The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-03-22
Sixteen Old Maids.

DOSWORTH was a nice little village
ID of some five hundred inhabitants,
and boasted of three churches, the Con-
gregational, Baptist and Methodist,
while handful of Unitarians gathered
occasionally at the town hall, and a few
Adventists went to the next village,
five miles distant, to worship. The
three first mentioned societies were as dis
tinct from each other as black is from
white. Not only were they not on
visiting terms with each other, but the
the three stores showed that they did
not even trade together. The Oldest in
habitant could not remember when this
was not so; but the time had come for a
revolution, and with this our story has
to do.
Miss Betsey Bailey, an elderly maiden
lady, was sitting alone in her quiet
home, when all at once she broke out
with:
We'll do declare. Here we be liv-
ing alone in this heathenish way year
after year, and we consider ourselves
Christians. It's a shame that five hun
dred people can't live in harmony when
so many of us are church members"
The cat,which was sleeping quietly on
Miss Betsey's lap, jumped down, for Miss
Betsey had gesticulated in that direc-
ton in such a manner as to inflict quite
rap on the sleeping tabby.
"Well, DECLARE" said Miss Betsey,
4" If didn't get SO eloquent as to scare
the cat. 1 think must have been born
for female orator."
After this she sank back in her chair,
apparently asleep, but was not; her mind
was busy over plan which she meant
to put into immediate operation. 1t was
very late that night when she arrived at
afinal conclusion and of course she must
wait until morning before she could be-
gin. So excited had she become that it
was long past midnight before she retir-
ed, and then it was not to sleep.
Early next morning she called on her
most intimate acquaintance and neigh
Dor, Miss Sarah Jenkins.
"Sarah, I've got a notion, and it's so
seldom that Pm ever troubled with such
thing that had to come right over and
tell you before lost it. Do you feel able
this morning to take hold Of, one of the
the grandest, noblest and brightest ideas
the world has ever pondered on ?'
"Why, Betsey for land sakes don't
scare a body to death. You are not 60
ing to set the river afire, are your"
"Not so bad as that, hope; but if we
don't turn this town upside down inside
of three months, then my name isn't
Betsey."
"We2 I hope you dou't mean to in
clude me in this grand scheme" p"
"But do. You are the very one I
want for my right-hand man."
"The idea of an old maid like me
lending aid to the grandest and
noblest--n
Hold on, Sarah, don't repeat that
sentence, please; the very walls have
ears, and would not have a word of
this get out for the world. All you've
got to do is to listen to me, and when
you've heard my story you'll agree with
me to the letter. 1fyou don't, won't
ask you to help me bit. Just hand
me your knitting and I'll knit and talk
l was in such hurry to get here this
morning that forgot my work. can't
talk though, unless Pm doing some
thing"
Betsey then proceeded to lay the
scheme before her friend, who, when
she had concluded, not only agreed to
help her, but offered some very valuable
suggestions. So eager were they with
plans that the noon hour slipped by and