The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-02-26

street, perhaps you had better 60 past
DIR. Gross Sits nice and dry down
that way. And oh, goodness! that re-
minds me that promised to send my
dollar for the missionary. society to Mrs
Gross early this week. It was due last
month, but l couldn't possibly pay it,
and it won't do to let it run on any
longer. So, Kitty, you'll have to stop
there and give her a dollar. / don't
see that there's any other way, . and
with a sigh at the remembrance of this
unexpected debt, Mrs. Waters took her
dusting cloth and went to work, solilo-,
quizing; "That ends the chance of
buying. Clara the scarf; but it would
never have done to let that missionary
money 90 unpaid. Mrs. Gross is Presi-
dent now, and they say she has made a
rule that if any are IN arrears she will
read out their names before the whole
society. l don't believe in any body
being so fierce, for my part!"
She went on vigorously with her
work, and had just completed her dust
ing when Kitty returned with the
change, and q somewhat ambiguous
message Of thanks from Mrs. Gross
a" that she was much obliged for the
dollar, as it was better late than never,'
which only elected from Mrs. Waters a
dry - ahem!''
"Wen, Kitty" she said, after
pause, "you may run and play now.
This afternoon you can go with Clara
to pay Mrs. Weeks. / feel really
ashamed to think how longI have kept
that poor woman waiting for that tri-
fling amount. She told me she needed
it to pay on her winters coal, and her
rent would soon be due, too, and she
scarcely knew how-she was going to
get along. If we could afford to hire
our sewing done, l would always en-
ploy her, for she seems so conscientious
and anxious to please. I've been try
ing to interest some of the ladies in our
set in her behalf and secure work for
her .
And Just here I must reveal to the
reader that this fact of being regarded
as a member of this same tsset - to
which she had just referred, was
source of infinite satisfaction to Mrs.
Waters. 1t was a sort of panacea for
the inconvenience of having a limited
purse-a soothing balm for all life's
annoyances. This coterie consisted of
the wives of nearly all the well-to-do
men of the village, as well as few 9th
ers of more slender means, whose gen
tility and general respectability, like that
of our friend Mrs. Waters, ave them a
footing.
Counting over the money that Kitty
had placed in her hand, she was in the
act of dropping it into her purse when a
peal from the door-bel announced -an
arrival.
"W Who can it be, this drizzly day2''
she calculated. 4" wonder what brings
people out so early in the morning!
| do hope it is no one to call on me, for
| I'd almost as soon see a sewing -n1achine
man or book agent coming, as lady
caller, this time of day.
The visitor proved to be Mrs. Judge
Jones, the acknowledged leader of the
ton of Millville, who, after the usual ex-
change of compliments, apologized for
her unreasonable call. 'fOf course you
have heard that we are going to lose
Mrs. Wilcox" she began, {" and I told
some of our ladies that it wouldn't do
| to let her go away without making her
a present. We have been talking of a
nice water-set. What do you think of
itP"
Mrs. Waters was aghast. She was
\ lexpected to contribute toward silver
w;lter-pitcher, goblets and salveri How
could she confess to her fashionable
friend that she had not a cent to give
that the little, pitiful sum IN her purse
belonged to another, because she O1Oed
it to anotherP Fortunately for her, Mrs.
Jones did not wait for a reply, but rat
tied glibly on. 81 have headed the list
with So; Mrs. Gross and Mrs. Richards
each gave me $3, and Mrs. Martin 81 /;
but what do you thinkP Mrs. Elgin
would only contribute a dollar! l de-
clare l wouldn't act as small and as
mean as that for any thing. didn't
dream she was so stingy, although !
did hear once that she wouldn't allow
her hired help to eat butter. Well, -
glancing over the list which she held in
her hand, s'I've done pretty we'll for a
istormy morning. l have $14 already,
and if you have five dollars to give it
viii help matters along nicely" and she
beamed gracious smile on Mrs. Wa
ters. -.-..- r
Poor Mrs Waters! To have turned
away an importunate book agent or
troublesome peddler, with the confession
that she had no money or couldn't
afford it, was an easy task, but to ac-
knowledge TO Mrs. Judge Jones, above
all persons, that she was too poor to
aid in making this present, required an
amount of moral courage of which she
was not capable. Confused thoughts OF
Clara shabby tippet, contrasted with
visions of the bright new scarf she had
been promised the new gloves she her
self needed; the child's magazine to
which, for weeks past, Kitty had been
begging her to subscribe; the recollec-
ton of the 25 cents she had reluctantly
furnished last week for little Ralph to
give to the fund gotten up to make his
Sabbath h-school teacher a Christmas
gift; the dime given to Clara the week
before for the same purpose; the re-
- membrance of her own remark at the
time, that it was nothing but ''give,
give all you had, - and the consciousness
that here sat Mrs. Jones, who never had
known in all her life what it was &c
want for money, asking as sweetly fol
SO as though it were the merest trifle-
all these thoughts, and host more
fitted through her brain in a jumhled-
up mass as she sat gazing at her visitor
- We are all to meet at Col. Wilcox's
to present the gift the night before they
leave for Florida" pursued the lady
adjusting her damp ruffleS as she spoke
% and as we will have to get the water.
set from the city, we must order it a
soon as / am sure of all the money, anC
believe you haven't yet told me wha
you viii give; only please, dear Mrs
RuSCESs U0h y lUltON MIS- Ely III ; ON
} ample,'' and she laughed heartily.
Mrs. Waters's hand nervously wen
into her dress pocket. % She win %
I away and say uglier things about me
than she has about Mrs. Elgin if re
fuse,' was her mental comment . L
would look mean, too, I dare saw, wheT
I've always protested such friendship fol
} Mrs. WilcoX-though, the dear knows
Mrs. Wilcox can afford to make me
present of 8 fiftv-dollar Gift better than