The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-07
A LENTEN DIARY.
. Quaker Girl Gonfesses Some of Her Short
cOmings.

comings.
Philadelphia Correspondence.
There is a funny thing about us Quakers that
| cannot explain. and for which / must leave
thee to devise thy own theory. That is, that
when we renounce the Society of Friends and
change our form of worship. we go not to the
Methodists or Baptists, but to the Episcopalians,
with their ritual, their vestments and their
crosses. Strange, isn't it! My dearest friend,
Just the ~loveliest girl thee ever could imagine,
did that very thing. She goes now to St.
Clements, where they have candles and incense
and-what does thee think9-confession. Yes,
really, confession. Helen confesses, too. 1t
seems too funny to me-; but she is very deyout.
and would be awfully hurt if l were to
laugh at her, so l don't When she is
about, but I've smiled often to myself
over it, as / know thee will. The idea of a
Quaker maid eonfessing to an Anglican priest.
Think of it! Thee knows the belief is that II
thee does not confess everything, what thee does
confess has 10 weight, and thy confession is not
an honest one. Well, Helen is very particular
to confess everything, and i'll order not to miss
anything She keeps the dearest. cutesthttle book
thee ever saw. In it each day she records her
sins of omission and commission. Let me give
thee a sample of the entries copied verbatim
from the tiny pages devoted to the first week in
Lent:
Thursday-Ate two pieces of mince pie for
dinner. Had not strength to deny myself the
qualification OF my appetite.
Friday-Allowed myself to get angry at
brother Harry because he said he had seen
Charley coming out of a saloon. Called him a
real horrid story-teler," and said l would never
love him again. Charley, thee knows, is
Helen's beau
Sunday-Overslept myself, and did not get to
early service. Thought about how Mrs. Nor
toms bonnet was trimmed. and wondered what |
could get one like it for, during Father Maturin's
sermon. Had not strength to deny the ~gratifica-
ton of a kiss from Charley this evening.
Monday-Snubbed Maud Dudley because l
knew she sent Charley a valentine on the 14th.
Tuesday-Told Ruth that's |, thee knows a
horrid story about Belle Whitaker's mother.
Wednesday-Had a real nice chat with a hand
some salesman at the Grand Depot, and almost
fell in love with him
There, that's enough to give thee an idea.
Thee sees Helen Is not a very bad girl, doesn't
thee9 Probably the worst thing she did was to
firt with the Grand Depot salesman, but then
that is getting to be quite common here now,
and suppose she, poor girl, caught the fever.
All the boys have been raving for months about
the pretty girls at this bon marche of Philadel-
phia. Of late they have all been wild over what
they call "the beautiful belle of the handkerchief
counter" and we girls, more to pay them back
than anything else, have been engaging in nice
little fiirtations with the young men dow
there. 0, my! but it's jolly. They're
aWfully handsome, some of them, especially one
in the upholstering goods department, who
wears the loveliest beard and looks Just as in
~telligent as he can be behind a pair of gold-rim-
med glasses. hear he's married, though, and
he quite crushed one of my friends who went so
far as to think that she'd like him to call on her.
! think the monotony of lent, and the lack of
amusement has put new life into this form of
recreation, which has, l must admit. assumed
alarming proportions of late. Some of the girls
have allowed these statesmen to take them to the
theater, and one of the young men | know has
been asked to join a whist party, and yet the
only introduction the lady who asked him had
was from the floor manager, who said: "Mr.
Brown, won't you show this lady some laces?"
just to think of it. A terrible state of affairs,
don't thee think so? The next thing will be the
elopement of a Grand Depot salesman with the
daughter of one of the concerns weallhiest
patrons. Well, ithasnt been long since a mill
ionaire married one of the shop girls, and turn
about is fair play, thee knows.