New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-07-07


ing that article; the bleacher had been
slow, and the presser impracticable; it
had been sent back once to be reshaped,
and then the lavender ribbon had proved
of scant measure, and had to be
matched; but at last, one hot day in
May, Nanny brought the queer old
handbook home from Mrs. Beers, and
Aunt Beulah held up her head-gear to
be commented on. It was really very
good-looking bonnet; the firm satin rib
bon was q pleasant tint, and contrasted
well with the pale color of the Leghorn,
and a judicious use of black lace gave IL
air of sobriety and elegance combined,
which pleased Miss Bculah's eve, ard
even moved Mrs. Smith to express ar .
probation.
"Well, Pm free to own it suits me-"
said the old lady, cycling the glass with
her head little on one side, as a bird
eyes worm. "It's neat, and it's be-
comm, as fur as bunnit can be said to
be becomin' to an old woman-though
/ amt really to call old: Mary Jane
Beers is older than me, and she amt but
seventy-three-jest as spry as a lark,
too. Yes; like the bunnit; but it docs
| sort of-seem-as though that there
bow want really in the middle of it.
What do you think, 'Lizy?''
Il don't see but what it's straight,
| Aunt Beulah.''
"'Tain't," said the spinster, firmly.
"Sary, you look at it,
Sarah's eye was truer than her moth.
er's. It's mite too far to the left,
Aunt Beulah; but l guess can fix it. )"
| "You let her take it, SAID Mrs.
Smith. "She's real good hand at
millinery; she made her own hat, and
Janey's, too. l should hate to have her
put her hand to that bunnit if she wa MT,
for it's real prctty-'specially for a
place like Dorset to get up"
clay it off on the table, Aunt Beu.
lab. Pm going up stairs to make my
bed, and I'll fetch my work basket
down: and fix that bow straight in a
jiffy."
swell, must go up too," said Mrs.
Smith, and followed Sarah out of the
room; but Miss Beulah, though duty
called her too, in the imperative shape
of batch of bread waiting to be mold
ed up, fingered little longer, posing
the bonnet on her hand, holding it off
to get distant view, turning it from
side to side, and, in short, behaving ex-
actly as younger and prctticr women do
over a new hat, even when it is \ mira.
/ Gle Of art from Paris, instead of q re-
vamped Leghorn from country shop.
| She laid it down, with a long breath
Of content, for taste and economy had
done their best for her; and then she
too left the room, never perceiving that
Jack and Janey had been all the time
deeply engaged under the great old
fashioned breakfast table. silently rip
| ping up a new doll to sec what was in
side it-silently, because they had an
inward consciousness that it was mis-
chief they were about, and Jack, at
least, did not want to be interrupted
till he was through. But he had not
been too busy to hear and understand
Aunt Beulah was pleased, and still
smarting from the switch with which
she had whipped his shoulders that very
morning for putting the CIT into the
cistern, he saw IN opportunity tor re-
venge before his eyes; he would hide
this precious bonnet 50 Aunt Beulah
could never find it again. How to do
this and not be found out was a prob
lem to be considered: but mischief is
| quick-wlttcd. There stood in the win
dow a large rocking chair, well stuffed
under its chintz cover, and holding a
plump soft feather cushion so big it
fairly overlooked the seat! Under this
cushion he was sure nobody would
think of looking; and to save himself
from consequences, he resolved to
make Janey cats-paw; SO he led her
up to the table, made her lift the
| precious hat and deposit it under the
cushion, which he raised for the pur-
pose, then carefully dropping the frill,
he tugged Janey, unwilling, but
scared and silent, out into the yard,
and impressing on her infant mind with
wild threats Of bears and guns that she
must never tell where the bonnet was,
he contrived to interest her in u new
play SO intensely that the bonnet went
utterly into oblivion, as far as she was
concerned; and when they were called
in to dinner, and she had taken her
daily nap, Janey had become as inno-
cent of mischief in her own memory as
the dolly who lay all disemboweled and
forlorn under the table.
| When Sarah came down and did not
find the bonnet, she concluded Aunt
Beulah had put it away in her own
room, for fear a sacrilegious fly or heed
less speck of dust might do it harm; so
size took up bit of lace she was knit
ting and went out into the porch, glad
to get into cool place, the day was SO
warm.
And when the bread was nodded up
| oh lon
her bonnet, supposed Sarah had taken
it upstairs to change the bow. She
was not an impatient woman, and the
matter was not pressing, so she said
nothing about the bonnet at dinner, but
hurried over that meal in order to finish
her baking. Mrs. Smith had not come
down again, for a morning headache
had SO increased upon her She had lain
down, so that no one disturbed the
rocking chair in which that bonnet lay
hid till Mrs. Blake, the minister's wife,
came III to make a call about four
O'clock. She was stout woman, and
the walk had tired her. Aunt Beulah's
hOspitable instincts were reused by that
red, weary face.
"You'rc dreadful warm, amt you,
Miss Blake?' said she. cts an
amazin' warm day for this time of year,
and it's consider BILE more a hen-hop
from your house up here. Lay your
Dunnit off, do, and set down in the
rocker. I'll tell Nanny to fetch some
shrub and water; our raspberry shrub
is good, if do say it, and it's KEEP over
as good as new" .....
So Mrs. Blake removed her bonnet
and sank down on that inviting cushion
with all her weight, glad enough to
rest, aud ignorant of the momentous
consequences. Her call was somewhat
protracted. After the whole village
news had been discussed, Mrs. Blake
rose to 60. tied on her bonnet, and said
good-by all round, quite as ignorant as
her hosts of all the remedies ruin she
had done.
twas tea-time now, and as they sat
about the table, Sarah said, 81 guess