Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-04-03


Good enough for YOU" Carrie ex.
claimed, ''you really need a few lessons. y
Mother, she is at our gate, please
don't make me see her. Carrie, I pity
you" | said, hastily leaving the room for
my own domicile, for Carries skillful fin
gers were fast tranforming a muslin
apron into an indescribable heap of ruff
t1es and lace If there was one thing in
the world that Carrie delighted in, it was
rutfies. Rutfies of every width and va
riety decorated all her clothing, and I
knew that Miss Perkins would read her a
lecture or I.t.-a.to
L had hardly commenced nv letter to
little Annie before the servant summon
ed me to go below. | saw no help and
yielded, mentally promising myself to re-
taliate on Carrie the first convenient CD.
portunity.
AS entered the room, with creheting
in my hand, Miss Perkins exclaimed,
'Well, Frances, l came over to spend the
rest O. the day, and wanted to see the hui
family. Your mother said you was
writin', but Car'line sent for you. told
her that young folks did'n' min settin'
up late when they was a writin' love let
ters'
Don't theys" I aueried; "well, 1 am
usually pretty fond of my Sleep"
You be? l guess, though, you did'n'
hev' much this winter. Great carryin's
on up here, warn't they?"
81 don't know as there was" and wish
ing to turn some Of the talk upon Carrie,
asked, "Wouldn't you like some of my
help, Carrie, you have worked so indus
triously on that apron, know you must
be tired of it?'
tSNbat pocu, 1I;er
lis all that mess O tixin's and white stuff
fur an apron? 1t won't STAN one wash
in; you ought ter hev' somethin' more
useful, gals. Miss Fales," said she, turn
ing to my mother. cit is dreadful sad to
see haow foolish the young folks be now
a-days: they don't seem to hev' no sense
of what's useful or proper like: they jes'
spen' their time gallivantin' roun' with
the fellers, an fixin' themselves up fine
Not that blame you-no, not bit; its
terrible responsibility to bringu young
folks in this wicked age"
Il don't KNOW" was mothers soft an
swer; Il think pretty we'll of my daugh-
tiers, and as for Ned, he is as good boy
as ever mother need wish for.''
Him, twas the spinster's unintellieible
reply, and turning to me as she peered
sharply over the rim of her glasses, she
said, Miss Frances, what good do all
these f1xin's dew you?'
For some reason, Miss Perkins address
ed all her sharpest remarks to me, and
innocently replied, "What good do they
do? why, they make us look pretty"
Look pretty! in my young days we
was learned that 'harnsome was as harm
some did"
l drew a long breath before l replied,
81 am so glad that | didn't live then,
Miss Perkins"
'lt would ben heap better fur you
if you had. Meow l don't s'pose one o.
you gals ever pieced up even cradle
quilt, did your"
mo indeed 1 never could see the
sense of cutting calico into little pieces
just to sew them together again. Be-
sides, what do we want of patchwork
bedquilts?'
"Wa'al, if you don't like 'em, thar's
many poor missionary would be glad
to keep warm under 'em. Before l was
your age, l had made tew for the mis-
sionaries, an he'd chest full for myself
besides. But meow the times hey
changed; young gals spen' their time
a-strummin' on the pianner, an fixin'
themselves up mighty fine" and good
Miss Perkins cast watchful glances at
Carrie
Did we ever mention to YOU fair
gotten up by our church in aid of the
missionaries, the last winter we were in
the cityg" asked mother I've are not
quite unmindful Of them; Carrie aud
Fanny contributed fancy articles that
sold for nearly thirty dollars, and had
charge of one of the tables; besides
which she contributed several spicy little
articles for the paper they published, and
that aided in the good work"
Good work, Miss Fales? don't think
much o these fairs.
THE young people enjoy them, and in
that way a great deal of money is real
lied that could not be in any other way"
Enjoy 'em; yes; that's all folks nova
days think on. When | was young,
'twarn't so. / s'pose that thing you're a.
knittin' with one bone needle is like them
you he'd at the fair?" Miss Perkins again
addressed me.
Yes, isn't it preitys" and / spread out
on my lap most intricate pattern. II
am crocheting tidy Do you know how
Mrs. Sanger's health is now?''
She's waa1 'nough, l guess Her
darter Mandy was sleigh riding yes'day
with that good-fur-nothin' Jim Blake.
Frances, alas, mother had given the con-
versation sad turn. ''they say that fel-
| Ter that was here with your brother was
acourtin you up. I'm sorry, Miss Fales
! that your boy should be deaf, for he's
kinder goodlookin' with them long yaller
whiskers, and his curly hair, though ]
myself don't like tew see curly hair; my
| sisters husbands brother, he was Judge
once Judge Pepperell-I don't know as
ever you heerd on him; waa1, he said he
never yit see rogue in court what hadn'I
curly hair, and | think it's about so.
Waa1, that dark-haired man, be you
rally engaged to him, Frances? Thinks
|, I'll ask, for you can't more'n lie about
1t any hauw, and he was pretty sweet
on you thought"
''No harm" rejoined. with some as.
perity. 81 am POT engaged 80 him, and
| don't intend to be. :"
"Sho! he didn't offer himself and get the
mittin know. Naow you needn't gi,
hysteriky over it, cause jest asked.'
My face was nearly scarlet, and / was
fairly burning with indignation, when
mother, ever pitiful and anxious to shield
her daughter, said: "Tlat seems quite
absurd, Miss Perkins; Mr.. Newberry is 2
particular friend of Ned's, who spent the
Christmas holidays with rs by his invita-
ton. Fanny never had met him before. y
Love at fust sight, then; l don't ap-
prove O that, never did"
Wonder if she approves OF any
thing?" Carrie calculated under her
breath xr-I,,Ia a;,n,,iefon f,,,ito 10