The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-08-22

ing.
isn't it comical?'' queried Butterfly,
already beginning to flutter her wings.
Il don't see anything funny, replied,
with an expression of countenance that |
tlatter myself frightened her into silence.
for she was quiet full thirty seconds after
ward.
By my side sat my comfortable friend;
opposite a very SLIM thin, delicate Quaker,
rigid and pale, and ON Butterfys left an
Friends began to drop in, sweet and cool,
and all so fair and modest under their
capacious silk bonnets. | cannot tell how
many Rachels, and Nancys, and Marys was
one by one came the worlds people or
modified Friends with pretty, gray walk
ing-suits, and neat but not SNOWY bonnets.
One by one came in the men on the other
their broad brims on, and there they sat
under the shadow of their hats. ~.
1t was all so strange, as gradually meet
ing filled up. Several little folks sat
of ribbon over their plain straw hats, and
they were quite as demure as their elders.
The bells stopped tolling without; the
sunbeams flickered through branches and
gregation; the sweet west wind came in
and toyed gently with spotless kerchefs
and pretty ribbons. t.4.z5
One face, pure and beautiful as a rosebud,
lace, quite fascinated me. Evidently she
used the plain language, and | aiterwam
learned that she was the daughter of Friend
Mary Ames. one of the lights of that
order Hf
Gradually the silence grew oppressive
Twenty minutes passed, twenty five, thirty.
and as yet the Spirit had not given token
The myriad faces blended into one, queerly,
under a monstrous Quaker bonnet. A
little child dropped fan; it made me
jump. Somebody sneezed. never heard
anything quite SO terrific as that sneeze.
was getting light-headed. Astonished at
Butterfy's silence looked at her; she was
asleep; her three stories of hat toppled
alarmingly. 1t was a relief to pinch her.
Five minutes more; that silence must be
broken. The more tried to think good
thoughts, the more | couldn't. Grotesque
images alarmed me. saw all the comical
illustrations had looked at for months,
and almost determined never to look at an
other. First studied noses-it was very
wicked of me-and then | wondered what
everybody could be thinking of. Could
they Danish all worldly thoughts? | wished
| could. The silence seemed like an ava
lanche about to smother me, when 10. soft
Perfect love casteth out fear" and the
spell was broken. ,.. FL. ...f
Sweet Mary Ames, with thy sanity
thoughts. dispelling silence and sadness,
how refreshing were tiny words! After
that three Friends spoke, two brothers and
onesister; then suddenly there was !. rushing
sound. The whole congregation reused
itself and got up. and Quaker meeting"
was over. -
''Did you ever see anything So stupid?'
asked Butterfly, as We gained the street.
81 lost some splendid singing; don't want
anything to do with Quaker meeting again.
Come and see me-good-bye. ..
hope shall never meet her again. AS
to the Friends though their worship is
peculiar, God bless them. ..
THE COST OF RUNNING A TRAIN.
As a passenger sits at car window and
sees the miles posts whirl past, he seldom
stops to reflect what it has cost the COM
pany to pull the train mile. 4 party of
gentlemen. some of them experienced men,
sat i'm the lobby of the Kennard House re-
Gently, when the question as to the cost of
running an ordinarily heavy passenger
train was raised. Several of them made
estimates but every one of them was far
below the amount. The average cost of
fnr1iua mo- of