Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-08-01


l. so feeble but what can walk that lit
sr tie ways. My red shawl will be warn
to enough if it's pleasant day, and m,
black alpacky dress is all the fasllioi
r now!"
it There was clearly no way but to le
vt the old lady take her own course, III
when her mind was made up it was lik.
70 the laws laws of the Medes AMI Per
Il slams. But Lucy and Belinda were
,. wholly overcome the next morning
, when their mother told them of grand
o mas plan.
N What does make her do so 2" cried
Lucy.
I "I'm sure don't know, but she's
G bound to do it, and I see no way to
e prevent"
}, "She hasn't been to church for
q years, said Belinda, "and knows she
l can't hear word. Strange what she
wants to 60 now for"
; :" I know one thing" said Lucy de-
: cidedly. II won't 20 to church a step
+ it she goes with that awful looking
thing on her head"
:" Nor put in Belinda. "Iguess
y not, indeed"
"Oh now, girls, " said their mother
sootbingly, !" the best way il to be in.
dependent and not mind it."
But girls at eighteen and twenty
rarely possess the independence of
mind that belongs to forty or forty
hve: 40 the church bells on Sabbath
morning rang to them secluded in their
, chamber: :!peePing through closed blinds
at the church-goers. Not one of the
family had chance to hear the rumors
which had been flying an over town for
the past two days: gaining volume with
every repetition until full particulars
OF the bridal costumes, the house they
were to occupy, and the furniture ai
ready purchased, formed part If the,
regular story. "It comes from the
family, so it must be So" was the
clincher that convicted all doubters.
| Grandma had settled her huge sky
scraper of q bonnet with many and
long consultations of the mirror, and
Mr.: and Mrs. Freeman proposed to
walk to church with her both trying
not to feel the ridiculousness of the
situation. Grandma was formed some-
what like Mrs. Stowe's old ladies'
like bag of feathers with a string
tied around the middle" !" and the am
pie skirts Of her black "allypacky's
seemed to hang from a heavy chubby |
cioer barrel. An old fashioned red
shawl covered her broad shoulders, and
! over and above all, the crownine glory
of the whole outfit, was that bonnet.
her little wrinkled face: appearing in
the middle of its hinge circumference
in about the proportions of a humble
bee in the centre of a punkin blossom.
1.-The gals have gone, / 'spose, said
grandma, pausing ut the foot of the
stairs in the hall. Belinda" she
squealed up the staircase, but there
was no answer, so on she went. Her
son dutifully gave her his arm, and
his wife battered meekly along behind.
looking neither to the right nor to tho
left. The girls peered from the win
dow and laughed till they cried. Il
"lt's too ridiculous," said Lucv {
wiping her eyes. "Do you see moth. t
er trotting on after them like a little {
doga", c
"Like lamb to the SLAUGHTER. I l.
should say. I'd like to be there and i
see how people look when they 90 in. j
said Belinda, "that is if I could with. S
cut being seen." s
y u
go all summer" said Lucy. t
"Ohl hope not, indeed !" exclaim- g
ed Belinda. It's too bad for even to b
day, for they really need us on that q
" Everybody but us is out to-day.
and they all seem to be going to our
church, too"
There's Mr.. May, and see. he's pot
on a new suit" For that gentleman. t
hearing the rumors, and knowing we'll II II
enough how they started, took no pains =
TO contradict them, but rather helped II
Them along BY buying new suit of .
clothes on Saturday. Black d1ess coat, G G
lilac vest and. gloves, drab pants and =, n
hat. He passed the slow pace Free u
man family at the church steps, and, p
the fast-filling room, took a II
'eat near the door, apparently uncon. a 2,
sclous OF the scrutiny bent upon him. u
Many curious glances went to Beindas
usual seat in the gallery, but the gen "
eral opinion was that she1would appear cs
Just in time for the ceremony. o.
The entrance of the Freemans put n
IN end to all doubts in any minds, as iiss
veil as to sobriety in most Little u
children giggled outright, older ones NJ
Uttered, and even the most sober mind u
ID could not repress smile. The II
church filled up rapidly, pews all full y
md crowded, and still they came. The e.
'omewhat prosy parson looked at the =
gathering multitud in quiet surprise. m
lot having heard the flying rumors' -
md not knowing what power of his 81
lad so drawn out the people. Truth
,ompels me to state that he harillv re
'elved his share of attention from the ,tv
however; Mr. May and m
grandma Freeman . DIVIDING & "
bout equally I grieve to add that 81
It the other church the minister almost 9
literally preached, that morning to bare b
valls and empty benches, onl a few of Q,
he staid fathers and mothers of Israel G
lpoearing in their places. But the b.
minister with the small audience was b.
he favored one, after oil, for the large fc
audience fdgeted uneas " all through ia
he services, especially when prayer ol
ollowed sermon, hymn followed prnv- in
r, benediction followed hymn. and d,
till no hint came of a wedding cere- in
nony. Slowly the audience fled ont. tc
ooking extremely blank and puzzled. IL
"What does this mean. May 2" asked tn
'ne young man of our hero as he stood til
'ollly ON the steps. b,
'.Soldi" replied May, briefly, leis-
rely taking his way homeward.
The word flew from lin to lin.
We re all sold," and one after anoth- q
r looked, and probably felt, cheap: R
perhaps made the wise resolution. Il,
hen and there, never again to put ",
aith in flying rumors. Il,
Grandma Freeman looked around in ~,
dazed sort of way, as the people n
catered. "Where's the weddiu'2' n,
he squealed to her son. He looked i,
|laDk. -. y.
"Where's the weddin' 2" she repeot- H.
4, in higher key. "Belindt and ro m
dr. May was goln' to be married. you IN
now." He shook his head in sur. N
rise, and all at once it seemed to =;
'urst upon her that she had been de- fo
eived. ~ ~
He lied to me, he did, the misera- WI WI
lie lynn critter!" she burst forth in a ~,
lutter of excitement. In vain they
rled to still her, for the phials of h r
vrath were uncorked, and she poured
hem out all the way home.
The good people of this town have 81
earned one lesson to-day, besides what ~ ~
hey have heard in the sermon, if I'm 81 81
lot Mistaken" remarked Mr.. Nav to u, u,
3eilnda, as he walked home with her pr pr
hat night after evening service. IT. IT,
Why, yes, she replied, ''I think NJ M
lleY NAV have learned ono &c +1,,,, Ill " "