Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-09-23
MISS BECK.
Savings and Doings OF the oio
Maids Club"

.ci.,s wbat can we do to astonish
the community u,..anea
The question was asked ny ri s,po
Henson, after brief interval OF siieho'''
in which five young ladies haa neoA
diligently sewing po.r,
af,et married, suppose" said rear.
Davenport the youngest anu pfos''oss
Of the group. II think that wouiu as
tonish folks generally" -.
..Get married, indeed! | wouiuh
marry any man in this town, al al
events said Nelly West weh'
down to the store last night after some
thread. and / had to thread my way
no pun ntended-between two rows u
representative benedicts. There was
Judge Armstrong, with a pipe as long
as nv arm, his yellow hair standing
out twenty-four ways for Sunday, anu
droning platitudes on law to Father
Kelley. who sat astride barrel OF
vinegar, let US hope-listening Win
sleepy eyes, and a tooth-pick between
his lips! There were the Barrys, father
and son, hugging the stove, enveioped
in thick cloud of cigar-smoke; indeed
the whole male population seemed 10
be there. chatting each other, iounglng
against the counters, and looking so
law and listless, while their wives were
working at home like beavers, III be
bound. No, ! thank you,' and the girl
shook her head with humorous decision.
ssYou were the one to suggest the
matter" said comedy, dark-eyed girl,
pausing in perplexity over an unfinished
buttonhole, and surveying it with
comical look OF distress. 80 you must
invent the something that is going to
astonish this slow-going town. ! know
one thing, the poor children of this par
ish should necer wear buttons, If | could
help it."
'Why, what would you substitute?'
asked Florence Benson.
Strings, everywhere" was the inn
patient reply.
''And then bag with string to put
them in, poor little thirgs!" said Miss
Benson. Here, give it over to me;
like to make them. But, as | was say
ing, hope we none of us really care to
marry just now What say you, Ada
HUMPHREYS? I'm going to take the
sense of the meeting, as Elder Doddy
puts it. You are to be DOCTOR and
need every minute of your time to study
anatomy and medicine. Nelly West,
your ambition points to art, and the
faint hope of having a picture hung on
the line at the academy someday in the
near--or far future. Pearl Davenport,
you have had several stories accepted
by the magazine, and what is better,
paid for. We look to you for the forth
coming great American novel, You,
Miss Beck, having kept the de-stric'
school for nearly five years, it would be
sheer stupidity in you to allow any one
that teachers, like poets, are born, not
made. Besides, you are the oldest, and
at the ripe age of twenty-five you sure
ly ought to be able to advise US. Now,
girls, | will present my scheme, and
please don't faint, any of you. l pro-
pose that we form an old maids club"
well, that is original, and rather re-
freshing," said Pearl Davenport arch
ing her pretty eyebrows till they met
the fluffy bangs of yellow hair that
curled naturally and becomingly over
her white forehead.
II like the idea" said Nelly West.
at will prove to the people that we
have distinct purpose in life, that of
Qualifying ourselves for especial fields
of usefulness"
What shall we do at the club?'
asked Ada HUMPHREYS
That is an after consideration, said
the first speaker, laughing. ''There are
some things we won't do. We won't
compare love-letters, anyway, or talk
about our neighbors any more than is
necessary for their good, nor SANDER
the 'horrid' men. We can determine on
our plans for the future, read. reeite.
sing and have good time generally. ali
to ourselves. | don't suppose we shall
have many new members, but we don't
care for that, We will pledge ourselves
to each other, as the ladies lannon's in
history, Lady Emily Butler and Miss
sarah Ponsonby did. At all events
we can promise that we won't be mar.
rled for year, and at the end of that
time renew the pledge, if practica BILE, -
I'm agreed" said Miss Beck. show.
Ing small, Uneven teeth as she smoke
u nope you don't think would burden
any man with such bundle of ailments
ana nerves as am, and I'm only wait
ing for Ada HUMPHREYS to come ont a
tull-hedged doctor with a dinloma 70
put myself into her hands, when sho
o"re
!, well girls" said Ada Humpbries
'he doctor-to be, "if you are WAITING for |
ny verdict like the idea very much
VI course people will talk. but If nm
lerstand Alright we none of MS care fo.
That as the community is WAITING +, ba
- - 'ohlshed' We settled all about peo-
pie IN general, and Miss Namely in par.
'icuiat' some time ago. give NV vote
n FAVOR OF the club. We all intend IN |
'ee tle river on fre-that is if grass ever |
srows IN It, and | don't know WIN u,o
'noula not have distinctive socio+,,
Win taking name, We can reform ~
' 'o,s IN altogether better style if the
don't bother u.s." she laugb.
ngly added. 4"ush-
), ne result OF this conference was that
me club was formed then and thana
ana such gossip as followedr IT,
Dung ladies, all of them of bipb SOIL
lstinction, who had taken up the cro.a
, ehe DAILY Advocate put it, were tho
deserved OF all observers. But the club n
,rospered for all that. For five vea aS
uey kept together, and the Nom hars
a maui Tame and money, all bnt MOO.
mss Beck, who plodded on nursino r. ~.
ailments. ''Ahg nef
FOR hive wears Gotta 4,