Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1881-03-05

his own roou,s<- 80.
In the evening Kttie said TO her
father:
"Those garments you wanted mend
ed. father, hang up in the closet beside
your Sunday Ones" 49,. -......
THAT'S right, my dear; you'll make
good wife yet for somebody" he an
swcred sncouragingly, while Kittie
smothered a hypocritical little laugh.
The convention was here, and the
parishioners' houses were crowded with
guests. The deacon's homo contained
for guests, with the minister, Prof.
Primstock and wife, Mr.. and Mn. Mer-
ryday, Rev. Lycumgood, wife and sister,
but extra help left thehostess and Kittie
time to entertain them. In the after
noon of the second day there was sort
of intermission for the tired convention.
MIR. Stanley came in from doing the
"chores" he had finished rather early and
proceeded to his room for the purpose of
enrolling himself in his meeting
clothes" for the deacon was very care
full of these, and would have thought it
a sacrilege to have worked in them. In
an instant the door-beQ rang, and two
reverends and wives came IN for a chat,
when, hearing his name called, he hur-
ried into his coat and through the din
ing-room, where Kittie stood speechless
from fright, and stood among his guests.
Poor deacon He was not very observ-
ing, or his eyes were not as good as
they once were, or the closet was dark.
And, then, it being darling hobby Of
his to frown upon rllffies and ribbons,
puf1s ana trimmings, he considered it
sacred duty to give lecture on the
oily of these vanities before giving his
daughter the wherewithal for procuring
them. He was doomed to a great trial.
He hadn't taken three steps into the
room before thirteen pairs Of eyes were
fixed upon him with all the horror and
severity that twenty-six eyes We're capa-
ble of expressing.
Mrs. Stanley feebly calculated,
flames !" Two of the divines forcibly
remarked, "Ahem! ahem y and one Of
the reverend's wives added, in a stage
whisper, Mercy On usy' Then Mr..
Stanley, following their eyes to his feet,
stood spellbound. There he was, arrayed
in a garment rnrivalcd even by Joseph's
coat of many colors, l verify believe, and
bedecked in the most wonderful and fam.
tastical manner ever perceived by mortal
man or woman. There were those three
beloved garments he had terderly yield
ed to Kittie's fashioning, and evidently
about five times rs many more, made
into one. There was huge striped
patch, bound with yellow, on one knee,
and checked one, bound with green,
on the other. A strip of blue extended
up one leg, and strip of white up the
other. An attempt had been made to
lengthen them, and around one ankle
was knife-pleating of black cashmere;
around the other q ruffle of gray pOplin,
both headed by puff of gay calico.
Little gay.ribbon bows and streamers
were generously distributed over the
garment, and lovely little pocket of
wine-colored velvet, edged with white
lace, stitched ON one side, completed the
"mending."
The deacon stared, and the more he
gazed the more his wonder grew, and,
overcome by the sight, he pulled his
bandana out, mopped his face, ex-
claimed, "Gracious me-" sank helpless
ly down in the nearest chair, and fell to
gazing at himself again. 1t was quite
evident he had made mistake in the
garments, but where those came from
was entirely beyond his conception. I
don't know but they would have sat
staring at the deacon until this time if
the minister hadn't laughed. Laughter
is wonderfully contagious, especially
among divines, even if people do think
otherwise, and few seconds of that
healthy exercise brought back the dea-
cons scattered ideas, and his first ejacu-
lation was, "Where is that Kittie?"
But Kittie wasn't to be found, and
somehow the minister explained to
them all that it was joke Of Kittie's,
and the deacon had just got into the
wrong garments, and they all knowing
the deacon's popularity accepted in
wonderful good nature.
As Kttie did not return, Mrs. Stanley
sent the minister over to Susie Lees,
where.Kittie was most likely to be, with
the message that she was forgiven, and
to come home.
Poor Kittie was mortified enough. but
when she arrived home, and the guests
made more of heroine of her than cir.
! cumstance deserved, and she found the
deacon didn't look q bit angry and her