Huntsville gazette., 1885-01-17
MADAM WHIMS.
Ber Devices to Conceal the Cruel
ties Of an. Insane Husband.

A young girl, VINO nau just arrived,
was the center of a group of women
on the porch of the old-fashioned hotel
in Wildgrapeisle, little island the
medicinal qualities of whose springs,
especially in the case of nervous COM
plants, were just beginning to be
known, one lovely August evening.
: sAnd now,'' said she, after the usual
welcoming speeches and compliment
ary remarks about the becomingness
of her travelling costume had all been
made, '.tell me who is here
-"Oh!the old set," answered two or
three of her friends together. ''With
the exception, added two or three
/. more, s'of Madam Whims," chorused
all the rest
MADAM Whims, repeated the new
arrival 'sWhat a very odd name
..Oh! it isn't her real name," ex-
planned several of the group in one
voice again. ''Her real name"
s::Suppose one of the party enlightens
me while the others remain SILENT" in
.terrupted the girl, laughingly. 'It's
rather confusing, you know, listening
to a chorus on a subject of which the
listener happens to be in total ignor-
ance. You, Maud, used to be a capital
stOry-teller in our school days, and
that isn't far enough away for your
tongue to have forgotten its cunning
and SO suppose you narrate and oblige
yours truly, Bell Morrison.
''There isn't any story to tell, Bell,
my DEAR" replied the youthful, bright
eyed matron thus singled out. 1.-The
case is simply this: A lady is stopping
here-she came about three weeks ago
whose name is Eleanor Halpin, but
whom our circle with common consent
have dubbed Madame Whims, because,
my dear, she really is the whimmiest of
whimmen Pun intended-hope you
all see it."
II recognized it at once" said Bell,
''having met it many times BEFORE
notably in the old verses which, if my
memory serves me Alright, runs some
g what in this way.
when Eve first wooed with love so kind
Her Adam called her wOoman;
But when she brought him grief and woe,
= Why. then he called her wOeman.
Since then the men declare the sex
= With foiiies'overbrimmin',
And so they've changed the name again,
And now they call them whimmen.'
''Am to 90 on, or have You any
more verses to repeat?" asked Mistress
= Maud.
''You are to 60 on, and go on
=. quickly" answered her sprightly
friend, ''for haven't had my supper
yet and shall soon be awfully hungry.
You said last she was the 'whimmiest
of whimmen Pray tell me what
shapes her whims take?''
Oddities of dress, principally.
When we first beheld her, two
days after her arrival-she had kept
her room in the interim-she wore a
sort of turban, apparently evolved
from large, soft, crimson silk hand
kerchief, tilted rather rakishly over the
.1eft eye. 1t wasvnot altogether unbe-
coming, but it was extremely queer.
In few days the turban was discarded
and she appeared in very long, very
loose gloves, morn, noon and eve,
breakfast, lunch and dinner, for nearly
aweek. Then she came down with
cane, a handsome one, and walked with
an affected little limp for another week.
Then a lace scarf graced her head,
tied down over her ears, my dear,
with big bow under her chin. And
tonight, warm as it is, she has several
yards of white illusion twined around
her throat and standing up at the
back of her neck in manner that
strongly suggests an Elizabethan ruff ="
(Which suggestion of an Elizabethan
ruff suppose shall have the pleasure
of SEEING said Bell, ''as each Of my
,lady's vagaries seem to last for several
days. But tell me something about
herself, Maud. Is she prettya Is she
clever?- Is she wife, widow or divorcee?
If wife, what kind of a husband has
she?"
''Well, she is not ugly. rather pretty,
in fact, and somewhat clever; so we in
fer from what conversation we have
= had with her, which is very little, for
it is one of her whims to have her hus-
:: band always at her side, and you know
how hard it is for women to talk to
: each other when there is man around.
BY the by, we also infer from the
.never-yarying brightness of her face
that she must be very happy, very
sweet-tempered woman"
''And her husband?"
''Oh! yes. / was coming to him. Ha
is splendid looking fellow (though
Kate Dutton, whoi is given YOU know.
ito finding resemblance to animals in
human beings. declares there is hint
sof tiger'about him), but we are none
of us particularly interested in him,
because, to tell the, truth, my dear, he
hasn't shown the: slightest Interest in
any of us.s' ~ =. -t'-'
''And how. does-he appear to regard
his wife's whims?'.
with extreme indulgdnce.i iTsee him
looking at her pecusi8Sties ,of. dress,
which a fond parent.fsgards the trick
of q spoiled child. sisy" &. !
ssspoiled chifd, jhdeedr,.here joined
in q sharp-nosed., thin-lipped elderly
dame who had evidently thus far been