Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-07-21

talk"
"Mebby it will save the minister
five dollars week." sez Ophelia, "as
extravagant as she is in dress-as
many as four silk dresses she has got
and folks as good as she is in the
congregation hain't got but one, and
a certain person full as good as she is
that hain't got any" (Ophelia's best
dress is poplin,) Kit won't take hel
long to run out the minister's sale
ry."
"She had her silk dresses before
she was married, and her folks was
wealthy" said Miss Squire Edwards
Gas much as we have done and are
still doing for them, it seems migrate
ful in her. sez Lucinder, "to weal
such a bonnet as she wore all last
summer-a plain white straw with &
little bit of white ribbon on it; il
looked so scrimped and stingy. [ have
thought she wore it on purpose tC
mortify US before the Baptists, jest as
if we couldn't afford to dress oul
minister's wife as good as they die
theirs"
Maggie Shows cheeks was gettin
red as fire, and her eyes begun tc
shine jest as they did that day we
found some boys stonin' her cat. You
see she and the minister's wife are
the greatest friends that ever was
And | see she couldn't hold in much
longer; she was jest openin' her
mouth to speak, when the door open.
ed, and in walked Betsy Babbet.
"Why it seems to me you are late
Betsy" said Miss Jones, "but walk
rite into the spare bedroom and take
off your things"
Things! p said Betsy, "who cares
tor things ?" And she dropped into
the nearest rockin' chair and com
menced rockin' violently.
Betsy Babbet was a humbly crit
ter. But we hadn't no time to medi
tate on her, for as Miss Jones asked
her agin to take off her things, she
broke out:
"Would that | had died when
was All infant babe"
"Amenr whispered NJ airy Ann
Jones to Maggie Srow.
DO tell US what is the matter
Betsy" Miss Jones.
Yes, do said Miss Dea. Graves.
Matter enutf!' sez she; mo won.
der there is earthquakes and jars! !
heard the news Jest before | started
anu II maui InU "oesrA oe-o, Z nov
to stop to every house on the way
down to rest, and not q snni had
heard of it till | told EN-. Such a
turn as it give me, shan't get over
it for week; but it is jest as | al
ways told you; | always said the
minister's wife wasn't any too good
1t didn't surprise me-not bit.
"You can't tell me one word against
Mary Linden that | will believe" q" saio
Maggie Snow.
"You will admit that the minister
went North last Tuesday, Won
you?"
! Seven women spoke up to once anC
said, Yes, his mother was took, anC
they telegraphted for him"
! SO he said" Sneered Betsy Bah
bet, $50 he said; | believe it's fol
good"
"Oh, dear p 8hrieked Ophelia Dobb8
"I shall faint away betch hold of me
somebody
"Ketch hold Of yourself" said
severely, aud then SEA to Betsy, q
don't believe he's run away any more
than | bolioy. am the next Presiden
of the United States"
well, if he hain't, hell wish h'
had" sez she. His wife came nigh
before last on the cars"
-Four wimmen said "Did she p tive
said. "Do tell" and three opened
their mouths and looked at her speech
less; amongst the last was Miss Dea
Graves. | spoke in a kolected man
ner, and sez |, "What of it ?'
eyes, what of it?' said she. $
believe the poor man miStrusted it al
out, and run away from trouble ant
disgrace"
GLOW d are your said Maggi
iSnow, "speak the word disgrace il
connection with Mary Linden ?"
"How dare II" sez Betsy Babbet
t"Ask Jake Ooieman, il h~pponod
cot it from his own mouth, it didn'
come through two or three"
"Get what? ?" sez [; "if you ca
speak the English language, Bets
Babbet, and have got sense enuff t
tell straight story, tell 1t and b
done with it," sez |.
"Well, jest as come out the gat
to our house." sez she, "Jake Cole
, man came along, and sez he, Bets.
[ have got something to tell you,' Sc
J he; i want to tell somebody that ca
keep it; it ought to be kept, sez h
and then he went on and told; Sc
: he, Miss Linden has got home, an
t she didn't come alone, neither. BE
t l, What do you mean?' He locke
as mysterious as ghost, and sez h
D i mean what [ say sez he, 'as N
r name is Jake Coleman, [ heard he
J, talking to somebody she called Hug
b you know her husbands name
Charles;) l heard tell this Hugh th'
: she loved him, loved him better tina
s the whole world And then he mao
4 me promise not to tell; but he sal
s he heard not only one kiss, but fou
teen or fifteen. aNow," sez Bets
:, what do you think of the minister
e wife ?''