The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-12-24
.THR VILLAGE SEFTTG-CIRCLR.I |
BIZ oHR1sT1NE B. oARPRNEER.

a QEOWBy SUMMER aIJ5EuOOA II uuS
over the dainty little village of Mays
vile, nesting among the green Con-
necticut hills. The leaves Of the clus,
tering vines framing thepretty wtite
cottages Just stirred in the sunshine,
while even the bees and butterflies
orept TO shelter in the hearts of the
great red and white roses, family
snodding to some occasional zephyr as
it languished BY. From the open
windows of Widow Nays "best
room q hum of voices stole out upon
the scented air, and within, more
than ascore of busy hands fashioned
divers fabrics into fair shapeliness. II
was the weekly sewing circle Of the
Maysville church, for which a fair
was ia prospect, a fact that formed
the secret Of this female eonclave.
Who ever saw a aseWing circle without
its little tit-bits of gossip2 This was
no exception to the rule. Presently
CHEEKY face looked up from its own
eF's glaneing needle:
"Do you know" said she to her
neighbor, tthat I've quite altered my
opinion of Mrs. Wells, lately2 Pray
don't start-she has not yet arrived" 4"
Chow is that? Yoa used to think
her the most extravagant woman in
the village, and Pm not sure but you
were quite right. To my certain
knowledge she wears the most new
dresses, new bonnets, and so. costly,
to say nothing Of the style in which
those children Of hers are primped
Iupl You don't pretend to imagine
her husband can stand itsomUch bet
ter than others l might mention?'
t'0hl no; Mr.. Wells is not rich
only comfortable"
Il can't afford two new dresses to
my neighbor's one"
Maybe you don't know how e
economiZe."
"BconomizcI I'd like you to point
out another woman in Maysville who
can stretch out dollar further'n
canp"
-ssYes, Fean do it. !"
"Just tell me, and I'll take a lesson
right off,"
"You might profit by it, too, as
ha7e.1 r s4--,F s. rf--Hl1
Do tellI'
"It's Mrs. Wells"
"Mrs. Wellsl That does beat my
ltime-to set her up as a model Now
I dare say, if one really knew, she
spends just three times as much al
II do"
mo, she decent, nor in fact any
more than you do"
hOh, DonsenseI How do you ge
over the four bonnets, and the dressel
and fancy furbelows one always seel
about herr" The little matron shool
her head sagaciousIy. 'No, no, Mrs
Brown, ! calculate the whole matter
in plain figures. Now, for instance
There were my two bonnets last year
Ned .thought as how I should have
something better than the hideoul
things Miss Smith gets up in the vii
lage, so l went to New York. Well
there were two days lost just going
and coming at the very timeI wal
most wanted. tired myself almos
to death looking for something rea
lsonable, and at last had to take tht
nearest to my means. I thought i
would do well enough till / got home
and Mrs. Wells called on me next day
with the very Ioveliest bonnet on hel
head | ever saw. 1t never cost lesl
than twenty-five dollars in the city
mean that gray velvet she had las
fall.a
II know all about it. It didnr
cost but six dollars, and it didn't CONF
from the city"
"Six dollarsl You must be dream
ingl And where, in the name of ere
alton, could any one get such bon
net in Maysville2 Then, again, wber
l was in the city I saw dress some
thing like that blue merinO Of Susie
Wells everybody liked so much.
thought I'd enough left to buy it fol
Ada. knew the stuff wasn't NOR,
than fifteen shillings yard, and j
takes just four yards; but besides
there was the making and trimming
I went in and priced it. 1t was eigh
teen dollars"
"And Susie Wells cost her mothei
only about nine."
"That beats me out and out. Wher,
does she go to get such bargains2"
@Not very often out of Maysville.'
"Why, l never see them. When
20 to Miss Smith for anything new
most likely it's some notion she's Dor
rowed from the Wellses. do be
lieve they set the fashions for thi
village for dressmakers and all"
"Well, Mrs. Wells can do it if shr
likes, for the truth is she has sur
guide. This is the secret"
"Do tellI' suspending her work t,
listen.
aYes, and what's more, Mrs. Well
doesn't buy half those new thing
ready-made; she makes them her
self"
"oh, it's all in gumption, then.
never had any,"
''No, not that alone. I went dowl
to the house yesterday to take tea
and we got to chatting, and somehow
we got to talking about economy, ant
/ said didn't see how some folk
managed to make such a show, wheI
others, doing quite as we'll in th,
world, couldn't. Now, you dom
mean me2' said Mrs. Wells, laughing
'Why, yes, said l bluntly: 4 do; cal
tell You, Mrs. Wells,' I went on
'Maysville people do think you ar
awful extravagant.' Why? said she
Because you have so many new
things, and made so costly aud th,
childrenare always furbelowed enougl
to cost a small fortune Now, III
warrant said she, that all mine ant
the children's new things togethe
don't cost me any more than yours
or any other family in the village a
large as mine. why, how is that
said I. Because 1 make every pen
ny tell, and just because Pve got Al
invaluable sid 10 give me the yer,
best advice, and keep me acquainte
with the newest fashions. 1t furnish