Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-12-04
A GOSSIPING OLD MAID.
She Didn't Do q Great Deal of
Harm However.

great gelAea bars across the yellow
painted 'noo<. The old white cat was
summing himself On the settee, the mar
row Sits Of eyes blinking lazily, and his
claws softly working in and out, as he
purred his enjoyment of the sunny morn
ing.
The kitchen was a low, wide room, and
fairly shone with cleanliness; there was
fire in the stove, and on one of the
covers q kettle of hot fat fzzled and
sputtered and smoked
Presently the door Of the cook-room
opened a1i the housewife entered the
kitchen, her hands full of unlocked
aoughnuts. She deposited them in the
fat and turned for moment to look out
Of the window. Her brows contracted
into a frown as she said aloud:
s'Oh, dear! If there isn't Dorcas Jones'
Come to spend the day, Of course, Just
when I'm busiest. do wish she could
contrive to come some other time than
when Tn cooking, but s'pose there's
no help for it, and I'll have to be civil
to her. She's got her budget of news
full, I know by the looks of her face.
Well, shall have to listen, Is.pose, If I
DO put pepper ia the bread and saleratus
in the soup: il can't be helped good
mornin, Dorcas, . as the lady in ques-
lion entered the door, a gossipy spinster,
with face like a wrinkled apple.
Dorcas laid down her capacious bonn
bazne sachel and threw herself into a
stuffed chair, saying, as she united her
bonnet strings:
ssWaal, good mornin', Mis- Davis;
hain't it pleasant? Thinks I to myself ::
God is good to us poor morta1s to give
Us sech sunny days, all pleasant and
bright I met Parsen Green On my
way, and SEE he to me, SEE he: Good
mornia', Dorcas-' Good mornin', Par
Son. sez I. 'Dorcas,' SEE he, you al
ways look jest SO pleasant Yes, Par
son. SEX /, an / feel pleasant I've
tasted o. the tree o. life, an could no
more tell a lie or do wrong thing ter
day then nothin'.' An twas the Twin
truth, Mis- Davis. feel jest like new
person sence I waz baptized. Them
aoughnuts do look mighty temptin ;;
guess I'll take one. Yes, tits lovely
day, hain't it? ''
Dorcas took from her bag half-fn-
ished stocking, and, while the needles
few in and ont like tongues of steel, she
rocked and talked. 49,
II must say, Mis- Davis said she,
fsEtlh that your Polly did act shameful last
Sunday night in meettiin'- She an that
Susan Harris were gigglin' all the even
in; an twas at me, know. I came in
late an sot right down in front of 'em,
an there they giggled an tee-he-ed all
the erenin'. Twas somethin' about nv
back hair or bunnit-I dunno which.
got real mad; hut seem as am church
member it don't look well in me- to bear
'em any maliee-an' I don't; but twas
aggrevatn', to say the least, an was
51ad when your Polly couldn't hold in
no longer, an hope Polly's ashamed OF
herself If she hain't she'd orter be. -
Mrs Davis face flushed bit as she
said: II was ashamed myself of Polly;
but she's yonng and as frolicsome as q
young colt, SO make Some allowance for
her, Dorcas.' .
s'Oh, yes, Mis- Davis, said Dorcas, her
needles clicking faster than ever. 4sI'm
charitable toward her-she's young an ]
was once, SO I know she don't think.
Onoe was the time, though, when I'd q
paid her mp fer this, but my heart il
filled with brotheriy love now, an feel
nofhin' bnt pity toward the maynard Of
the world" b. 8#
Polly does not think - said Mrs.
DaVis, anxions to ginaieate her only child