The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-02-02
"You do not believe in won1an's

hearth. Such is woman,s proper posi-
ton. But you were saying" -r
G "Well ?" asked Poaers, as sh'
: paused bashfully. IA ~ ..-.r s
THAT you thought of selecting ;
tpartner." .....
"Was L? Well, I suppose I mus
marry. Would you"
"Advise me, ,"he was going to say
but she gave him no time. .'
"Oh, Elijah, how you make my
| heart beat. You should not have
been so abrupt. We poor women are
not SO strong as you men"-she coult
have whipped him with one hand
''and any sudden emotion overpowers
Us. Yes, Elijah, I will be your WIFE, u
Potters had hardly meant to propose
utsince he had done 80, as he thought
he made the best of it, and concluded
that she would make a very good
wife for him.
| Miss Maria was overjoyed that she
had at length landed her fish, and
though he was in the least ardent,
she sat that down, not altogether in
correctly, to his having seen but very
little of women.
Promise that you won't be angry
with me, dearest Eliiah," she whis-
pered in the course of their converse
ton.
ANGRY! Why should I be angry
with you ?"
Il have secret which you shall
know some day-not now. L couldn't
help it; it was my misfortune. You
are not angry y?n
"No, no." -f.f -...
But still her words recurred to him
at intervals, and made him reflect
upon what might be this terrible
secret.
The next morning was clear, bright
and cloudless the air clean and fresh,
with just enough freshness to be eX-
hilerating. The streets were filled
with the southwark bent streams Of
men, all cOnverging toward that
great maelstrOm called business.
Mr.. Whiffters kissed his pretty lit
tie wife and departed, leaving her
sitting by the window, holding upon
her knee Jack Junior" and endeav-
oring to arouse into giving some signs
of intellect his vacant eyes and fac
cid face. But ali to no purpose the
baby was stupid to-day, and would
understand nothing; he would not
even, despite her pathetic beseech-
ings, put up his arms over his head to
"show how big baby is"
Dear, dear" said Mrs. Whiffters,
she must be going to have more
| teethn
While sitting thus, lady and little
| girl were shown III.
"Oh, you dear sweet thing you, to
come and see he - cried Mrs. Whiff-
ters, az her friend few at and kissed
her.
"Yes, and L want you 10 come and
help me choose a dress. Henry told
me that might go to Stewards and
order a new one. l think | shall get
a black silk, and have it trimmed
with a velvet box plating round the
| bottom, and
Cackle, cacklc for two mortal hours,
while she described some of the Wis
joins Of trimming which in endless
number floated through her brain.
Mrs. Whiffters sighed the heart
broken sigh of a woman who is de-
prived OF the pleasure Of shopping.
"It's real lovely of you TO ask me-"
she said sweetly, but with the sad
ness of resignation. II should dear
ly like to go, but l sent away my
nurse yesterday and cannot leave
baby"
"Pshaw." exclaimed her voluble
friend, my little girl Rosa can take
care of tie baby very we'll indeed.
She knows how"
Mrs. Whiffters called the child to
her sides and, after inflicting upon
her maternal catechisn, and finding
that she really knew how to tend
babies, decided to leave the precious
| infant in her charge.
In n short time-an hour or So
Mrs. Whiffters was ready to depart
upon the shoprummaginge expedition.
As her hand was on the mob she turn
ed and said:
Now, Rosa, be sure not to go out
of the ROOM"
mo, ma'am, twas the eungrammati-
cal and ambiguous response.
Left to herself, Rosa commenced by
opening and tumbling over the con-
tents of every drawer that was un-
locked, while the baby lay very quiet
ly sprawling on the floor. Then she
tried on some Of Mrs. Whiffters' false
hair before the glass, rather liked the
effect; and wished she were old
enough to wear such beautiful braids
that made such beautiful loops. This
amusement failing, she took the stop
rers out of all the bottles, deluged
her handkerchief with neW-mCwn
! hay, and saturated her forehead
4 and hands with Cologne water !;
she tried to drink some, as she had
seen her mother do, but it tasted
dreadfully; covered her face with
powder and plastered her hair with
bandoline. Then she tried to crigp
it with a cold iron, but could not
succeed.
l think Rosa was a very bad little
girl.
Having by this time about exhaust
ed the resources Of Mrs. Whiffters'
room, Rosa began to think of fresh
fields and pastures new. The house
was perfectly quiet; the only sounds
she could hear were those produced
by passing vehicles in the street.
Besides, there could be no harm in
just going out for a minute. So she
picked up the baby, opened the door,
and ventured into the hall.
No one was in sight.
She went cautiously up stairs, look
ing about with the eager eyes of an
!, inouisitive girl. On the next story
! she stopped and gazed at the different
! doors, wondering if they were locked
!, or not.
She tried one; 1t opened, and she
!, went in.
/, The room was small and sparely
furnished. On the bureau was al
open box, which ut once caught hel
eye. She laid the baby down, ran to
! it and pulled out some ccrkscrew
: curls. These she tied on her head
and then commenced plastering her
self anew with lilywhite and aromatic
q vinegar.
"Oh, amt it fun!" she cried, dane
= ing up and down in her glee.
!. Suddenly her recreatiOns were in
= terrupted by violent box Oh the ca
> which made her reel, while the curl
were snatched from her head, and :
harsh voice cried:
: "Younaughty, wicked little wretch.'
q Rosa looked, and saw what seemed
= to her guilty soul gigantic specter
h clad in white and yellow flannel
a with q dingy turban round its head
a She howled and fled incontinently.
4 Miss Maria Quilts locked the doc
! and returned to their hiding-plac
: the shameful evidences of her age
e In doing SO she noticed the baby ant
!. started.
:, Started with horror, for there i'm
5 mediately rushed into her mind al
d the instances she had ever heard o
It read of the dexterity used by peopl