The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-12-23
ACOUNTRY QUILTING.

Not more than ten ladies could quilt
at once, SO tho others gathered with
their sewing in an interested circle
about Miss Angela Button, who at that
moment held forth on the marriage
question. She and her sister Josina
We're weil-kuown spinsters, who lived
alone and were regarded with proper
respect and no small degree of neigh
bOrly affection.
81 sometimes wonder,'' said Miss
Angela, ''that there amt more old
maids than there is. OF course Josina
and me have :, home such as every
body can't have, but look at the poor
women who marry into unhappy ones.
DON'T think as Pm retlectin' on you
foll1s,' and she waved her hand ma
jestic:,lly, "but you do know there's
many 4 woman rs is sorry she mar
rcd, an whenever me an JOsina think
it's hard to live the way we do, we can
always content ourselves with sayin' it
might have been worse"
"Ycs, an we couldn't live for nobody
now, but ourselves,' added meek little
.Josina, rs though comforting herself
with an oft-repeatcd expression.
"Wcll, there's drawbacks to every
side Of Il question:" put in Mrs. Jones,
brlskly, as she shipped oifa thread :,
sbut there's them that's happy and
them that amt, an in my opinion it's
the natural way for people to be hap
pier married"
s'Yes, but just see how divorces are
increasing, which goes to show how
much unhappiness there is in married
life,' said Mrs. Deacon Shell with a
convincing air.
ssI Can tell the reason there's more
divorces. The girls nowadays pick up
the first handsome chap they see, and
git married before they know what it
means-a good many of 'en do. By
the time they git acquainted with
their husbands they're ready for di-
vorce, am if it don't come the unhap-
piness does anyway" and Mrs. Jones
emphasized her remarks by another
spiteful snip.
"Oh, but there are some inconpati-
bic tempers, you know, Mrs. JONES'"
replied Mrs. Shell calmly
ssThere's a deal O. things to learn,
but the hardest is the :tWo bears"
"Whcn L was married, mother says
to me, Lucy, don't forget to bear and
forbear,' and 1 often remembered her
words,' and placid Mrs. Peabody
smiled quiet little smile at her
thoughts.
s.It don't matter, so long as mothers
neglect to educate their girls to take
the right view of matrimOny, the trou-
BILE will remain," remarked one philOs-
opher, with no daughter of her own.
aGirls are giddy creatures, and need
careful training in all things,'' said
Mrs. Wilson across the quilt.
ESPECIALLY when they get to the ro-
mantle age" laughed her neighbor, as
she threaded her needle.
The ladies at the quilt were now re-
licved by the other party, and the con-
versation changed to different topics.
The hostess and her daughter soon be-
took themselves to the kitchen, from
whence certain savory odors announced
the preparation Of supper. A party of
ladies strolled out in the garden, among
them Angela and Josina Button.
sIdeclare !" said Mrs. Jones, as she
prickcd her finger through the quilt,
81 always feel sorry for Josina when
anything is said about marriage. The
poor thing feels it quite a cross to be an
old naid.'
uAngcla doesn't seem to mind it at
all,' said Mrs. Shell.
"Perhaps she wasn't disappointed as
Josina was" returned the other.
"Why, did Josina have real dis
appointment: DO tell it," asked
young Mrs. Crimp with romantic in
tcrest.
"Ten years ago." began Mrs. Jones,
"Josina was a right pretty girl, and
viii Ringlort, well-to-do young man,
her lover. lie took it into his head to
go to California before they were mar
ried, and for nine years she hasn't
heard a word from him.'
tsPoor thing no wonder she looks so
sad ~ was Mrs. Crimp's plying cXcia-
nation.
"Sho never forgets herself, and 1
don't think"
"Sh-h, somebody is coming" warm
ed Mrs. Jones, holding up a finger.
But it was only the hostess who an
nounced the arrival of the "men
folks" and invited the ladies out to
supper.
Later in the evening the young folks
of the neighbochood dropped in, and
after a faint attempt at the quilt, the
older guests Joined in the general mer-
rimcnt. Everybody was soon deep i'll
the enjoyment of blindman's buff.
Miss Josina Button was blinded and
cropping wildly about for an imaginary
victim, she Inadvertently stepped out
of the open door and on to the porch,