The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-02-05

had something else to talk about.
These three ladies, in company with
Margaret Styles, another Methodist sis.
ter, called upon the West sisters, Mary
and Martha, two of the leading ladies OF
the Baptist society. They not only
called but they stayed all the forenoon
and took dinner.
This was ON Saturday. On Sunday
those six ladies occupied Miss Bailey's
pew in the Congregational church. The
little flock were so astonished that they
paid but little attention to the sermon,
and the minister went home with the
feeling that not a dozen in the whole
congregation could tell what his text
was.
Bosworth was now in state of intense
excitement. Such a thing had never
happened before. Many of the Congre-
gationalists called on Miss Betsey and
on Miss Sarah, all they could find out
was that the ladies went with them by
special invitation.
On Thursday night the six ladies at
tended class-meeting at the Methodist
vestry. Not only that, but Miss Jen-
'klns and Miss Martha Stiles both took
part IN the meeting.
What was to be done? Something,
certainly, for this state of things could
not exist long. The Baptists visited the
Misses Stiles, but all the information
they could get was that they went to
both places by invitation, and that Mar
tina felt moved to speak at the latter
place, and did so. And the Methodists
were no wiser for having called upon the
erring sisters.
The next Tuesday saw more mixing of
the sects, and M onday night there was a
gathering at Miss Betsey's residence of
all the ladies engaged in the conspiracy.
Sixteen ladies were present, and-was it
chance?-all were maiden ladies of so
years and over. From this time forward
there was great intimacy between these
ladies. In vain they tried to induce
others to join them; at the end of three
months their band still numbered only
sixteen.
Betsey and Sarah talked the matter
over and concluded to open another chap
ter of their plan. They were not disap-
pointed In in getting only sixteen ladies
! to join them; III fact, that was nearly
double the number they had hoped to
| get in the beginning.
! A few days later notice appeared on
the door of the Baptist store, to the eff
| feet that it had been sold to Miss BETSY
Bailey. About the same time, one APP
! peared on the Congregationalist store,
saying 1t had been sold to Miss Sarah
| jenkins. Both stores were closed, and
the people all had to go to the only re-
naming store in town, the Methodist, if
they would buy anything.
| Both the ladies next called on the
Methodist brother, and he readily agreed
to take all the goods from the other
stores, if he could thereby get the whole
trade of the town. He knew from bitter
experience that one store was all the
town could support, and he at once be-
gan to help the ladies in their scheme,
though he was not aware of the part he
was taking, Hooking only at the fact
that he could make more money by the
change. This plan of the ladies was a
partial success, for the inhabitants fell
right into this arrangement because they
could not help it.
Still they would not visit, nor attend
any but their own church, and three
months more passed and still only the
sixteen maidens belonged to the visiting
company. So chapter number three
was opened.
One morning the train brought to the
village very pretty young lady and four
trunks. Such thing was not common
occurrence and the depot loungers soon
spread the news, stating also that Miss
Bailey was there to meet her, and that
the young lady called her Auntie. It
soon came out who she was, and it was
rumored that her stay in Bosworth
might be permanent.
She was the daughter of Miss Bailey's
sister, who had died when Rosie was
only four years old. Miss Bailey
claimed the child then, but the father
wished her to remain with his folks, and
Miss Bailey was Of course forced to give
up her claim for the child Her father
was now dead, and she had come to live
with Aunt Betsey, whom she had always
loved as a mother.
At first she was rather lonely, but
when Monday night came, and with it
tho meeting of the sixteen unsectarian
maidens, she had enough to think of.
She was of course admitted to the coun-
Gil, and was much amused at the state of
society. When the meeting adjourned,
she said to her aunt:
"Don't the young people visit %
mot outside of the denominations to
which they belong"
"Don't Baptist ever marry a Metho-
dist, or something of that sort 2"
"Not within the memory of the oldest
inhabitant
q don't see how it is possible that a
town can survive with such goings on"
said Miss Rose more to herself than to
her aunt.
We don't survive, we merely exist.
! The town has been worse than dead ever
since [ have been here, and we maiden
ladies have been trying to do something
to improve it.
GO think, auntie, you have done we'll,
but you have started at the wrong end.
Let me try and help you?"
Certainly you can. / have hoped
since [ got your letter, that you would
| help us IN some way when you came.
Do whatever you wish, and ] will lend
all the aid in my power"
Rosie did not unfold her plan to her
aunt, but at once began to carrie it out:
/ The next Sunday saw her at the Congre-
| gational church, dressed in the most be-
coming manner, and every one pro-
nounced her the prettiest girl they had
ever seen. After church she went to the
Sunday school, learning the names of
all the young ladies and gentlemen near
her own age. Next Sunday she was at
the Baptist's, attending both church and
Sunday And the next was de-
voted to the Methodist society.
Then there was a stir. Miss Rosie
A. 70 1orfx- of