Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-23

with secret reluctance tore themselves
away from their rag, and accompanied
him. but the play being q society drama
gave great display Of costumes, and
afforded the two demented creatures
many occasions to whisper aside, such
as:
"Look at that. elegant brocade she
has on. Wouldn't I like to have .
piece of that in my quiltw
''See that rich purple velvet in that
pages cloak! Wouldn't that show in
your squarep"
I'D just like to snip a piece off that
lady's bonnet-strngs. We haven't any
Fortunately Mr.. Batterby could not
hear these remarks or he might have
feared for his wife's mental condition,
and as he sat between the ladies in the
car returning home they were obliged
to make an attempt at least to speak
on other topics beside crazy quilts. The
next day, to the great delight of the
ladies it stormed. =
"We shall have no callers, and we
can't go out" they said. So they sat
in the midst of rags, shipping, clipping,
b%astingg. too busy to comb their hair or
change their morning dresses until the
daylight began to wane
go, dear! It's too bad to have to
stop, but | suppose we must" said
Mime. Pumpernickel. sfWe must make
ourselves decene before Mr.. Batterby
comes"
And just then there was a ring at the
door and a telegram from Mr.. Batterby
that business would keep him down.
town till between nine and ten O'Clock.
".And now we needn't dress, Joyous
~ CT ed Nine. P~umpernickel. II shsll
finish this square before l go to bed. I
am determined on it"
But it did seem to Mrs. Batterby asif
the children were so worrisone
before. What was the reason three
year-old Edith should be so tiresone
about getting to bed? And then aftsr
she was there she wanted the pillow
fixed, and the sheet smoothed, andia
drink OF water, and at the last momeat
she called her mamma back because sic
hadn't said her prayers. Then when
the impatient mother again reached
the stairs the little voice called:
Mamma, mamma, Eide wants
dollie."
The usually gentle mother, frantic at
separation from her .'crazy quilt" re-
turned, and snatching up the battered,
bald headed object Of Edie's affections
tossed it into the crib.
"There, dollie, get into bed with
you," she said, Grossly. "You haven't
got to say any more prayers, because
you haven't got any soul"
Edie snatched up her child and turned
on her mother with flashing eyes.
''Tee hab dot tum tout, tool" she
roared.
Mrs. Batterby, smitten with remorse,
kissed her child and soothed her, and
yet it did not occur to the mother how
strong and baleful must be the influence
which could render her thus hard and
petulant to her darling Edith, patient
| and tender and c%onsiderate of the feel
ings of dollie's mother as she generally
The next day Nine. Pumpernickel
departed, but the evil which she had
disseminated remained, Mrs. Batterby
grew worse daily until she became a
hopeless crazy-quilt maniac. At last
the dusty mantels and book-shelves,
the rent table-cloths, the children's but
tonless garments, and his wife's
neglected toilet began to force them
selves even upon MIR. Batterby's unob-
servant eyes. He began to trace aeon
nection between these things and the
different squares of silk patchwork.
some one of which was always pinned
on the inside of the nursery door. APP
parently casual inquiries as to his wife's
employments and occupations on differ
| ent days led only to disclosures that
some other feminine sufferer from the
mania had called to leave a fresh col
lection of rags, or that Mrs. Batterby
had been to some neighbours to leave a
bundle of promised scraps for another
afflicted creature. or that some recently
inoculated woman had called for direc-
tions and advice about her crazy quilt.
The devoted husband, his attention now
drawn to the subject, was alarmed to
observe how fixed q hold the terrible
mania had taken upon his poor
wife's liberated mind. 1t was only Sum
day she abstained from creative work
upon this destroyer of domeitic hap
piness. BUTT was. after all, only'a physi-
cal abstinence, for her husbandlmarked
her long memoriZing gaze upon the IL
Ath41luhlCN uOAEo 0OOVC GNO puiplU WucI6.
in the grayhaired minister was impress-
ing upon his hearers the spiritual dark
ness OF the ancient Jews. Subsequently
he saw the ornamental conventional
forms, and the blending of its tints re-
produced in the crazy quilt. He even
thought with a cold thrill of fear that
she might have so far forgotten the
teaching of her childhood as to take the
needle on Sunday. But no! She was
the mother of Sunday-school scholars (!
He banished the thought. He noted
her rowing, distracted gaze over the
congregation, and he OWNED the envy
and co%vetousness in her soul as her eye
caught the beauty OF some new tint in
bonnet trimming.
One cold morning Mrs. Batterby's
mother came in from the suburbs, and
surprised her daughter with a visit.
Now, Mrs. BatterDy was also a model
of filial affection. One of the things
she has learned without recourse to
books is that a woman should always
live to be a grandmother, because her
daughters " appreciate her till they,
in their turn. become mothers. Bit no