The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-02-26

adjusting her damp ruffies as she spoke,
"and as we will have to get the water
set from the city, we must order it as
soon as l am sure of all the money, and
/ believe you haven't yet told me what
you will give; only please, dear Mrs.
Waters, don't follow Mrs. Elgin's ex-
AMPLE" and she laughed heartily.
Mrs. Waters's hand nervously went
into her dress-pocket. "She will go
away and say uglier things about me
than she has about Mrs. Elgin if re-
fuse," was her mental comment. {" 1t
would look mean, too, dare say, when
I've always professed such friendship for
Mrs. Wilcox-though, the dear knows!
Mrs. Wilcox can afford to make me a
present of a fifty-dollar gift better than I
can afford to give fifty cents toward get
ting her one." Then mastering up a
smile, she said aloud: "I'm somewhat
short of money to-day. Where there
are children there are so many calls on
ones purse, you KNOW" and she smiled
again as if to make her visitor fully un-
derstand that her contribution was a
matter of course. ''But here are two
dollars-all that happen to have just
now-f you choose to accept so small
an amount!''
"Accept itP Certainly, with thanks -
responded Mrs. Jones gayly, taking the
proffered silver and dropping it into her
own plethoric pocket book. "And now
must be Off"
Mrs. Waters bowed adieu to the
Judges wife with smile on her lips,
but feeling at her heart akin to guilt
"What coward l am,'' she said,
sinking into the nearest chair and COW
ering her face with her hands. 60 How
can ever face poor Mrs. Wicks and
tell her again that she must waltz" And
then, in a more energetic tone: s. It
seems to me the Millville people are
running the giving business entirely
into the ground lately. If man moves
out of town his entire circle of acquaint-
ances feel bound forthwith to buy him
gold-headed cane, with the donors
names inscribed on it, and have big
presentation speech and have it report
ed in all the newspapers; or if a school
ma'am gets married, or a Sabbath
school teacher happens to have birth
day, or married couple celebrate a
wedding anniversary, Heaven and earth
must be moved to raise money to get
them silver-plated gimcrack of some
sort! Even the children are infected with
the mania; Clara and Kitty each must
have quarter at the end of every school
term to help buy the teacher brass
napkin-ring or cheap pickle castor And
to think of Mrs. Jones asking me for
five dollars! l wonder if that woman
thinks I'm made of gold? | ought Just
to have been independent and told her
frankly that l couldn't give her any
thing, and let her think what she
pleased; and, if the facts were known,
III warrant that, with the exception of
Mrs. Richards, not one of those ladies
on that list but gave her money reluct-
antly. I'm ashamed to tell John about
it. Men have just such trials, however,
as well as women, for I've heard John
say a score of times that he is often
forced to contribute to objects that he
knows he really can not without de-
frauding himself or his creditors, and
that he has to do it or be considered
mean-spirited. Dear me, if the secret
history of many of the gold-watch and
silver tea-set presentations that sound
so imposing in the papers were written
up too, I'm thinking that the back
ground of how the money was raised
would tarnish good deal of their lus-
ter.''
Mothers eyes are as red as if she'd
been crying" whispered Kitty to Clara
that evening at supper, while little Ralph
in childish pity, feeling that something
was wrong, slipped his hand caressingly
over that of Mrs. Watkins and said
/ won't make speck of noise to-
night, mamma, if your head aches.''
.'Dear child!" thought she, sshead-
ache is easier to endure than heart
ache.''
The night appointed for the giving of
the waterset duly arrived. The resi-
dence of the Wilcox's was surrounded,
surprised and taken possession of by
laughing party of ladies and gentlemen;
cake and cream were ordered from
neighboring restaurant by the gallant
Colonel; the presentation speech was
made in his most happy style by Judge
Jones, and the whole affair pronounced
i" a perfect success" One person alone
seemed sad and distraite. Between her
self and all the gayety and laughter, the
shallow jokes and real witticisms, there
came to Mrs. Waters the constantly re-
curing vision of patient, pale-faced
needle-woman, whose outstretehed
hand seemed to ask, not charity, but for
that which was rightfu1ly hers, and
whose white lips seemed to say, ssYou
have sinned. ~ Country Gentleman.