The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1868-12-25

BY CHRISTINE II. CARPENTER.

Maysvllle, nesting among the gree
Connecticut hills. The leaves o
the clustering vines framing tn
pretty whits cottage just stirred il
the sunshine, while even the bee
and butterflies crept to the shelte
in the hearts Of the great red ant
white roses, family nodding to SOM
occasional zephry rs it languishet
by. From the open windows Q
Widow Mays "best room" q hun
of voices stole out upon the scented
air. and within, more than q scor'
of busy hands fashioned divers fab
ri,s into fair shapeliness. It wa
the weekly sewing-circic of tn
Maysville church, for which a fai
was in prospect, a fact that formed
the secret Of this feminine conclave
Who ever saw a sewing-circle with.
out its little titbits Of gossip? Thi
was no exception to the rule. Pres
emily CHEEKY face looked up from
it's owners glancing needle - p
''Do 20 know" said she to hel
ncighbor, "that I've quite alteree
my opinion of Mrs. Wells, lately
Pray don't start-shc has not ar
rived yet"
Glow is that! You used TO- thinl
her the most extrayagant women il
the village, and I'm not sure but
you were quite right. TO my Ger
tain knowledge she wears the mos,
new dresses, new bonnets, and 5,
costly, to say nothing of the styl,
in which those children of hers are
primpcd up! You don't pretend t.
imagine her husband can stane
it so much better than others
might mention ?"
"Oh !! no; Mr.. Wells is not ricf
only comfortable"
Il can't afford two new dresses
to my neighbours one"
May be you don't know how t.
cconomizc.'
:'Economizc! I'd like you t.
point ont another woman in Mays
Vile who can stretch cut a dollar
furthcr'n | can :"
"Yes, | can do it,
"Just tell me, and I'll take q
lesson right Off
"You light profit by it, too, as
l have"
"Do tell -
"It's Mrs. Wells"
Mrs. Wells I! That DOES beat
my time to set her UP as my mod
el Now, I dare say, If one really
knew, she spends just three times
as much"
No, she doesn't nor in fact any
more than you do
"Oh, nonsense ! How do you get
over the four bonncts, and the drcs-
ses and fancy furbelows one always
sees about her? The little matron
shook her head sagaciously. "No,
nc, Mrs. Brown, | calculated the
whole matter in plain figures. Now.
for instance There were my two
bonnets last year. Ned thought a,
how / shonld have something bet-
ter than the hideous things Miss
Smith gets up in the village, so l
went to New York. Well, there
were two days lost just going and
coming at the very time | was most
wanted. l tired myself almost to
death looking for something reason
able, and at last had to take the
nearest to my means. I thought it
would do we'll enough till l got
home, and Mrs. wells called on me
next day with the very loycliest
bonnet on her head | ever saw. 1t
never cost less than twenty-five dol
lars in the city. l mean that gray
velvet she had last fall.
Il know all about it. It didn't
cost but six dollars, and it didn't
come from the city"
''Six dollars /! You must be
dreaming! And where, in the name
Of creation, ceuld any one get such
a bonnet in Maysville? Then. again
when | was in the city saw a dress
something like that blue merino Of
Susie Wells everybody liked So
much. Thought Id enough left to
buy it for Ada. I knew the stuff
wasn't more than fourteen sbill;ngs
a yard. and it takes just four yards;
but besides, there was then making
and trimming. I went in and priced
it. It was eighteen dollars. -
"And Susie Wells cost her
mother only about nlne."
"That beats me ont and out.
Where does she 60 to get such bar
gains p
Not very often out of May ysville. >
'Why, | never see them. When
l 60 to Miss Smiths for anything
new, most lKely It's some nOtlOn
she's borrowed from the Wel'ses. l
do believe they set the fashions for
this village for dressmakers and all. ,
"We'l, Mrs. Wells can do it If
she likes. for tho truth is she has a
sure guide. This is the secret. ;"
''Do tell - suspending her work
to listen.
eyes, and what's more, Mrs.
Wells doesn't buy half those new
things ready-made; she makes them
herself
"Oh? it's all in gumption, then.
l never bad any"
''No, not that alone. | went
down to the house yesterday to take
Ton and VIA orot cL f;nO and snn, n