Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-12-25
SPEAKING OF wHALE-BONE.
The Little Dressmaker's Personal story
Republican

my Ill fortune Unat l was oolISeu " hafO q
dress fitted just at that time. was spend
ing the summer among the Virginia
mountains in the hope of recovering my
health. II had become necessary TOR me
to provide myself with some cooler gar
ments. and after diligent inquiry | had
found ont that my sewing would be glad
w done at this tumbledown red farm
house. The faded little country dress
maker huttered nervously around me, CIV
ing pat here and taking in seam there.
While she was making ready for the
second fitting, | gazed idly aoout the
small sewing-room which evidently did
duty for both parlor and living-room. The
furniture was uraped with faded chintz
coverings, and there were many tides OF
remarkable workmanship. Quaint shells
and pieces of sea-moss adorned the mantal
shelf
When ! had noted all these particulars,
my glance rested again upon the little
dress-maker. | decided that she was alb
solutely the most coloress individual that
| had ever seen. Her whole face was of a
dull tint, with invisible eyebrows, her lips
were pale and her hair OF that faded
brown which the children call ''dirt-color.
She had nondescript undecided features.
81 wonder if she has hi story to cores
pond to her appearance. If so, what des-
olately stupid reading it would make!
unused indolentiy.
Hor vo.ce broke the stiffness: "lf you
think you can wait madam, shall soon
have your waist done, and you can take /
with YOU. have only the whale-bones to
put in now.
assented. and went on with my lazy
musing, but | had a new impression OF
the dressmLker. This little woman, with
her pale, worn, uninteresting countenance,
had the richest, sweetest of voices-a
voice whose round mellow tones suggested
all manner of tender thoughts and loving
unselfshness. Nature was certainly guilty
of a freak in bestowing those soft exqUis-
tie accents upon such leaden-hued per-
sonality AS this.
at is a very warm day for sewing, is 1t
not p asked, merely for the sake Of hear
ing GrnIItt- TT0vU7y voice again.
Eyes. she answered drearily and went
on stitching. As could not make her
talk, | turned to the open window where
the fragant honeysucllle lured the droon-
ing bees to gather.
L
IA most decided blot on the landscape for it
teemed with broken tomato cans, sticks
and rubbish of all sorts. The evolution of
tie front yard must be assigned to the
New Highlander, fear, for the southerner
has no conce ption beyond the most primi
tive and barbarous, of its uses. To HIM 1t
is merely place in which to throw things
The yard in question was inclosed by a
picket fonce badly Out ofrepalr. Over the
rickety hanging gate leaned an appropri-
ate center figure for all this deSsoation
and confusion. TWAS man of tall, lank
proportions. dressed in blue jean trousers
and faded pink calico shirt. He had
short pipe between his lips which were
shaded by a long tawny mustache His
eyes were large and extraordinarily light,
making strange contrast with his sun
Drowned face. A young darky boy appear' i
from the regions in the rear of the house.
seated himself on log, and began medi-
tatively whiting stick. A frisky black
pig was making havoc In a patato patch
near by. But the dreamer by the gate
did not move. The boy from the log
looked up once and shouted Hi! thar,
you hawg, git out of thar But he made
no effort to disodge the pig. The scene
had fascination for me- | wondered If
the respective actors would never change
THEN positions, if the man would always
remain leaning on the gate; the boy sit
ting on the log; and the pig revellng in
the potato patch
In the midst of these foolish fancies,
was startled by the voice of the little dress
maker, that strange, sweet, haunting voice
again. She also had caught a glimpse of
the situation outside which was interest
ing me and now she started up and called,
SAM SAM pointing at the same time to
the potato patch The dreamer by the
gate awoke this time. As he turned, |
could see by the close resemblance which
be bore to the little woman that they were
brother and sister He shambled off to
attack the pig and his sister returned to
her work
She was now cutting a long strip of
whalebone into shorter pieces. How
strange to think what use we make of fhe
bones of the largest animal on the globel"
| sad. made he remark carelessly. but
it had a startling effect on my companion
She glanced at me swiftly. her hand
trlmbled and 10, she sat pale and neutral
no longer, Tor the ROSY color rushed into
her cheeFs and transformed her before NV
eyes. ! looked at he wonderingly and be-
came anxious to solve the mystery
Would you mind telling me, " ! queried.
why you were so moved when | spoke of
a-whalebone? Again the trembling
and the be coming blush-what a very lit
tie body she was, to be sure
1T called up very wildly the story Of
my life, which | suppose you had heard
in the village, she murmured.
Would it hurt you very much to tell it
to me yourself?" inquired eagerly.
She thought a moment 1t was a perfect
tranger, but then it was d relief. no doubt.
to have some one to talk to in that remote
Virginia farmhouse
II doubt whether it would interest you
much, madam she said, at last, IN he-
soft southern drawl. ''There are plenty
of strange stories to be heard in the south
stories a. mournful as ours" | knew