The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-09
MRS. BATTEhB1'S CRAZY QUILT.

-Sthid1D AJtffRo0n.
MRS. BATTEkBI'S CRAZY QUILT,
Mrs. Batterby was model wife and
mother.
Please to remark, dear reader. | say
scGs, because after carful observation
and deep con,iderat on of the subject
am convinced that a woman who allows
herself to all under the bale ul spell OF
ezra "" pat hwork becomes urely and
swiftly lost to every other influence and
Needless of every appeal either TO her
conscience or her affections
Well, Mrs. Batterby was dear little
roly-poly of woman. with daIk-blue
eyes and a soft, gurgling laug that
was pc. fectly infectious, and which had
the added charm of suddenly br nging
into view two rows of little white teeth
and some hitherto uns Ispected dimples.
Her bright brown ha waved naturally
on either side of her smooth, white fore
head and Mr.. hatterby. who had the
reputation of beng cutie connos-
seur in female beauties and ven to adj
miring owy, Lrilliant women, thought
there never was anything in these da S
o bangs and friMeS so eXguiSitely femi-
nine, and Eewitching. and suggestive of
home and happiness as tina tiny VIII tie
parting in his wife's bounteous brown
ha and the little ripping waves on
her white brow. However. he simply
re marked that he liked that way of
wearing her hair" and let 60 at at.
In his instantaneous mental concep-
nfh al, scf, ~,
his mind her bright, loving glance, her
pretty brow and hair. her dark d ess
an white apron, and plump white
ha IDS; and generally he thought of her
W tn lea ~ in Der arms. They had
been married ten years and there had
been three chi dren, so thai blr. Bat
ter Y had good cause TO remember his
W fe as holding tabe.
L must confess that Mrs. Batterbv
was not a great reader. But then, her
husband was, and as she was very SYM
pathetic and re ceptive, and was fond of
'conversa ton, she became, so to sgcak,
in used with current information, and
had the leisure she might otherwise
have spent in r, ad ne in which to man.
ufucture title ornamental knicknacks
for the house. But Mrs. Batterb, knew
a good many tn ngs which books do not
t ach. She knew corn be f AMI cab
la &c maket e lest dinner for a hungry
man in seven cases out of n ne. She
know that a great many disa creeable
thin"s happen in house which unless
his wife tells him the master o! house
will never know and it isn't test he
should. She knew that as Meth Mr..
Batterby nor she were gels their
progeny woUld not be, and that there
fore divers On was sometimes letter
than discipline. She knew -, but
there is no editor who can a, ord &c gi, e
space enough for 1.-The record. Suh ce
it to say that poor little Peter Lowe,
Johnny ratterby's great friend, whose
father and mother being missionaries,
had returned TO their native land after
ten years # exile, and having placed
their children in good hristian a niles
had gone lax childlesS and free
to hea bend lon. used to wish as he
Law CT, ing at night in his lonely
bed that he had Mrs. Batterby for
mother; and al her children's play
n ates thought it must be delight ul to
have n other who could make Srch
lovely costumes and furnitu e Ior paper
doll, or help fellow so a out scrap
brooks, aud K It's, and re rs. SO you
see why call her a model mother.
And CT nsidering her in the light of
wi e. Mr.. Pc kins. the r oh hand neigh
DO, whose wi e, never hav .ng ha any
children, and de esting hous work, had
become his most invaluable business as
sociate in his den its Office, and
lie t-hand nei2h or. MIR, Greer, whose
wife was very intellectual and wiote
works on at and DR.. Mattock round
the corner. whose wife was n usical and
SAM in choir and at church co certs,
etc, and was thereto e away from home
a good deal--all the e held the private
op nj that Batterby was a wonder
fully lucky man in b wife, and dou.t-
ed with slight feeling of envy, if he
his own good fort ne.
uch a won n was it who fell q VIC
tim 10 that ''crazy quilt" m MIA which
is now insidiou ly undermin NO the
moral and intellectual character II the
females in all ranks of life throughout
Ills whole country.
IL was Mime. Pumpernickel, who.
be ne herself demented. introdu ed
th contagious mania into this b Their
TO happy household. Who was A me.
Pump rnickel' Every cdy asked thai
the moment they saw her. With her
Cry har coilel like a coronet on |
tn We lpoiscd head, and her air of
bree ing, and her live wit, and b ar
manner one almost expected |
70 hear she Was a | uchess. But in
reality she was only a woman Of
de ca ed po>sib lities. She mi. hi
have been a Senator's wife if she |
had married her first love. She
would have been great writer |
If he had not been a Letter talker,
q d she would have been cel b at q as |
q wonderful conversationalist if she |
bad been born to wealth, and in Bos-
ton. ms cal of spending har irt1
twenty years in learning and teaching
music in a " estern State
But despite her disa ivantages Mime.
PUN ernickers Consciousness of her
own superiority to itic m never de-
serted her, and never ia led to impress |
with more or less intensity those with |
Uh M she came in contact.
20 when Nine. Pumpernickel opened |
her valise and from every part of it |
came tumbl NJ out silk g, s ip-
pins and clippings of every shade |