Morris tribune., 1883-09-01

ouard-mountinQ on Sunday shall be at
2:30 o'clock in the afternoon instead OF
at 10 o'clock in the morning.
The Way Mrs. Wi kins Went to
the State Fair.
1t was great day in the life of Mrs.
Wilkins when she started in company
with her husband to visit the state fair
held hundred miles away, farmers
wife for score of years, the opportuni-
ties for pleasure seeking of any kind had
not been very numerous. but now as her
children were old and trlsty enough to
be left for short time they were going
to see little of the world. She had
scandalized her growing up girls by wear
ing simply nice black alpaca instead of
her new silk dress, II am going to see
and not to be seen" she declared to
them land am not going to risk spoil
ing my very best clothes pushing through
a crowd, / only care to look respectable
enough not to attract attention" Meth
er were the girls ashamed of her as they
remarked her tidy appearance and ami
mated looks, as she drove away to the de-
pot some miles distant. Reach
ing the city and being refreshed
b. good dinner she and her
husband repaired to the fair grounds.
On entering farmer Wilkins took one
gallant tramp around with his wife, and
glanced at the cattle, sheep, swine and
poultry, passed hastily throug ID the ag-
ricultural and floral halls, when Mrs.
Wilkins came to a stand, See here
Henry" said she, "tbis won't do for
either of u.s. We both want to see and
enioy all of this show that we can, and
YOU would enjoy best seeing things that
/ don't care for, so let us appoint
place to meet at or 6 O'Clock and till
then we can both look up what we most
wish to SEE" This arrangement was
made with business like promptRess
and Mr.. Wilkins started off to inspect
the machinery, and find some male &C
ouaintauces with which to discuss the
fine exhibition Of stock, two things in
which he was especially interested. Mrs.
Wilkins, contrary perhaps to what
might have been expected other started
for Fine Arts Hall. II can see rag car
pets and canned fruit put up
i'm brine and such things enough at
our county fairs, and big pumpkins and
sauashes too; but such an array of pic
lures may never have chance to see
AGAIN III lily IIiGS anu J. IL pay 1C-
spects to them first" She was glad
as she slowly pushed her way through
the crowd that she had not party of
three or four friends to keep hold Of,
and to distract her intention from sight
seeing, in her fear of losing her hold Of
them. She gave herself up entirely to
the enjoyment OF the pictures which had
been brought by pubic spirited inhabt-
iants oil the city from their splendid
homes, to add to the attractions of the
exhibition. Rare and costly many OF
them were, some of them hundred or
or two yeare old.
Then she went to the horticultural
Hall. where plants and flowers filed
every inch of space, and went slowly
through noting everything about her.
She bad never seen half the varieties
before and, perhaps had never even
heard the names of some of them, but
none the less did her heart warm at the
sight of Natures loveliness.
At the appointed hour she met her
husband and they wisely decid led to
take things coolly and get rested for the
morrow. Early next morning. saw them
again Oh the grounds taking a leisurely
trip around the grounds getting gen.
eral idea of the whole, then they sepa-
rated 10 follow their different inclina-
lions. Mrs. Wilkins took her way once
more through the Fine Arts Hall, and
again through the day she returned to
view the pictures over anew, and found
that each time she noticed something
new about them If her chances for OBJ
serVatiOn had been few, she had cul-
tivated taste that quickly learned how to
appreciate anything new, that had merit
about it. By way of variety when she
became tired she would seat herself
where she had view of the motley
crowd and amuse and rest herself by
noting the different cOuntenances, and
STYLES of dress; the handsome, the
homelv, the grave, the ganGily dressed,
all came in for a share of her attention.
She made one mental comment on the
ladies in the crowd and that was that
those who were piaiHly dressed looked
better after half days struggle with
the crowd than those who had made
more costly and elaborate toilets.
In the afternoon Mr.. Wilkins took her
about the city to see the different sights
the town afforded, availing themselves
of the use of the streets cars literally
enough, so that every change was
a refreshment. At the close of the
third day they reached home
again.
81 d1n't feel bit tired" said Mrs.
Wilkins as she laid aside her bonnet, ~
feel as if for three days had been out
of the body have seen so many things
that were new and have such collection
Of lovely pictures in my memory to call
up in future; if every one has enjoyed
the fair as | have, the money laid out
on it has been well spent"
The good sense with which she had
her trip as well as the rarity of
her excursions, had something to do
with her pleasure in it probably. but
he moral of it is, that when such ex-
nibitions reach plain citizens in the way
they did Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins, the good
hey accomplish reaches far beyond the
merely material benefits which are ap-
the most important things
,imad of