Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-06-13
CHAPTER /.

INTRODUCES JUDITH.
People used to say it was almost duty
for Colonel Henry Merriweather Page to
marry second time. A motherless boy
might do well enough, but when it came to
a girl growing up altogether among darkeys
and men, it was absolutely blood-curdling.
The poor child was really dressed in man
ner that was almost indecent, and it had
even been said (here the informant gen.
orally put an impressive hand in one-but-
toned lisle-thread glove upon the arm of the
person TO be enlightened) that she actually
used had .auguage--in fact, sworc, as size
heard her father do.
twas perfectly true that she rarely put
in an appearance at church, and when she
did participate in the hebdominal devotions
Of Brownsville parish, she was won't to
clatter up the central aisle in short and
gatherless habit, which was extremely
shocking to the taste of the congregation.
She wore boots, moreover, and it was
rumored a spur on occasions. Her greatest
offense probably, was her mode of dress
ing her hair, or rather of leaving it to dress
itself. She had small, shapely head clasped
closely from brow to throat by heavy red
brown curls.
Colonel Pages pew was the most con-
spicuous in the pretty sandstone church
and the nape of his daughters handsome
neck, exposed in all it's chignonless effront-
cry Of Sabbath, was q never ending
source of displeasure to the outraged
Brownsvillians.
Had not st. Paul expressed himself
clearly, not to say strongly, on this very
subject? Was not a woman's piety almost
as surely to be measured by the length Of
her hair as the age of horse told by the
length of his nipperss Could young lady
fly in the face not only of tradition, but of
the Scripture, in this fashion, and yet be
all that is required of young ladies by a
country parish? Not so. The rector's wife
went alone in her state carry-all to remon-
strate with Miss Page upon this very sub
iect.
She waited for some forty minutes, and
when at last her hostess entered, it was not
in neat magenta-colored paduasoy, neither
black or salt and pepper barege, trimmed
with braid and pearl buttons, as was then
deemed the thing, but-shade of that godly
woman, MRS. Coloneln Henry Merri-
weather Page-in a blue flannel waist, an
old homespun skirt pinned up about her boy
ishly straight hips, and muddy boots that
left apparent impressions on the red velvet
carpet of the drawing-room.
When Mrs. Nelson, after much dextrous
maneuvering, had finally led the conversa-
ton, by what she considered master
stroke, up to the moot question, Miss Page
had replied merely by running a slight
brown hand through the offensive locks and
saying:
"Why do wear it this way? Oh! like
it, and dad likes 1t, and Dick then, with a
sudden oblique glance Of her bright red
brown eyes: g shall always wear it so,
even when / am married"
"You seem to have no doubt on that
score, the rector's wife had replied, in a
voice which was dryer than the smile
that accompanied it. Mrs. Nelson had
what might be termed well-irrigated
mouth pray, is it to be soong"
Miss Page had laughed at this, flinging
one blue-hanneled arm over the chair in
which she sat sideways, and Mrs. Nelson
had shuddered both at the laugh and gest-
ure, which she found unpleasantly in keep
ing with their owners cropped locks.
Dear me, mo- Goodness, mol 1 should
think mott" the delinquent had replied,