The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-12-05

and often Fran in," of an evening at tht house of one or the other, to discuss tea and the various noteworthy events O Rockha npton existence.
 This Thanksgiving eve they had touched, In sweet unison of feminine in. tereSt, upon all those minor topics of cur. rent event which were, in the light of then searching analysis of both deed and mo tive, continued romances of deep interest and had 6nally reached the standard nov. city of the season, the WidoW Rosebush For the hundredth time they com mmented on every one of the few events of Mistress Nosebush's life which had come to theil knowledge, and had rehaarsed all theiI abandoned theories as to her past and her future, and talked over every detail of her dress as she las; appeared upon the street. Then it was, when even the garments of their prev had begun to pail on their senses, that Mrs. Deacon Crow. tut bent her weak-backed frame toward her spell-bound listeners and narrated the deeply significant incident ot the pur. chase of the solitary pound of cod6sh, as detailed by the deacon at tea time.
 To have bought whole codfish on the day preceding Thanksgiving would have been an incident un worthy extended com. ment, bat to buy one single pound of tha wholesome, if not specially inviting com. estible, on the eve of high festival. be tokened a paucity of resources which nc one of the three had ever guessed.
 Well, never said Miss Miriam when the full inn ot this momentous purchase had suH :ien.ly permeated her adipose tissue to affect her centers of vo- lition.
 (" allus thought she had some money" said Mrs. Deacon Hester Ann :" enough to live respect'bul, anywayl'
 "She's he'd money come three. times by ex press from New York;" said Miss Mi. ram, who had now fully recovered t,e use of her faculties. First time was two weeks after she cum, she he'd hun dred dollars. Matilda Gu nmins told me, an Mss Gipgway told her an she knows, cause Mir. Glngway's the express agent |; she paid out the heft V that fer 6xin' up the house; then jest after the 4th she he'd mother hundred, an jest after lection she he'd two hundred. bet a cookey she give money to the m an Jed Hooper's boy see comin' out V the Bemis road that mornin' bout two 'clock.'
 "Mebby," assented Thyrzl lane |" an mebbY twas took from her. Who knows ? That was purity queer time V night to have man round the house, anyway, seems to me-"
 "Well, hope she ain't a sufferin'," said Mrs. Crowfut, piously. "Though the good Lord does see fis at times to visit their suns upon the heads of the offend CTS"
 "Ef she is suff.rin' guess she'll hev to keep on," said Mrs. Hester Ann, her bony figure until she sat bolt upright on the feather cushion which ameiorated the Pdritanic rugged ness of the wooden-bo,tom chair in which she sat, and glsring with a hard and gilt .ering blue eye upon Thy,zi j. 4ne and Mi tiam. " say 1 guess she'll keep right along with the suffer, fer 1 don't thiuk there's no one in Rockh amp.on would do much for the Widder Rosebush 'cept to ak about her."
 "Dear me!' said Mrs. Crowfut, "you io say such raspin' things sometimes, Mrs. roles."
 Well, kin talk, when there's any hing interestin' to talk about" returned Mrs. Tolls, "but don't see no use n ayin' things onto the L ,rd that we kin lelp ourselves if we re min to-"
 hope l am a Christian woman, Mrs. roles," said Mrs. Gro ~fh., with an exas. oerating whimper.
 "Wal, now, Miss Crowfat," said the olump little Miriam. who loved gossip, put hated quarrels, you know Miss roles' bark's n awful sight wus'n her bite"
 don't see no use bein' hypercriticle bout things" said Mrs. Toles, grimly.
 "Course you know, Mrs. Toles, we none uv u, SC. the Wilder 2 ,sebush sufferin', nor no other woman," aid Miriam.
 Flddle',icks you wouldn't neither of ,ou stir step to help her ef she was lyin', n you know it," sa,d Mrs. roles.
 "i'm sure, Mss Toles, you nor no other woman can't say that ever hild my land back when the Lord made the way 'lain,' said Mrs. Crowfat; and the tip of Ter nose grew more brilliantly vermillion, md small brick-red spot appeared on he crest of either cheek-bone as she poke, and she straightened herself up with sudden snap which showed that Ter temper was rising rapidly.
 guess I'm the Lords appointed in- torment on this oc "a siou," said Mrs. roies, with great promptness and vieor,
 l don't think the way needs to be much 'lainer'n 'tis, fer them It's got common ense anyway, s fer's the Wilder R ose- 'u sh's concerned. Bout all you've got o do s ter walk up to the Bemis place n ee if she is in a needy condition"
 I'm ready efyou be-" said Mrs. Crow. ut.
 "Wal, l be-" said Mrs. Toles. "We an jist take few things along in bask- t, n ef she needs anythiog nor we've ,ot I'll hev the deacon to send it up in he morning But you won't go."
 "Oa, do less all gol' exclaimed Miss Miriam, with great anim alton ''I think 7e have present duty to perform, don ou, Mss Crosfut2 don't know s it's 'zactly proper place fur a girl-I might