Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-08-13
~ conldn,t mn s,cb y sa,d Dalrhv

SOb bllllo w Win. AL ucIb Odlllb "
sen'in' fer me to come an tell her what's
the matter with the baby-says he takes
spells of squallin' hisself black an
skeerin' her an Johnny till their hair
STAINS on eend. I'll hey to go over to-
morrer, though don'treckon it's nothin'
more'n nettlerash. couldn't take nary
stitch 'twixt this an the festible 4 |
wanted to-"
"Don't ye low Miss Jinnins could
make We polly-what We call itP"
"Mussy! She's got so much SEWN
on hand she wouldn't make as much as
p night-cap-not for nobody, maxim
dresses for all them Steepleville girls!"
Delphy's energetic voice scared up a
shrill pipe at this climax.
"We-ell," spoke Ephraim, slowly,
"wouldn't nary enc of the neighbors
make We ne-not nightcap, polly
whatever 'tisP"
"My sakes! what an idy!" said Del
ply; "they're every one as busy as the
kin be an buster too a-sewin' fer the
festible, an would make me raothin', let
alone l AMT got nothin' to make am
don't want it no way, cause low to
wear the red polonaise; an Eph, it's
jest naturally meanness in you not a.
wantin' me to wear it,"
Eph walked out of the kitchen rubbing
his eyebrow meditatively.
"P'raps it's weekid," he said, shut l
KANT help a-hatin' that red polly.
Shucksl | KANT never remember the
rest of it."
Toward the close of the next after
noon, Mrs. Pickles returned from her
daughters home.
81 knowed," she muttered as she
neared her own door, "wasn't nothin'
the matter with that little limb only bad
ness" She had come the back way
through the orchard. The sitting-room
window was open, and from within she
heard the smothered exclamation
"Shucks!" ....... '.t...
"What kin Eph be about?" she Won
dered. She took off her sunbonnet, tip
toed to the window, and peeped over
the sill Even then she could not imme-
diately discover what Eph was about.
There he was on the floor, on his hands
and knees, looking like some kind OF
queer, gigantic bug, his face expressing
the most exaggerated perpleXity. A
large piece of calico, half unrolled, was
spread before him, and beside it lay the
sheep-shears and an old polonaise OF
Delphy's, Eph glaring at them all in
puzzled despair. At length he picked
up the polonaise, and after cycling all
the seams intently, laid it upon the cal
leo, and cautiously took up the shears
but paused irresolutely, scratching his
nose with the points.
"Ef | knowed how in common sense
this here mess of gathers an wrinkle
was cut, l could do it," he soliloquized
"rd give apretty to know whether they
cut 'em tuSt, or sew 'em into the calico
an then cut 'em." He laid down The
shears and settled into his former posi-
ton, still surveying the calico as if t
find Il solution of the mystery therein.
As for Delphy, outside, she sat dowl
upon an old flower pot, wiping her sud
denly fearful eyes upon the cape of he
bonnet.
"Bless him." said she, she's a.tryin!
to cut me polOnaise, his own selfP II
him, a.cuttin' me a polOnaise! he
went an bought the stuff, too, an nj
a-treatin' him like dog. Lord forgiv,
my weekidress, an | won't never do i
again. An the Lord bless him. A.tryin
to cut me a polonaise! That beats me-
an with the sheep.shears!" After an
other burst of tears Delphy jumped u
and ran in.
"Eph!" she cried, "honey, you kahn
never cut it. Let it alone, an I'll fin
the time somehow. An | won
necer wear the red thing nor nothin
you don't want me to, the long
est day live. Oh, Eph, my suga
love, to think you was a-tryin' to cut m
a polonaise with the sheep-shears.
And she ran into Eph's arms, he havin,
risen to his feet, and cried against hi
butternut coat
"You needn't to cry, honey" SAT-
Eph, patting her head. 81 didn't cut ii
so it amt spilled, nor the sheep-shear
amt neither. But, Dclphy, chile"-
and the twinkle of humor in bis eye
changed to a kindly, serious look, "I'v
been kinder thinkin' maybe the Lor
wouldn't like fer us to be quar'lin' S
over nothin' at our time of life, Std @
dom what we could for His glory.
awe won't do it no MORE" said De-
ply.
And the next day she cut up the re
polonaise to make twelve pincushion
for the fancy fair (and thus it was n
longer bone Of discord, but b!essin
in disguise) into dozen things of beau
ty, and probably joys forever-unt
moths and time shall take away thei
glOry.-DenOreSt'S Monthly.