The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1868-12-28
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EY cHEIsrlSG II. CARPENTER.

hills. The leaves Of the clustering vines
framing the pr,ty white c"ttugcs ius;
stirred in the sunshine, while even the
bees and butterflies creIt to shelter in
the hearts Of the great red and white ro-
ses, family holding to some occasional
zephyr as it langnishel by. From the
Omen window Of Widow Mays best
room Il hum of voices stole out upon the
scented air, ,api within. more than score
of busy hands fashioned divers fabrics
into fair Shapsliness 1t was the weekly
scwiug-cirelc of the Mavsville church.
for which 4 fair was in prospect, Il fact
that formed the secret of this feminine
c6nclaye Who ever saw scwing-c:rc!c
without its little titbi:s OF gossip? This
was M exception to the rule Presently
Il CHEEKY face looked up from its owners
gIanci'g uceile:
"p' you know sad she5o her neigh,
Dor. That v" quite altered my opinion
Of Mrs. Wrs lately! Pray don't start
she has not arrived yet "
How is that? You used to think her
the most cxtravagant woman in tie vii
lagc, and lin not sure but you were quito
right, To NV certain knowledge slir
wears the most new dresses, new bonncts.
and 80 costly, to say nothing of the style
in which those children Of hers are prirnp.
Ell up You don't pretend to imagine
her husband can stand i, so much better
than others might mention Z"
"Oh! no; Mr. Wells is not rich-only
comfortable"
II can afford two new dresses to my
neighhor's one"
Maybe you don't know how to ccono.
mizH"
"Eeonomize. n Ike vou to poin,
out another woman in NIaysyillc who eau
stretch out dollar flrthyr'n can
"Ics. can do l."
Just tell me. ani I'll take lesson
right Off"
"You might profit BY it, too, as l
have"
"Do tell :"
"It's Mrs. Wells
"llEs. WELLS. That does beat my
tim"-io set her up as my lEodel. Now.
| dare say, itonc really knew, she spends
just three tunes as much"
NO, she doesn't, nor in fact any more
than YOU do"
on, nonsense! How do you get over
the four bonnets, aud the dresses and
fancy furbclcws one always sees abou;
hcr!' The little matron shook her head
sogaci1usly. mo. no. Mrs. Brown.
calculate tue whole matter in plnin figures
Nov, for instances There were my two
bonuets last year Neithought as how
should have something better than the
hiicous things Miss Smith gets up in the
village, S, | went to new York. Well. .
there We're two days lost just going and
coming at the very time vas ,nost watt
ed. tired myself almost to dealt, look
ing for something reasonable, and at last
had to take the nearest to my means.
thought it would do well enough till ! got
home, and Mrs. Wells called on me next
day with the very lovellrst bonnet on her
head ever saw. 1t never cost less than
twenty-five dollars u the city | mean
the gray velvet she hid last fall"
Il know all. about it. |, didn't cost
hut six dollars, aud i. didn't come from the
CITY,"
six dollars. You must he dream
ing. And where, in the name of crca-
ton. could any one get such bonnet in
MaysvIlle? Then, again, when | was in
the city | saw dress something like that
blue mcriuo Of Susie Wells everybody
liked 80 much. Thought I'd enough
left to buy it for Ada. knew the stuff
wasn't more than fourteen shlllngS
yard, aud it takes just fur yards; bu;
besides, there WAS the making and trim
ming. ! went in and priced it. 1t was
eighteen dollars
And Susie Wells cost her mother
only about nine"
That beats ne out and ont. Where
does she 20 to get such barCains!"
"Not very often out Of Maysyil!e.'
"Why, | never see them. When 90
to Miss Smith for anything new, most
likely its some notion she's borrowed
from the Well,es. de- believe they sci
the fashions for this village for drcssma-
kers and all"
"Well, Mrs. Wells can do it If she
likes, for thetruth is she has a sure guide
This is the secret"
"Do tell suspcnding her work to lis.
ten.
YES, and whats more, Mrs. Well,
doesn't buy half those new things ready.
made; she makes them herself"
"Uh! its all in gunrton, then, !
never had any"
"No, not that alone. | went down to
the house yesterday to take tea, and We
got chatting, and somehow We cane t.,
talk about economy. and said diln',
see how some folks managed to make surI.
u show. when others, doing quite as well
in the world, couldn't. Now, you don,
mean me 2 said Mrs Wells. laughing.
why, yes said b!untly: 1 do; | can
tel you, Mrs. Wells, I went on. NAYS.
vile people do think Won are awful cx-
trnvarant.' why 2 said she. 'Eocau,s
you have so many new things. and made