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

IS p' To round thy wdmanhood.
ee A. one who asks not whittier, cares not
This siit for all holds still the Eternal love-
Gods endless by and by.
----
MRS. BATTERBY'S CRAZY QUILT.
Mrs. Batterby was a model wife and
mother.
Please to remark, dear reader, 1 say
sras, because after carful observation
and deep consideration of the subject |
am convinced that a woman who allows
herself to fall under the baleful spell of
"crazv'' patchwork becomes surely and
swiftly lost to every other influence and
needless of every appeal either to her
conscience Or her affections.
Well, Mrs. Batterby was q dear little
roly-poly of a woman, with dark-blue
ewes and a soft, gurgling laugh that
was perfectly infectious, and which had
the added charm of suddenly bringing
into view two rows of little white teeth
and some hitherto unsupported dimples.
Her bright brown hair waved naturally
On either side of her smooth, white fore
head, and Mr.. Batterby, who had the
reputation of being quite q connois-
seur in female beauties and given to adj
hiring snowy, brilliant women, thought
there never was anything in these days
of bangs and ~frizzes SO exquisitely femi-
nine, and bewitching, and suggestive of
home and happiness as that tiny white
qarting in his wife's bounteous brown
har and the little ripping waves on
her white brow. However, he simply
remarked that he ''liked that way Of
wearing her hair" and let it go at that.
III his instantaneous mental concep-
tons of her there was always distinct in
bis mind her bright, loving glance. her
retty brow and hair, her dark dress
anil white apron, and plump white
binds; and generally he thought of her
uah a .aby in her arms. They had
\hern married ten years and there had
ben three children, so that MI. Bat
terby had good cause to remember his
Tfe as holding a babe.
must confess that Mrs. Batterby
was not a great reader. But then, her
husband was, and as she was very SYM
pathetic and receptive, and was fond of
conversation, she became, so to speak,
infused with current information, and
had the leisure she might otherwise
have spent in reading in which to man.
Dtucture little ornamental knicknacks
TO" lie house. But Mrs. Batterby knew
a good many things which books do not
teach. She knew corn beef and cab
tage. make the best dinner for a hungry
man in seven cases out of nine. She
know that a great many ~disagreeable
things happen in a house which (unless
his wife tells him) the master OF a house
will never know-and it isn't best he
should. She knew that as neither MI.
balterby nor she were angels their
progeny would not be, and that there
lore diversion was sometimes better
than discipline. She knew -, but
there is no editor who can afford to give
space enough for the record. Suffice
II to say that poor little Peter Lowe,
Johnny Batterby's great friend, whose
Father and mother being missionaries,
mad returned to their native land after
len years of exile, and having placed
their children in good Christian families
had gone back childless and free
70 heathendom, used to wish as he
Jay CRYING at night in his lonely
Ded that he had Mrs. Batterby for
mother; and all her children's play
mates thought it must be delightful to
ihave a mother who could make such
l,9vely costumes and furniture for paper
|1aollIS, or help a fellow so about scrap
Dooks, and kites, and reins. So you
fsce why | call her a model mother.
And considering her in the light of a
,Wl'e' MIR. Perkins. the right-hand neigh
por, whose wife, never having had any
salldren, and de.esting homework, had
o"come his most Invaluable business as
fsociatc in his dentists office, and the
kle.t-hand neightor, Mr.. Greer, whose
wi'e was very intellectual and wrote
Mofks on art, and DIR. Mattock round
TIC corner. whose wife was musical and
fsahg III a choir and at church concerts,
e1c.' n was therefore away trombone
= GOOD deal-all these held the private
t1plli1n that Batterby was a wonder
.a'iy lucky mar in his wife, and doubt
GU with a slight feeling of envy, if he
f"pPreclated his own good fortune.
such a woman was it who fell a VIC
I'm to that ''crazy quilt" mania which
now insidiously undermining the
moral and intellectual character Of the
.tinale in all ranks of life throughout
(aAls whole country.
IL was Nine. Pumpernickel, who,
rune;;nss herself demented, introduced
t tms contagious mania into this h.ther-
ppnappy household. Who was Nine.
Ill., "%npernlckel2 Everybody asked that
H1ray hair coiled like a coronet on
ima well-poised head, and her air of
meealng, and her lively wit, and her
hl'elous manner one almost expected
near she was a Duchess. But il
d. "lsy She was only a woman Of
age possibilities. She might
(laaIle been a Senator's wife if she
married her first love. She
H.