The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-08-21
Mrs. Purdy's Parquisites.

summoned to the parlor, to see visitor
who had sent up neither card nor
name. AS we entered the room, an I'M
der-sized, wiry, active, elderly, quaint
looking woman rose to greet us. We
were struck at sight with the brightness
of her dark, handsome eyes, and the
russell redness OF her thin brown checks
Her dress was of calico, starched and
ironed to a miracle, and she wore an in
describable air of independent out-of-
fashionness, which took our fancy at
the start
She was living OF ranch not very
great way from San Francisco She was
born in England, had come over to this
country in her girlhood, had spent some
wears in Connecticut, had married in
Pennsylvania, had tried her fortunes in
the West, and had finally drifted to
California all of which we learned in
after conversation. and noted that her
speech bore evidence of her wanderings
She stood for moment confronting us,
while she dart-d forth Il keen look from
under the great round hat which was
tied down, Canada fashion, at the ears,
and projected immensely fore and aft.
"Be you tn. woman that writes in
the Pacific
81 take charge of column III the
Pacific, for the Woman's Board. Won't
YOU sit down. This interview promised
to be interesting
She dropped suddenly into her chair,
and revealed, as she did so, good-sized
covered basket, which stood by her side.
oval, now, am mighty glad that l
have found you Ny old man he takes
the Pacific, 'bein brought up a Congre-
gational, and | would read it for my
Sunday readin' -leastways your part CT
it partikeler, and very often permiskus,
too. So l felt kind O 'quainted with
you like; and thinks l to myself, the
very fust time l 90 to San Francisco
I'll take a run over TO Hoakland, and
see if l can make her out.
81 am very glad to see you-very
glad you like our column so well; We
want all our friends to like it.
"Wall, when you fust begun that col
umn, all about the missionaries and
SIGH, it kind o took me, and I determ-
ined l would do all l could to raise a
little money. I've knocked round the
world considerable myself, though not
doin' it for the heathen-which amt
sayin' | hadn't never found none; but
that amt neither here nor there. But
know by my own feelin's what it is to
be in strange country, and everything
queer and homesick like-let alone the
language, which must be powerful dis
couragin', especially if body's hard to
learn, which don't s'pose the mission
aries is, but some on'em may be- We
live on ranch here ways, with a
Jerk of the head-''and my old man he's
tolerably close; and no wonder, bein'
we've twict been burnt out, and moved
three times, and hain't no children to
look arter us bimeby, and old age acorn
in, if we live, and our sheep dyin' off in
the last year or two'-and she made a
sudden halt looking at us intently.
Here was evidently warm heart
one tina. had learned sympathy for 9th
ers by its own experience; one that was
too loyal likewise, to cast reflection on
anyone else in doing its own duty.
81 dare say" we replied, seeing that a
reply was expected, and not knowing
very well what else to say.
"Wall," she resumed. in a tone of
good -natured liberation, Il know he had
enough to see arter, and so | determined
to raise what money | could myself, and
give him no trouble about it. And of
course | make my own butter. So,
after that, when | chuined, l puts away
little each time in missionary jar,
which ! called Mexico, and we neither
on us ever missed it, and arter awhile
Mexico was full of butter, and we nc
wuss of. And byme-by | sold it, and
put away the money. Says ] to myself"
and smile came into her eyes
"that's my parquisites. Everybody
has parquisites in these days, and why
shouldn't ~
(Which it was all the same about
eggs-for of course We lays our own
eggs And says | to myself, "Now,
shall I parquisite two eggs out of every
dozen, or two layin hens 2 which con
cluded to pre-empt two layin' hens, me
namin' 'en Japan and Turkey And
bein' lonely like out there on the ranch,
and no one to talk to, | conversed with
-, ., IS ,oav wae FOLKS And I de-