The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-11

take part in that at all. She said it was
putting our personal charms on eXhi-
bition, before all sorts of people, and
she was doubtful of its propriety. |,
you see, am not SO particular as either
of them. l am always glad and proud
to have Mrs. Lesley make a speech
and enjoyed the centennial tea-party
to the last degree. went as Priscilla,
and John said looked the sweetest of
any woman there, if / wasn't so dash
ing and elegant as Mrs. Gray. But |
shall never get this story told.
We had sold off nearly everything at
nine o'clock. We made an auction
with the leavings, and they got my
John, who is just as witty as he can be,
to sell; and he made world of fun.
AT $3.50 Mr.. Lesley, who is President
of the mems society of which ours is
auxiliary, led his wife up to her seat on
the stage. Of course, we had made
the platform lovely with Towering
plants and bouquets.
Then we had some long, tiresome
speeches from the men, full of compli-
ments on our energy and management.
| was sick of it before they stopped.
For, if | am not very wise. 1 know
when anybody praises me just for the
sake of what they are going to get!
Well, finally Mrs. Lesley turn came.
She stepped forward gracefully, and
stood at the front of the platform. She
must have looked just like pink be-
tween those high, green leaf-plants
She is not handsome like her sister-in-
law, but she has the sweetest express
sion.
Iwould give anything to be able to
report her speech, word for word. But,
dear me! | might just as well under
take to paint a sunset! can only give
you an idea of it.
She began: "Mr. President 1T was
her own husband, you Know it now
becomes my duty to render an account
of the efforts of the Ladies Auxiliary
in behalf of our common and well-be-
loved cause, and to deliver into your
hands the substantial results of those
labors. l had hoped to do this with
pride and JOY. But, although the Pc
cuniary gain of this fair is unprece-
denied in our town, and the sum of
money | am commissioned to present
to you is larger than had even dreamed
it could be, l discharge this browning
obligation of my official position with
shame and distressr'
l could hardly believe my ears!
glanced over to Mrs. Gray, and | never
saw such a look of establishment as
there was on her face.
Mrs. Lesley went on, her voice get
ting full of tears, though her eyes were
as dry and bright as her diamonds. She
said-in substance, you know, as the
reporters say-that the cause of her
shame and distress was her conviction
that our fair had been positive injury
to the morals of our town. She said it
had trained young, modest girls in bold
importantly of men. whom they had
never met before; it had cultivated in
young men that love of games of
chance which was filling our gambling
saloons with the very flower of our
youth. She said, too, that she was con-
WINGED that she and her co-laborers had
been treating the regular tradespeople
unfairly. She had overheard one night
conversation between two young men,
who had started in the fancy-goods
business within the last five years. They
had spoken together of the terribly
hard times which had threatened them
with ruin all the past months, and of
how much they had depended on the
holiday trade to keep their heads above
water this winter. And now, they said,
these women, who live in elegant leis-
ure-O whispered to John: THAT
don't apply to the Treasurer of the soci-
ETY., goodness knowsrD-these women,
who didn't know the value of money
any more than children, had gotten up
this grand fair. They had, the young
men said, begged quantities of goods
outright of all the dealers, and had got
quantities more at wholesale price, and
then sold their splendid and varied as
sOrtment below what any retail dealer
in town could afford. "Of COURSE
these young merchants said, bitterly,
"we cannot compete with fascinating,
brilliant women and bewitching young
ladies, who giUe their services, and
sell lower than we can import. The
consequence of this fair is that the
holiday trade we counted on for food
and clothing Tor our families and for
business security is gone out of sight,
"My friends" said Mrs. Lesley, "as
President of this association, and hence
responsible, beg your pardon for the
injustice we have shown you. 1t was
thoughtlessness; but | am Inundated
that women of mature years should
need to plead chiid's excuse"
Then she went on to say that al
though it would seem at first sight that
no such objection could be raised against
the sale of articles made by the ladies
themselves, there was one similar, and
nearly as strong. She said she knew
two or three women whose livelihood
was gained by the manufacture and sale
of fancy trihes. eff" she went on,
"we sold our goods for prices they
could make fair profit on, we should
have a right to compete with them.
But we beg the materials from our hus-
bands, give our own work, and then
undersell every one in the trade who
does not have our immense advantages
to start with"
Then she spoke of the time and
strength we women had put into this
fair; how some of US had injured our
health, and seriously defrauded our
homes of what was due from wives and
mothers. My conscience smote me at
that, for couldn't help thinking how
| hadn't read aloud to John for three