The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-12-22
IA VILLAGE SCANDAL.

but Wlat eyeTyuody says mus
BE- true persisted Mrs. Jeffrey.
"By no means! said Heller
Grant. eUhce everybody said lht
earth was fat, now we all know Il
Is round"
Speak for YOURSELF" toturted
Mrs. Jeffrey. si
a don't know il's round, bat Tn
willing 10 believe it on good eyi
dence' Thank heaven, I'm not &c
stubborn l won't believe. I'm one
Of the sort that can be convinced oI
a thing even II I don't SEQ IL"
Mrs. Grant flushed q little and
tears came 10 her eyes.
/, "she Is my friend and I love her
dearly" she said. "she has faults;
everyone eau see, that but thil
wicked, shameful story, l simply
cannot believe 1t. Oh Mrs. jeffrey
can you no! see that IL is a matter
Of conscience with me as we'll au
with your"
Mrs. Jeffrey, a littls ashamed,
but Of the same opinion still, rose
to go.
"If the matter is brought up III
the church, you will chen hear all
the evidence. After you see the
letter you may change your mind
Pine Falls was convulsed over itr
first scandal. The tongue of cen,
sure, that had family approved
when Abram Harris had carried
his mother of to the poor house
and INDUCED 10 audible criticism,
when Laura Cowles had been bap
tized in the river in midwlntel
during a church revival, and dice
Of inaamatory rheumatirm a weeE
afterward, and now broken silence
had carried the story from house Il
house until it was on svsrybodyt
lips.
A mania for visiting seemed K
have broken out among the ladies
Half a dozen could DO seen any day
with a little bundle of knitting OF
crochet in hand, going to make in
formal visits or calls at the homes
of their intimate friends or neal
neighbors. To be sure each lady
was very particular TO explain, i
opportunity offered, that she prom
ised to show Mrs. So and.so a new
stitch or pattern, or she had beer
intending to take her work ant
"run in" to see such.a.one for 81,
months or more. It was really
shame to neglect ones neighbors SO
Mrs. jeffrey, and Mrs. Marir
were seated on the back porch o
the Jeffrey mansion, engaged il
earnest and confidential conversa
tiOn. Overhead in the apple trel
the robin sang unheard. On th'
floor q mischieYous kitten played
with Mrs. Martins ball Of zephyr
tangling the thread unheeded
while her crochet work lay idly il
her lap.
"She always did seem frivolou
to me-" remarked Mrs. Jeffrey
mo care Of her house, no interes
in domestic matters, There's
grea! said in these days about
WOman'S hiding a GOd.giyen talenI
under a bushel, and smothering heI
genius under domestic drudgery
but I've noticed that the. womer
who are domestic aud take an In
tereSt in their homes are not tbr
women who figure in scandal case
or elOpements."
perhaps" replied Mrs. Martin
who was not 90 conservative as hel
neighbor, "there's a great deal o
human nature in women as we'll a
men. Most of them take an inter
est in some one thing besides house
keeping, With some IL is paint
ing, with others music, others fan
cywOrk or religion. I've ,knowr
women who are really dissipated
you might say, in religious work
they carried II TO such unseasonabl,
lengths. You and |, not being
gifted in any Of these directions
have gone on in plain quiet homl
life. But We must not, on that &C
count, find fault with those who ser
life from u'ditferent standpoint, Of
call them frivolous because the,
take an interest in things we dom,
care for. Mrs. Downs was always
fond Of dress and fancy work buI
until this story came out everybody
seemed 10 like her."
"wcll, you can say what yor
please" returned Mrs. Jeffrey
wrathfulIy, when a woman be
haves herself she won't be talked
about. The most shameful part oi
tho whole is her assumed limo
cence. l saw her myself walking
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