The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-30
MISS JAMES HOBBY.
BY LIZZIE G. JORDAN,

NAASS S~"S - do % NOI1 IL "
remarkably strong prejudices. Every
%inhabitant of Russelivillc acknowledged
that, and strangers who came to town
were speedily and thoroughly enlight-
ened. NO halfway sentiments originated
in her sctivc BAN; her views were clear
and decided, and she believed in them
and he: self implicitly.
Miss Chandler was, as some one ex-
pressed it, "a queer combination of con-
tradictions." She ignored her neighbors
in health, but attended them devotcdly
If sickness visited their homes. She
loudly expressed her adherence of beg.
gars, and privately but beautifully
assisted every one who applied to her.
Woo to the luckless urchin who, carried
away by an irresistible temptation, dared
to steal q peach from her bclo Cd tree!
The culprit was invariably pursued I, the
booty recovered and the small sinner
dispatched to his friends bearing marks
of a dire conflict. But the child who
stood outside the little white gate and
looked longingly ut the ripe fruit, touch
ing none, was generally called in and
permitted to fill his pockets. The rising
gene. alton Ct Russellvile soon discov-
cred and a ted upon this fact, and all the
longing which the yearning of the hu-
man stomach can throw into the human
eye was daily il .ustratcd in front Of Miss
James cottage.
There was one action of hers which
the children discussed in mysterious
whispers. Many of them had passed
through the ordeal-others feared it
zone could explain it.. 1t seemed that
occasionally she would invite some small
cherub to walk into her parlor, where she
would produce a number of strange
looking books and charts, ''full of heads
and faces" the children said, and then
proceed to solemnly examine the small
visitors head, hanging in rapture over
certain ''bumps" and audibly %deploring
the prominence IF others.
Here, in n word, was Miss james
hobby-phrenology! She also studied
physiognomy, and INDUCED in the firm
ly-rootcd belief that afte. q careful study
of any persons head and features. she
could read that>person 8 character, like
an open book, before her."
She was discussing the sub 'ect, rs she
sat one Pleasant afternoon, on her litt!,
front lawn, with her friend, Miss Martha
Cummings, the village milliner. Out
side the gate stood several small boys,
gazing on the peach trees with that ear
nest gaze that had so often been the
open sesame to Miss James yard. But for
once the ardent glanccs fell UNDECIDED.
Their benefa"tress was mounted on her
favorite hobby, with considerable to say
and a good Listener. The boys had
cause to Look very blue indeed.
mo, l don't s'pose you do b'lieve in
slowly back and forth and turned the
heel of a stocking with an accuracy and
ease dcnoting long practice. II reckon
you're thinkin' this blessed minute, that
a woman NV my age ought to hev more
sense. But mark my words, Marthy,
the days bound to como when you'll
understand Jest what I mean N agree
with me. The day..ll come when every
one'll learn tho value Nv p~hrenology,
an know enough to judge by the Shape
NV his head an the cast Nv his features,
an not by the cut NV is close or his
smooth, oily tongue. yAn' the sooner
that time comes, the sooner folks'll es.
cape bein' cheated, an" deluded an
fooled. Then folks won't open their
arms to a friend an find they've cher
ished a viper that'll turn an sting 'em.
I've always said, an always will say,
that life's too short to waste any Nv II
on people you don't care about, unless
you can help 'em in way. TIL.
minute, / see q stranger 4 can tel
whether l want to, have anything to d.
with him or not, an don't make any
mistakes, either. Now. there was that
Janet Clark, the new music teacher tha'
came here last winter. I see it jest
stickin' out Nv the bumps o. that girl!
head, that she was rash an deceitfu
and sly. An what did sho. dot Rul
away with the doctors son and got mar
ried whom his folks was so set against !
that 1t most killed his mai Humphi
knew just what was q commit Oh, yo'
can laugh. Marthy, but / can laugl
louder. She donPt owe me four dollar
and q quarter for q bonnit."