The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-10-13

| pullb luulTOU, WHO lOOReQ as IL Sl0 nae
plenty Of opinions of her own, ant
could express them when occasion re
quired.
Gracious % calculated little Mrs
Bisbee, with short laugh "who ever
see that pocketbook anyway? I never
did, an l don't b'lieve any Of you have
either" -ftE ..ft
ga cents as big as cart-wheel tc
her," said the big square woman, who
didn't love Miss Mirandy to death
"It all runs in the family. They
wouldn't any of 'em open their mouths
to breathe, if they didn't get somethin
at the same time they Civ it out"
"Well, she won't put anythin' in nel
mouth this time" observed the
"Square's wife," laughing, and settling
back comfortably. "It's the first sewin
meetin', guess, where she's gone home
before tea"
can it means somethin' to go home
before tea from Mrs, Deacon Higby's, "
exclaimed little Mrs. Bisbee, enthusi-
astically, with an energetic bob of her
black curls over at the hostess. $50
she's lost her cake an credit, too"
"I don't know" said Mrs. Deacon
Highly, deprecatingly, though she wrig-
gled all over with delight at the implied
praise to her suppers. "My doughnuts
amt so light as usual, an the loaf cake
amt riz quite as I'd like it. The
deacon came home last night in chill
an I run in the midst of everythin' to
give him q camfre sweat. So didn't
hev as good luck as set out to hev."
Notwithstanding these lamentable
failures, the round, comfortable visage
of Mrs. Deacon Highly presented a
series of rippling smiles that threat
ened to eclipse every feature of her ex-
pressive face, while she smoothed her
fat hands complacently together.
"Oh, well, you can talk" said little
Mrs. Bisbee, energetically, and begin
ming to count up her list of subscrip-
tions to the parsons new coat, "but we
all know, as we'll as the next one, what
your cookin' is. Fifteen, twenty, twenty
one, no, twenty-two-Mrs. Spencer
Higginson's makes twenty-two-twenty-
FIVE, twenty-eight, thirty, thirty one
thirty-oDe and q quarter. Oh, dear
what pity 'twarn't just thirty-two"
"I'll make it up," said the Squares
wife," quickly, enjoying the distinction
Of being the only woman in the room
to whom dollar or two more or less
didn't make matter worth a moments
consideration. Now, then, thirty-two
dollars ought to git frst.rate article.
Where'l we buy it? that's the ques-
ton"
Hereupon ensued lively discussion,
the deacon's wife favoring employing
the village tailor, and, as he was second
cousin 10 her husband, family reasons
might have something to do with her
opinion. Some of the ladies falling in
with her, the idea would soon have
been c,rried, but for the warlike, de-
termined attitude of the other party,
who decidedly favored the ccat being
made at of town.
"TWill be lots more stylish" said
Mrs. Bassett, the "Square's wife," with
an nndeniable air that took immensely.
81 shan't approve in the least its being
done here. When We give anything,
let's give good one. How should We
feel to see the parson up in the pulpit
with anything but the best on l''
TIE view of the parson from his high
perch dispensing spiritual things, with
anything less than q town made coat
adjoining his person, was a sight that
even in imagination so filed the circle
with disfavor that the whole roomful in
body went over Immediately to the
side of the Squares wife" All but
Mrs. Deacon Highly. She remained
firm, while the round visage heightened
ominously. and the little eyes snapped.
can if you think 'Biah Williams
would make any but good coat, you're
much mistaken she cried, with indig-
nation. 81 must take back my sub.
scription then, for the deacon never'd
hear to my given his second cousin on
his mothers sido sech an insult, eff the
parson never saw coat" And, all her
feathers ruffled, she sat straight up, and
glared at them all.
Now it never would do to offend
Deacon Highly in all the world; every
body saw that at glance; so, with many
sidelong looks at each other, each lady
began to cast about how she might
gracefully wriggle back on to the other
side without arousing the wrath of the
Squares wife"
"I s'pose we had orter employ our
own church people," said little Mrs.
Bisbee, thoughtfully, seeing no one
else was willing to take it up. can,
besides," she added, brightly, "p'r'aps,
seem it's for the parson, 'Biah Williams
may do it considerable cheaper. So
we'll save a good deal"
81 don't know whether he will or
not" said the deacon's wife, sturdily.
"I amt in 'Biah's business, an amt
a-goin' to say what I don't know nothin'
about. But do say, if the job is taken
away from him, an he church mem
ber in good an regular standin', to give
it out down in the city, why, the deacon
IL be so mad he won'G git over it in one
spell, 1 can tell you!"
"Yes, / do think" said little Mrs.
Bisbee, refectively, and giving swift,
comprehensive look at the "Sqaure's
wife" a. the same time that she adj
ministered, under the big table where
the work was being cut out, an admoni-
tory pinch on that lady's toes, "that
probably 'Biah Williams won't charge
near so much. We don't know, you
know, but probably he won't. An
then, besides, 'twould look rather queer
to heV us go outside, you know, to git
some one else to do the work. They'd
think the First church in Buzzville'
had quarreled, maybe; )" and she fin
ished up with laugh.
$50 they would, so they would"
cried every lady present, delighted to
find that some one else had done them
tba onod service of WhirlinQ them over