,she doesn'tnor in fact any nre
than you do"
'"Oh, nonsense! How do you ct
.over the four .bonnets, and the dress
and fancy furbelows one always Sc,
.aheat. herr" The little matron shoe
her head sagaciously. "No, no, Mr.
Brown, you can't tell mel I calcula
the whole matter in plain straigh
forward figures. Now. for instanc,
There were nay two bonnets last yea
Ned thought as how I should ha,
something. better. than the bideo,
things Miss Smith get up in the vi
.lage, SO ! went to New York. We
there were two days lost just goir
and coming at tho very time l VI,
most wanted, besides the cost, viii,
I.reckoned mp would have bought
now dress for the baby. When l e
~r there, such . chase as hadl ,
course I was in a hurry. Ever
thing a body liked was dreadi
dear; and then I wasn't sure but sou
old tbing'd be palned Of on me, iu
like Lucy Stuart, who thought shed
, perfect bargain, and was some,hi,
shsad of azefpbody, when it turn,
ijoot that il wasrt bi. like. the re
fashionable shape. The last time
went I tsied myself almost to doa
looking for something reasonable, q
at last had 10 take the nearest to d
.nsans. 1, tkoeeht - vonla do v