Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-25

"Such an anxiety" said Pinkie; "we were
AFRAID II wasn't going to take a handsems
"And then again, sister wasn't at all well
yesterday; she could hardly raise her head from
Is on no. could hardly raise my head from
"But she's been Frightening up every minrte
to-day, so we felt we must have the pleasure OF
sending for YOU"
"Oh, yes, Frightening every minute to-day;
we felt We must have the pleasure"
Well, m sure" said Miss Marigold. as her
little head slipped out of the inflated hood, net
hair disturbed, " I'm so gratifed-so entirely aH-
" Oh, don't speak of it." said Pinkham, while
she waved the tight wasted calico a majestic
sign to place the chicken on the table; :" the
favor is altogether on one side. But still, dent
You find il little solitary ON such occasions, Miss
Marigold ?"
Altogether on one side," said Pinkie. "a
Why, bless You, no." said Miss Marigo,a;
chow could L? I'm so surrounded; so many
mercies :"
Miss Marigold. only wish We all had the same
spirit"
"Oh, a beautiful thing, /" said Pinkie; % only
wish we could all say so''
The tight-waisted calico made Miss Pinkham
a return signal from the corner of her eye. TO
the effect that the central orb of the occasion
was su 'ccssfulIy placed in its sphere; which was
equivalent TO saying that the whole prandial
system was adjusted, for Miss Pinkham had
with her own hands completed the arrangement
of every minor satellite, moon, and ring, in its
own mathematical relations, and on its own
particular figure of the table cloth, at the very
instant Miss Marigold's knock was heard.
= Did you say dinner was ready? All, then,
Miss MaTigold, II you please, we will sit right
down. hope you find yourself with an appe-
tite after your walk to church"
ayes, Wen sit right down." said Pinkie; Z"
hope you find yourself with an Appetite,
Dear me, yes" said Miss Marigold, AMI if
her humility had not been so genuine, she would
have felt almost embarrassed at the cOntr lSt
with her own little preparations LETT at homa
The apartment also seemed So crowded with
furniture, and there was no dividing seam in
the carpet here; 1t was all sitting room, and
there were Peacoek's feathers over the looking
glass. And she saw under the corner of the
cloth that the table was of shinin, mahogany.
Then there were not only three kinds of pickles,
but-six stalks of celery in very tall tumber;
no onions, but the tight-waiSted calico standi NJ
behind Miss Pinkham's chair, with peacock
feather fy-brush in one hand, and the other at
liberty to remove the covers.
But Pinkham Sisters were so affable that
there seemed very little restraint after all
and Pinkham, when she had carved with dex-
terity, begged to know Miss Marigold's IA
yorite part Miss MarigOld declared she had
no fsyorite part; but after Pinkie had said
with great freedom that she was never salts
fed If she couldn't have a walker, and Pink
ham had said she considered there was no
portion equal for delcacy to the left wing.
Miss Narigold got up courage to say that she
had rather weakness for the part that went
over the fence last, although she always had
some scruples about mentioning 1t. Then
she ventured to speak OF the table, and Pink
ham said il was her mothers, and had eight
claw feet, and Miss Marigold said her mother
had one with six claw feet, and alter that she
felt perfectly at her ease. So much so indeed
that she began to tell them about the sermon,
and its wonderful appropriateness TO the day,
though she lamented that her mind did not suc-
coed in tracing il as accurately as she could
have wished, and that she had found her
thoughts sometimes wandering towards COM
mon mercies. But she knew the fault was her
own; 1t could never have been with the subject;
that was-The future glory of our country as
contrasted with the present condition of the is
land Of Zanzibar.
Meantime the tight-waisted calico, in obe-
dienee 10 various stately signals from Miss
Pinkham, had passed one dish after another
but being good deal crippled by the fly-brush,
accomplished it slowly, so that just as Miss Mari
gold pronounced the word Zanzibar" she
raised something to her mouth that she had not
tasted before, and the tears rushed violently to
her eyes.
a very affecting subject" said Pinkham. as
Miss Marigold was forced to take out her hand
kerchief quite suddenly.
sob, a very affecting subject" said Pinkie.
eyes" said Miss Marigold, but her con-
science would not allow any such little subter-
fuge, though innocently provided by another
Yes" she repeated, "but it wasn't altogether
the sermon; I'm afraid 1t was the pickle. 50
precisely like one my mother used to make, l
have never met with it since. Saeh reminis-
"Ah,D said Miss Pinkhara, al consider there
is nothing like pickle for bringing up old asso-
Citations. So pungent."
"NOthing like pickle, )" said Pinkie; $50 very
"freally must beg your pardon,D said Miss
Marigold, putting up her handkerchief and
smiling, quite herself again, ''but il so sud
den; i was so entirely unprepared. Why, only
this very morning 1 was thinking over ali those
things, and the changes that have come and
the more thought, the more my heart seemed
to sing. So wonderful the way 1 have always
oh IN arciac
The tight-waisted calico at another mysterious
signal from Miss Pinkham now disappeared
and after an absence of at least five minutes
during which the Pinkham Sisters were evil
IDENTIFY suffering from extreme nervous uneasi-
ness, reappeared with pudding much the size
and shape of a very small cannon-ball, ami of
such evident importance that the fiy-brush had
been laid aside, and both hands lent to its tri-
umphal entry. After this crisis was passed, an
air OF repose, which Miss Marigold wouldn't
have quite liked to say she had missed before
stole over Pinkham Sisters and eyerything
went on more delightfully."- than ever; and when
Miss MarigOld had declared it wouldn't be phy-
sieally possible for her to eat another piece of
the pudding as large as pea, Miss Pinkham
proposed they should take their nuts and raisins
over TO the window, and hold their plates in
their laps.
Il consider there is nothing" she sain, sthat
finishes a dinner with an air of more ease and
elegance, than taking your nut plates in your
lap. III places one so entirely at leisure, and at
the same time allows one to see all the passing"
"Oh, nothingI" said Pinkie; $50 entirely at
leisure, and one can all the passing"
Miss MarigOld said she should be delighted
with any way that would allow her to eat them
slowly, for she had really taken so much more
than usual, and then she fell into great admira-
ton Of the three nut-plates, which Pinkham
said we're all that was left of her mothers's we'd
ding 1inner-set, that had been ordered for her
in Cl ina, one hundred and thirty pieces and a
different design on each. On Miss Marigold's
crawled three large beetles with sharp cornered
legs; Chinese architecture was illustrated on the
next, and Miss Pinkham reserved for herself
club-footed mandarin PROSTATE before a lady of
whom little could be seen but her fan. Then
they all spread fringed napkins in their laDs,
and tire tight-waisted calico brought box of
stilettos from the shop, of which they each took
one, and after that Miss Marigold seemed ire
sistibly led TO refer to the pickle again.
''Im sure" she said, 50 can't think how |
should have been 80 overtaken. OF all DAYS in
the year to appear like an ungrateful, discon-
tented person! Why, L was thinking this very
morning, as L sat in church, did not believe
there was soul there 50 called upon TO give
thank. So many mereies!'
And yet" said Pinkham, ''you have seen a
great many changes"
Oh, great many changes" said Pinkie
Yes" said Miss Marigold, ..but il is 50 won
dertul the way have always been carried
through! Why, L can remember when there
were so many of us, and not one of them would
have believed could ever take care OF myself
aud here have never wanted for anythinp and