The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-01-22
miscellaneous.
"CERINTHY'S FOLLY"
The SILK Dress that was Never Taken
from the Closet.

from the closet.
No, tell you candidly, do not wish to
discuss my neighbours business" said Mrs
Smith, decidedly. II mean no offence, Miss
Parsons, but, you see, I've had my expert
ence. jest as lives tell you about it, if you
have got time to hear. You see, when we
were first married we came here, an Kiah
bought ills place (my mans name is Heze-
kiahl, runnn' in debt good deal, but then
we was young an could work.
"Kiah had good trade, an minded the
house an garden patch. After We had lived
here q number of years family moved across
the way, buyin' that place you see over there.
Their name was Morse, an they were real
nice an accommodation. BY this time we
had three children, and the Morses had one.
They had not paid down for their place. an
Mr.. Morse was a carpenter, the same as Kiah.
Now, I'd always ben real savn' about clothes,
an bought cheap dresses maxim 'em myself,
but Miss Morse had her merinos cashmeres,
hirin' on 'em made or buyin' city patterns that
fitted jest like glove. Well, | grew little
sour over it, an some times threw out pretty
hard hints to Kiah about his not buyin me
sech things, an he didn't like it very well,
sayin'
a. work hard as l can now What do you
want me to do?'
There was an old maid lived in the village
by the name of S'manthy Jane Jones, who
used to come to see me pretty often, an
someway her visits always seemed to kinder
pile me up, especially agin' Miss Morse. Kiah
didn't like her at all, an sometimes he would
say:
thy, if you keep on with her
Still kept on with her. One day she
came in all of a fuster to saw.
"'That extravagant Miss Morse was at
church yesterday, with fur cloak on-actu,
al fur-an' she cut big swell, an every
body's eyes was on her
"Well," said |, "if was in her place I'd be
a little more sayin' and pay for my place.
don't think it's anything to her credit"
"'Folks do say went on Smanthy Jane,
she is so extravagant that Morse talks of
leavin' her. an that they quarrel like cats and
dogs!
"Well, good deal was said by us both,
S'manthy Jane keepin' little in advance of
what l burst say. Finally, Smanthy Jane
took her leave. One thing had made up
my mind to; would not be outdone any
longer by Mrs. Morse. Kiah should dress me
better
chat night l told Kiah about it, an he
said, 1 can not afford it, But was deter.
mined to have n new black silk. Hitherto
I'd always made my dresses but l thought
this bein' silk, would get Miss Van Deu-
sen, the village dressmaker. Then l had the
dress trimmed with mercantile, an by the
time it was done it cost me sight
"Wcll, the first Sunday after it was done |
wore it to church, didn't take yearn' of
comfort. wasn't to home in silk you see. |
kept lookin over to see Miss Morse, to see
if she was noticin' my silk, but law she had
her eyes so intent on the minister, | don't even
believe she knew was there.
"Then the minister preached about the ex
travagance of perfessers, on a world lynn in
wickedness, an l thought every word on it
was meant for me.
Now, as luck would have it, Kiah was
taken sick with malaral fever pretty soon
after, and wasn't able to do scarce stroke of
work that fall an jest as though one trouble
must follow close on the heels of another, the
children all took sick with scarlet fever.
"Well, our money was gone, an we were
runnin' up big store-debt. l was all wore
out with watchin' an work, when one day
who should walk in but Miss Morse an say
81 did not know your children were sick
until to-day, as l have been at my mothers
on visit for several weeks. Now, you go
an lie down, and I'll stay with your children
tonight
81 was so taken ahack with her friendly
ways an sweet face-for she was pretty an
smllin' as pictur'-that couldn't say
word, only 10 do as she told me.
"The children, they took to Miss Morse
NIGHTLY an rather have her than me- She
was a master careful nurse, an ST. gentle an
quiet-like, nothin seemin to fuster her
morsel
"She had been a-comin' SO for several days
jist like an angel of mercy, when it seemed
to me l couldn't bear it any longer with all
the wrong I'd done her, a-pressin' on me
down, like, so said:
"You don't know how mean l feel over
it; but I've said unkind things about you, an
an
Eyes, know all about It, she said.
"'Not how S'manthy Jane an went on
about your fur cloakY l asked in astonish-
ment.
eyes, she came to me with every word.
But let that pass, please and she laid her
hand on my arm kindly,
Gland Il body could Jest have knocked me
down with one spear of broom corn, do be.
| leve, was so weak.
"Did she tell you that she said ten times as
much as did 2 gasped.
Ono, of course not. That is not the way
! tale-bearers do yet could imagine she had