The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-07-27
miscellaneous.
Mrs. Hopkins Bonnet.
BY PERsIE +. CHASE.

Yes Matilda, that lisa very handsome bun
nit, and hope You will take sight of com
fort wcarin' it, and Mrs. Hopkins turned
| the pretty velvet bonnet round on her hand
and held her head ON one side, pronouncing
her approval of it in II very critical manner
II am glad you like it, | have not had 4
new winter bonnet for two years, and
thought ! would g,t u nice one"
"Weh," It's II beauty, but don't you go tt
bein' proud of il; if you do you will have i,
fall, sarlin. could tell you story about d
bunnit had once it happened good Will,
ago, but can tell We haint forgot it. 1t
caused me more modification than anything
that ever happened III me, hut guess on The
whole twas good thing, for | was kinder
npt, in them days, tn he proud"
80, Mrs. Hopkins. don't hclieve you were
bit vain or proud
Yes was Matilda, thought sight OF
hnVin' pretty dresses and bunnits. You set
down in that roCkin' chair and rest, YOU
must he real tired talkin III them scholars
all day, and I'll tell you all about that bun
nit
II do feel rather tired; teaching school is
hard work
wal, Matilda, | kinder guess, by the way
Joe Brown comes around here, yu won't
have tn keep school always. You don't
know, suppose, seem you haven't been ac-
quainted round here long, that we huin't liv-
ed in this town more than ten years When
we was first married we lived in M, Il
real smart little town. John, he used to
work in the mill he had first rate pay but il
didn't agree with him very well, SO we came
here and bought this farm. hated to come
away from NJ We had pretty little
place about II mile out of town. John kept
IL horse and we had II nice top-huggy. We
used tn always ride To mectin'. was pref
~ dressy, as | said, bat took II few hoarders,
and used To do some dress maxim for the mill
girls, so | got all my clothes myself
should have taken sight of comfort lv-
in in NJ i if il hadn't been for Miss Wilson.
She was my nearest neighhor We was
good friends enough. She was the fastest
dressin women oversee. Everything she put
on looked well, if it wasn't nothing but IL six
cent print. II there was anything pretty she
would have it. know now ! was dreadful
foolish, but it did rifle me up to see her come
out in things not II bit better than mine, hut
somehow anytl ing she wore looked II good
deal better.
She come oVcrto our house one eyenin' and
we got to spcakin ahnnt bunnils was cal
culalin' 10 wear the one had the summer
before. She said she was goin' To have II
VI
one in Miss Evans window, said she:
81 don't know when ever see II bunnit
that took my eyes ms that one, and mean to
have il. 1t is II perfect beauty"
Nv hat kind of II bunnit is il ?" | asked.
at is II beautiful white Dunslable, trimmed
with cream colored ribbon and pink roses
said she
After she had gone ! kept tIinkin' about
that bonnet. Here was II chance where
could get ahead Of Miss Wilson | could buy
the bunnit but | knew ! did not need it, so
argued with myself all night for could not
sleep much, and when did get into browse
] dreamed of bunnits, and cream coored rib.
bon and pink rosts
Wal, the end of it was | got up in the
mornin bound 10 have That bunnit. Just as
soon us got my work done up, put on my
things and started for Miss + ans shop, and
sure enough, the first thing saw in the win
dow was TINT bunni
| went in and priced il. Miss Evans said
il was six dollars. that Miss Wilson was talk
in about iuyin' ii, but she had not promised
To keep it for her, and il wanted it could
have ii, for she could trim her another if she
wanted one
| tr,cd it ON, it looked well, it was II hand.
some hunnil and no mistake. 1t wasn't the
fashion then To have ties, but IN elastic cord
held II ON, and there was long ends hang
ing down behind.
Wal, pnd The six dollars and went home
with The hunnil
When John come tn dinner, he said there
was IL man guin 10 lecture that eycnin' who
had been Ivin' long with the lnjns and he
| wanted tn go and hear him. John always
| did take II sight otintcrest in lnjins. | didn't
care nothin' bout the lecture. always did
think lnj n terrible ireacherous, but
thought IL would be agood chance 10 wear
my new unnit, SO said right off that
wanted tn go
John was hindered about somethin' at the
mill and WAS late To supper, but one of the
hnrleIs larnessed the horse while we was
g-lliu' ready, and we got started II little after
sr>en. | felt pretty grand with my new bun
nil | can tell you. kept hopn' Miss Will
son would be there tn see it. We wasn't
long goin' To the hall John let down the
top Of the buggy and jumped out
Thg man had just got up To speak rs we
went in the hall was about full, but John
went clear up in front, and got some seals
! was glad of il, twas II good chance TO show
my bunnit. saw Miss Wilson the first
Thing and thinks IN myself wonder who
has got the prcttiest bunnit this time.
saw folks lookin' II good deal and kinder
smilin and some Young girls that sot righ
behind, began 10 giggle. Just then JOIN
looked round at me. Now he never took M
notice my clothes he couldn't tell calico
from cashmere; hut he kept lookin' at me
and thought my bunnit must he very be
comm for John to take so much notice of it
just then he whispered To me and said FOL
massy sake what did you come here with
out your hunnit for"
put my hnnd up TO my head, and, SURF
enough my bunnil was gone. just think o
il, Matilda there was, in Tint hall full o
folks, right up il front, wiIhno bunnit on, ant
little horn comb to keep my hunnit on stick
in in my hair. ! can tell you I'wishel
could sink through the floor. was 50 shame,
/ didn't know what tn du. new,
thought nothin' bout the bunnit, where i
Ind gone nor nothn'. only wanted TO &c
out Of TINT hall and did don't know how
ever had the spuDk TO do it, but anything
was better than sitlin' there and everybod,
laughin at me.
John followed me, and it was well he did