Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-10-08

was comm home from the mill he sees
the teacher an Jane a-promenadin' in
the orchard. and she was a-holdin' to
his arm an a-smilin' in his face Jest as
lovin' as could be- Then he sees them
stop, an the teacher breaks off some
apple blossoms an fastens them in her
hair, an then he stoops an kisses her.
An she didn't seem to mind it one bit,
but jest laughed at it, std o haulin' off
an slappin' him over, as she ought to
done.
Up went 80 pairs OF hands, and so
mouths calculated ~Oh!"
Wall, it amt no more'n 'spected,
Partheny said when she had sufficiently
recovered from the terrible shock to be
..tet 10 5 eaA. Its dretfui staIe o.
things an shouldn't never be allowed to
go ON.
THAT it shouldn't" said Tilda, fer if
it is what's ever to become of us inno-
cent young ladies'? say it ought to be
stopped
Yes, it ought, an it's our duty to see
that it is stopped. We owe it to the
perfection of innocent young gals, an
Cant nobody say that Partheny Per-
kins ever Stunned her duty, Pertheny
said, with decisive nod of her small
round head, IAN if there is anything |
do love to do better'n anything else it is
to pint out to people their failin's an
help 'em to get right
i can say the same, chimed in Mrs.
Huff, "an' I'm ready to go this minute
to do what's best toward Jane Martin. l
know that sdAnethin' ought to be done.
"An' me, too, Surilda said; "but I'm
not settled in my own mind how'd be
bes' to perceed.
"Wall, Mr.. Hawkins remarked
thoughtfully, II reckon as good a way
as any would be to see Mis- Martin an
talk to her about it. She's curious
sort o critter, and flares up monstrous
bad when anybody goes to her about her
failin's, but / reckon we oughtn't to
mind that so long as we feel easy in our
own souls an know we're doing it fer
her own good
"She's powerful ungrateful, though,
Partheny said, "for l remember the
time committee of us went to see her
an pint out to her that she was COM
mittin' NV a sin by not 'tendin' up to
church, an she flares right up an says
as how she knows her own business, an
thinks it amt much worse to stay away
from meetin' than it is to go pokin' er-
bout meddlin' with things that don't
consarn us.
~She was mighty friendly and mild,
though, Surilda commented, till we
teched on the things we'd come for.
Yes, she was But that amt neither
here nor there. We must do somethin',
an as there amt nothing better to do,
spose we pint committee to wait on
Mis- Martin, an warn her of the way
James carryin' on with the new teacher,
an tell her she'd best turn him off, an
let him hunt new boardin place.
The proposition was agreed to unani-
mously, and accordingly, after consider
able further exchange of ideas, Surilda,
Partheny, and Mrs Gilley were selected
as committee to wait upon poor Mrs.
Martin.
The next day was selected as the time
for the committee to make their visit,
for, as Mrs. Huff said, there wasn't no
time ter waste.
Accordingly, at an early hour the
next morning, Parthehy and Mrs Giiley
met Surilda at her own house, and to-
gether the three ladies started out on
their mission of kindness and mercy.
AS they passed the Hawkins place Mrs.
Hawkins came out and Mrs. Gilley
stopped for few words with her, while
Surilda and Partheny walked leisurely
on. They were no sooner out of hearing
of Mrs. Gilley than Partheny said:
/ wish they'd left Mrs. Gilley outten
the committe. don't feel jest right a.
goin' along with sich as her to talk to
other folks about their shortcomings, do
you, Surildy?"
mo, don't, fer everybody knows that
Sam Gilley amt worth KILN; an asides,
a man as sells as many sheepskins as he
does 'thout ever owniu' a sheep don't
pear to me to be strictly honest an it
might 'pear to Mis- Martin as how we're
mighty hard off fer fittin' women toserve
OF a committee when sich likes as her is
chosen.
Just then Mrs. Gilley came up, and the
subject was changed; and, as the ladies
walked ON, they ehatted as pleasantly as
three honest souls ever did.
Mrs. Martin received them graciously,
and invited them into the best room,
which was quite a dignity. Partheny
was selected as spokeswoman, and, after
a few commonplace remarks, she came
to The point by saying:
Mis- Martin, we've come on errand
Of mercy, an hope you won't feel cut up
about nothin' we say, fer it's all fer the
best and fer your own good. Yestidy up
to Mis- Howkins' wool pickin', we fell to
tallxin' O. this an that an then we got to
speakin' of ther new teacher, an one
thing led ON to another till finally it came
out that your darter wasn't behavin' jist
right tow ard him. an that people wus
havin' room to talk, even If nothin' bad
wusn't meant, so we thought you ought |
to know, an we've come as er committee |