Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-11-13
MISS JAMES HOBBY.
BY LIZZIE G. JORDAN.

Miss-Jane Chandler was Q woman of
remarkably strong prejudices. Every
inhabitant of Russellville acknowledged
that, and strangers who came to town
were speedily and thoroughly enlight-
ened. NO halfway Sentiments originated
in her sctiye brain; her views were clear
and decided, and she believed in ;hem
and herself 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 devotedly
if sickness visited their homes. She
loudly expressed her adherence of beg
gars, and privately but lbountifully
assisted every one who applied to her.
Woe to the luckless urchin who, carried
away by an irresistible temptation, dared
to steal a peach from her beloved tree !
The culprit was invariably pursued, the
booty recovered and the small sinner
dispatched TO his friends bearing marks
of dire conflict. But the child who
stood outside the little white gate and
looked longingly at the ripe fruit, touch
ing none, was generally called in and
permitted tofi his pockets. The rising
generation of Russellvile soon discov-
cred and acted upon this fact, and all the
longing which the yearning of the hu-
man stomach can throw into the human
eye was daily illustrated 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-oth feared it
none 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 cf others.
Here, in a word, was Miss James
hobby-phrenologyl She also studied
physiognomy, and INDUCED in the firm
iy-rooted belief that altes careful study
Of any persons head and features, she
could read that person character, like
an open book, before her."
She.was discussing the sub 'ect, as she
sat one pleasant afternoon, on her little
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 car
nest gaze that had SO often been the
oDen ssaaqo to Miss James yard. But for
once the ardent glances fell unhceded.
Their benefac tress was mounted on her
favorite hobby, with considerable to say
and a good listener. The boys had
cause to losk very blue indeed
mo, don't sposc you do b'lieve "
it," Miss Jane was saying, rs she rocked
slowly back and forth and turned thc
heel OF stocking with an accuracy and
ease denoting long practice. II rec kon
you're thinkin' this BILE sed minute, that
woman NV my age ought to hev more
sense. Rut mark my words, Marthy,
the days bound to como when you II
understand iest what | mean n agree
with me. The dayll come when every
oDe'll learn the value NV phrenology,
am 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. An 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 friend an find they've cher
ished viperthat'll turn an sting 'em.
I've always faid, an always will say,
that life's too short to waste any nv il
on people you don't care about. unless