Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-01-10
THE DIAMOND EARRINGS.

lhE UlAMUNU tAkklN6S.
II there was one person in the world
more than another that Mrs. Templetor
gazed at with eyes Of curious regard, i
was her husbands cousin, Mrs. Morris
and il she had one ambition eclipsine
another, it was to eclipse Mrs. Morris il
every direction. II Mrs. Morris set uI
wall.basket. Mrs. Templeton com
passed hanging cabinet. II Mrs. Nor.
ris had new ivy pot, Mrs. Templetor
would have nothing less than q window
garden. A single vase on Mrs. Morris
piazza caused Mrs. Templeton's premi.
SEES TO break out with urns till they
looked like stone-cutter's yard. II
Mrs. Morris gave high tea, Mrs. Tenn.
dleton bal dinner party out Of hand;
il Mrs. Morris had n luncheon, Mrs
Templeton had ball, or what answered
for one in the limited round Of pleas.
ures Of their place OF abode; and il Mrs.
Morris INDUCED herself with a new silk,
Mrs. Templcton always counted her
nounces, and made her own phylacteriea
broader.
When one day, then, Mrs. Morris APP
peared at church the usual place in
the town Of Cartoon for ladies to exhibit
their toilets-with q pretty little pair
OF diamonds sparkling in her ears, you
can imagine the state of disgust aud
wrath in which Mrs. Templeton walked
home, and the very disagrecable time
that Mr.. Templeton had Of it as he
walked beside her, endeavoring to look
like the happiest domestic man in Car
leon. The sermon was criticised, the
minister made out time-sever, the
parish denounced collectively and per
sonally, his own peculiar friends among
the rest, and finally his cousin Hetty
was reached, and her habits, her man.
ners and her dress were made the text
on which TO hang anathems maranatha
Of worldliness, affectation, bad taste,
low moral sense, irreligion, and last OF
all, extra sagance-his dear little harm
less Cousin Heity, whose red curls
lighted such frank, child like counte-
nance, and whose two diamonds, he had
been guilty Of thinking, Just matched the
limpid sparkle OF the clear dew drops OF
her gray eyes. Bu, Mr.. Templeton had
far too much experience to say any
thing Of the sort James Morris
could not pay his debts il he were sold
out to-day" said his wife. "And look
at his wife's dress Maria, how many
times must 1 tell you to keep those
children inside the curpstone Ibis
wife's dress; just one glitter Of satin
and jet. And declare it was impossi-
BILE for me to fix my eyes on the lectern
for the way in which she kept those
diamonds twinkling before me, with
her head on the perpetual dance. A
pretty place for diamonds-church l
know a woman who wore them TO her
fathers funeral; suppose she would.
I should think, at any rate, she could
have controlled her inclinations, and
waited till next Sabbath-diamonds on
Palm Sunday! But it's high time Of
day, / must say" warming up with her
husbands silence. "when l am without
A single diamond to my name, and there
Is James Morris wife-James Morris,
who owes you $1,000 borrowed
money"
It was very weak in Mr.. Templeton
10 interfere; but one cannot be always
on ones guard.
~ understand. Juliet, my love-" said
he, "that Hetty's Uncle Roberts sent
her those earrings"
"Uncle Roberts, indeed! should
ike to see Uncle Roberts for once, il
be is not q mythical parsonage alto
gether," cried his wife, with the air Of
expecting Mr.. Templeton to produce
the alleged Uncle Roberts Immediately.
Uncle Roberts Uncle Roberts. It
is always Uncle Roberts. And you 'un-
derstand' forsoothl Why didn't I un'
ierstand2 Why were the earrings con.
cealed from me For all I know, You
gave them to her yourself. Perhaps
you are this Uncle Roberts who is al
ways brought to the front at every pet
piece Of extravaganza. For my part,
wish / had even husband, not to
speak Of an Uncle Roberts, who would
not see me trodden under foot by any
little mink who chooses to toss her head
above me-"
"My dear my dear just remember
where you are; just remember the
children" murmmed Mr.. Templeton,
aoundering in little farther.
Where am | / suppose you don't
want all Cartoon to bear how I'm oat-
ragged. You'd like to keep it secret.
You'd like to have me endure it in
silence. OF course you don't want the
u L. "A L. All ka