Democratic messenger., 1882-04-08
The GREEN SILK.
BY SOPHIE NJ. SWEET.

Mrs. Deacon Lewis and Mrs Davis,
the postmistress, were comforting to-
gether in mysterious whispers as they
leaned over their mutual back-y yard
fence Said Mrs. Deacon Lewis:
"Seein' is believin', or else | should
say, Jest as you do, that it couldn't be
true hut jest stepped into Miss Bad
gers to see what she'd charge to fix
over my black alpaca want in any
hurry for the alpaca, but 1 kind of got
an idea that there was somethin' in the
wind, and thought mebbe ] could find
out what it was there-3nd there / saw
il with my own two eyes, all over pieat-
in's and ruffiin's that il seemed n burn
in shame to cut up good thick silk into.
and fixed up in the back sot couldn't
have the heart to set down on it. And
Miss Badger, for all she's so close
mouthed, she up and told me who it be-
longed to, and SAYS /, You don't say
so 7 and says she, Yes, do, and then
she pursed her lips mp kind of provok-
in, as if she could tell a great deal
more if she was a mind to. But I've
got wit enough TO put two and two to-
gether. if folks is close mouthed, and
saws 1t right out-for there amt nothin'
sly about me-says ], Then Cordilly
Brewster is a-goin' to get married. And
Miss Badger she never denied it."
"Well, it does beat ALL" said Mrs.
Davis. '"This has been a sing'lar year.
what with the comet and the terrible
Happenings all round. and now Cordilly
Brewster settin' no to have a green silk
dress, when she hasn't worn anythin'
but bombazine and and alpaca and hor
one old black silk forInieh upon twenty
years. It's enough to upset anybody's
ideas altogether, and make 'em think
the worlds comm to an end. Though
l can't say that such extravagancelooks
much like the millennium.
Mrs. Deacon Lewis shook her head.
in solemn censure.
ga good black silk would have been
much more suitable and becomiu' to n
woman most forty years old, to say
nothin' of the wear and the maxim
over. and for minister's wife"
You don't say that she's gcin' to
marry the minister !" exclaimed Mrs.
Davis.
"Why, / suppose so, of course. Who
can it be, if it isn't the minister ?"
II never saw any sign of their keep
in company. Parson Greeley is too
speritual to marry a woman that crimps
her front hair with hot slate-pencils ::
and she never put more than three eggs
into those custards that she carried to
the donation party. 1 should think
more likely twas somebody that she
picked mp when she was down to Haver-
hill visitin', or John Parmenter that
used to keep company with her when
they was Young, and has kind o. been
dom it, off and on, ever sence."
"Oh, she wouldn't have John Par
menter, even if he had spunk enough to
ask her, which he hsin't He is good
fellow, John is, but he'll never set the
world aiire, and he's been runnin' down
hill terribly lately; has had to mort
gage his farm, they do say"
''Cordillys money would come in inst
right. then; but. as you say, don't
suppose she would have him. It's like
ly that's what made John turn out so
poorly, her not havn' him. But / can't
really believe it's the minister. There's
Sammy let's ask him."
Sammy Greeley, the minister's young
est hopeful, who was engaged In "shln-
ming up a neighboring telegraph pole
with the ambitious design of attaching
his kite to the wire, descended some
what reluctantly to the earth, and
obeyed Mrs. Davis's reckoning finger
Sammy was a frecklei-faced urchin,
with turnedup nose, the expression
of which was contralicted by pair of
preternatnrally solemn and innocent
looking blue eyes. In spite of his eyes,
Sammy was generally regarded as a
climb, and he and his three brothers,
Moses, Hosea, and Joseph, caused the
old proverb concerning ministers sons
TO be often repeated with solemn head
shakiDgs by the s-people.
Sammy, is your father goin' to be
-,erried 2" asked Mrs. Davis, with her
ID affectionately placed on Sammy's
lder.