American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-07-27
WHO KNowse

honey -suckle vine outside my window
that couldn't sleep. The moon was
still in the sky, but aveiled yet luminous
spieador in the east, told that the day
was breaking-the day of June that be-
gan my twenty-seventh year. When 1
say that was woman, and add that I
was unmarried, and, worst of all, that
I had lost for good the requisite energy
that held forth any promise in that di-
rection, it will naturally be thought that
1 shall make but a sorry heroine; and
1t Is just because of these discouraging
facts that want to jot down this little
experience of a day, as a sort of
consolation to that suffering part of my
sex who have latent hopes, long linger-
ing, unful6lled, at times at the last
gasp, then Pickering up again with q
sickly tenacity most painful to contem-
plate. But who knows what day may
bring fortha Who knowsa
went about on tiptoe, not to awak-
en- mamma; andI took it as q piece of
ingratitude that when she came down to
breakfast, and began to enjoy the toast
had so nicely Drowned for her, and the
egg had SO nicely poached for her,
and to sniff the fragrance of a bunch of
honeysuckles that had scrambled for at
the risk of a sprained ankle and the
cost of shower of morning dew upon
my clean calico-I though in mean of
mamma to begin about that church fes-
tival before the day had fairly begun.
I'm 50 glad it's fine weather, Jane, ~
said mamma, with great urbanity of
tone and manner. "I thought I'd get
up early, so that you could roach the
church in good season; and wouldn't
waste any flowers in the house, dear
I'd keep them all for your table"
You know very well, mammal 1
replied, % that I'm not going to have q
table. I've served my apprenticeship
ut tables. Long ago, when was young
and fair, wore white, with my hair
curling about my shoulders, and had the
flower table, and enjoyed it. Later on,
put my hair up, and had a fancy ia
BILE, and endured it with great resigna-
tion. Last year I had recourse to
switch to exc out my scanty locks, and
was compelled reluctantly to take the
Post-ofice. This year I sha'n't have
any thing; in fact, mamma, I'm not 60
ing to the festival"
! Mamma put down her bit of toast,
and turned absolutely pale.
s. Not going to the festivalp'' she
echoed, mounfully.
"N0, mamma" I said, beginning al
ready to plead my case. "Can't have
one birthday to MYSELF I'm 81 years
old to-day"
"Oh, hush, Jane,," said my poor
mother. I" You scream so, the Hunters
next door will hear you, and blurt it all
over the place. I'm not deaf. If you
choose to give up all chance of-of So
ciety. and neglect your Christian duties,
and refuse to help the church along,
why, of course, have nothing to say,
only must in that case go myself
"YouI" I cried. Sc You'll be sick for
. month afterward; you haven't been
able to do any thing Of that kind for
years"
81 know it, Jane; but if you refuse
TO do these things, 1 must. I know L
shall be Frustrated with the heat, and
my nerves will be shattered, and you
are young and strong, and still attrac-
tive enough to compete with any young
lady in the place, and might, verify
believe, if you were not so obstinate and
headstrong, be surrounded and admired
rs you used to be, and you might, for
my sake, Jane, at least attend these lit
lie entertainments"
Mamma put her handkerchief to her
eyes, and yielded; groaned in flesh
and in spirit, but yielded. After had
tidied up the work, and settled mamma
in the cool shady sitting-room, upon her
Savorite lounge, with nice book at her
hand, and q palm-leaf fan close by---for
the day was growing hot---I twisted up
my hair before the glass, with many a
sour mocking grimace at the dark, thin.
discontinued face therein, put on an ug
" brown linen dress, a calabash of hat,
and went of to the church.
MY mother looked after me with such
misery in her face that I called back to
her would wear something nice in the
evening.
xviii you wear your rose-colored
trspee" pleaded mamma.