Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-09-14

| men-to be called upon to settle owe
again at any moment. Again h
would take a fancy to certain article
} of apparel which had seen then bes
} days, and which his wife protested
against as not fit to be seen. ah!4ail
> did this poor lady embroider slippers
, in dainty needle-work, to adorn thu
pedal extremities of her liegeE lord
he insisted in shuf1ing about Fin al
impromptu foot-gear Of his own, Gu
j, out Of defuncS boots, declaring tha
to be much more comfortable; New
er mind the looks-there was nobody
to see him." At which the poor lit
tie woman, opening her eyesIlnldly
J, referred to the halcyon days Of court
ship, and ventured to inquire af she
had been nobody" then ~ 8
Of course, in, view of all thia, you
will not wonder at Mrs Prethman't
paling roses and j -reguent dimples
But then acame time for reform
when. Mrs. Pref imam grew stern and
determined.
> Little Mays birthday was close at
hand. She was a summer child and
had come into the !. world whe1lat its
brightest, in the fair month ofsJune
Mrs. Prettiman, whose chief delight
was to- make home lovelyJs!to heT
household, always held a little tets in
honor of the day.
"Oh, mamma isn't it delicious to
think my birthday comes next week"
declares little May.
Mamma smiles, and sighs, eyes.
May must have her fste;; butsthen
the ordeal to go through with before
then. III,
Mr.. Prettiman has little faith in
| birthdays. Nobody ever took any
note of his when he was a child:
His wife suggests that if isa So
pleasant for children. to look back
and remember these festal occasions. :"
eyes, very pleasant. Butsthen
the money it costs to keep theHis a
great deal pleasanter."
Oh but you know, We have
Strawberries of our own--and theyre
beauties, too.
Yes, I ought to know. YOU got
in debt for the vines; knew nothing
about it until the bill'-was brb1ght
in" f
Oh ! but you know it wass sgery
small amount, and I'm sure you seem
to enjoy the strawberries wonderful
| ly. You told friend Of you4Fs, in
my presence, that you had hever
bought any that tasted as well.s
Mr.. Prettiman, finding his guns
spiked, beat a retreat, with the Part
ing assertion that he's " not mastsr Of
his own house"
Left to her own desires, Mrs Bret
timan does the best she can foriMay.
She makes dainty cakes, and plans
and arranges as only mother gan
who wishes to make her children
happy. 49,, @
! Size has dresses for her little clies,
to be sure. Those same whfre.slot-
ted muslins have seen good service;
but nicely putup, they look amaist
as weel as new But May petitions
for pair of new boots. Red-mo-
rocco, please, mamma, dear; they'll
look SO nice with my white dress.
Mamma orders the boots-the cost
is slight, surely, Mrs. Prettinan'
thinks there will be no grumbling at
these when she has given up several
pet IDEAS in reference to Mays .fete,
which could have been carried into
effect at small outlay.
She orders them sent to Mn Fret
timan's store, down town; he will
pay the bill, and bring them home.
Little May watches eagerly for papa;
and as soon as he opens the gate, rams
to meet him.
"Oh, papa! you have brought
home my new morocco boots +
Not 1, indeedl I sent them
back"
Oh! the reproachful look a child's
face can wear. pity the heart that
can disappoint a child's faith, when
it asks for that which it is right and
reasonable to possess.
Mrs. Prettiman was busy in ar
ranging the last details Of, the little
tete, which she had meant should yield
such simplepleasure, when May came
wearing an aspect that it was hard
for a mothers eyes to meet. No tears
not that; but such grieved look
more than tears by far:
"I must wear my old boots, NAM
ma. Papa sent those you brought
back again"
A red flush dyed Mrs. Prettiman's
cheeks; the light of quick decision
came into Mrs. Prettiman's eyes, She 4
did not demonstrate with her hus-
band-what use? Would it not be
the old story Of "the child wanted
the boots as much as coach wants
five wheels ?" while the distant pros
pect of beggary and ruin" would
this alarming bit of extravagance.
In the pleasures Of her birthday
fete, May forgot her sorrow almost.
Though ever and anon, when her
eyes fell upon her little black shoes,
somewhat worse for wear, the griev-
ed look came back again. But if
Nav forgot, her mother remem mbered.
It is always just such brisk, smiling
| little women as Mrs. Prettiman, that
stand most fire and decision when
forbearance ceases to be ayirtte. So,
if any Benedict,peruses these words,
whose wife seems particularly meek
and patient, and whom he fonaly be-
lieves loves him well enough b "put
| up with anything" let hin take
warning; for the day of rec dzoning
will surely arrive.
The next morning found Ms. Pret-
TINA. narkably busy, even tor her
What YER her work was, s le said
nothing about it. When Mr. Pretti-
| Lo,no thot nirht h., u,;fo