Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-01-07
ECT MISCE NY
The Village Scvvfn0.Circle.
BY CHLISTlNE II. CARPENTER.

\ drowsy afternoon hung over the
dainty little village OF Maysville. nest
ling among the green Connecticut bills
The leaves Of the clustering vines fran
ing the pretty white cottages just stir.
red in the sunshine, while even the
bees and butterflies crept to shelter ir
the hearts of the great red and white
roses, family nodding to some occasion
al zephyr as it languished by
From the open windows OF Widow
Mays "best room" a hum of voice.
stole out NJ on the scented :lr, and
within. more than score OF busy hand!
fashioned divers fabrics into fair shape
liness. 1t was the weekly sewing circl,
oi the Maysyille church. tor which :
fair was in prospect. a fact that torme,
the secret of this feminine eonclave.-
Who ever saw . sewing circle withou
its little titbits OF gossip? This wal
no exception to the rule. Presently ;
checry face looked up from its owners
glancing needle:
DO you know" said she to hel
neighbor. that I've quite altered my
opinion Of Mrs. Wells, iately.s Pray
don't start she has not arrived yet y
How is that You used to think
her the most extravlgant woman IN the
village, and I'm not sure but you were
quite right. To my csrtMu 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 ap! You don't pre-
tend to Imagine her husband can stand
it so much bette- than others | might
mention -
"Oh! no: Mr.. Wells is not rich-only
comfortable"
II can't afford two new dresses to
my neighbors one"
Maybe you don't know howto econ.
omize.
''Economize I'd like you to point
cut another woman IN Maysvillc who
can stretch out dollar furthcr'n l can"
"Yes, l can. do it.
Just tell me, and I'll take lesson
right Off"
You might profit by it, too, as l
have
sDo tell"
''It's Mrs. Wells"
'.MRs. WELLs That does beat my
tlme--to set her up as my model! Now
| dare say, if one really knew, she
spends just three times as mnch.".
"No, she doesn't, nor in tact any
mora thap won doS
"Oh, nonsense! How do you get
over the four bonnets, and the dresses
and the furbelows one always sees
about her? The little matron shook
her head sagaciously. 'No, no, Mrs.
Brown, l calculate the. whole matter
in plain figures. Now, for instance:
There we're my two bonnets last year.
Ned thought as how should have
something better than the hideous
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 time | was
most wanted. l tired myself almost
to death looking for something reason
able, and at last had to take the near
ct to my means. | thought it would
do well enough till got home. and
Mrs. Wells called on me next day with
the very loveliest bonnet on her head
l ever saw. 1t never cost less than
twenty-five dollars in the city. mean
that gray velvet she had last fall"
II know all about it. 1t didn't cost
but six dollars, and it didt come from
the city
"Six dollars !! You must be dream
ing! And where, in the name Of ere
alton, could any one get such bonne,
in Maysvillas Then, again, when WA.
in the city saw dress something lik,
that blue mcrino OF Susie Wells ev
erybody liked SO much. Thought II
enough left to buy it tor Ada 1knew
tho stuff wasn't more than fourtee,
shillings yard, aud it takes just fou
yards. but besides, there wss the max
ing and trimming. I went in and pric
ed it,. It was eighteen dollars.
"And Susie Wells cost her mothe
only about nine."- ID
What heats y,c nut au1 nnt Whnr