Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-25
SPEAKING OF wHALE-BoNE.
The Little Dressmakers Personal Story
Republican.

dress Tilted Just at that time. was spend
ing the summer among the Virginia
mountains In the hope of recovering my
health. 1t had become necessary for me
to provide myself with some cooler gar
ments, and after diligent inquiry | had
found out that my sewing would be glad
" done at this tumble-down red farm
house The faded little country dress
maker futtered nervously around me, Civ
ing pat here and taking in seam there.
While she was making ready for the
second fitting, | gazed idly ABOUT the
small sewing-roOm which evidently did
duty for both parlCr and living-room. The
fun niture was draped with faded chlntz
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-naker | decided that she was alb
soluteIy the most colorless 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 Gondescript undecided features.
81 wonder if she has hi story to CORES
pond to her appearance. If so, what des-
oately stupid reading it would make!'
unused indolently.
Her voice broke the stiffness: ''If you
think you can wait, madam, | shall soon
have your waist done, and you can take it
put In now
assented, and went on with my lazy
musing, but had new impression of
the dressm;, ker. 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
unselishness. Nature was certainly guilty
of freak in bestowing those soft, exquis-
tie accents upon such a leaden-hued per-
sonallty as this.
at is a very warm day for sewing, is it
not?" asked, merely for the sake of hear.
ing that lovely voice again.
eyes" she answered drearily and went
on stitching. As | could not make her
talk, turned to the open window where
the fragant honeysuckle lured the droon-
ing bees to gather.
The front yard into which looked was
most decided blot on the landscape for it
teemed with broken tomato cans, sticks
and rubbish of all sorts The evolution of
the front yard must be assigned to the
New Englander, fear, for the southerner
has no conce ption beyo the most print
tive and barbarous, of its uses. To him it
is merely place in which to throw things
The yard in question was lnclosed by a
picket fonce badly out ofrepair. Over the
rickety hanging gate leaned an appropri'
ate center figure for all this dessolation
and confusion 1t was a man of tall, lank
proportions, dressed In blue jean trousers
and a faded pink calico shirt. He had a
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 darby boy appeared
from the regions in the rear of the house
seated himself on log, and began medl-
tativey whiting a stick. A frisky black
pig was leaking havoc In a patato patch
near 10y. But the dreamer by the gate
did not move. The boy from the leg
looked up once and shouted: Hi! thar
you hawg, cit out of thar" But he made
no effort to dislodge the pig. The scene
had fascination for me. | wondered II
the respective actors would never change
their POSITIONS, if the man would always
remain leaning on the gate; the boy sit
ting on the log; and the pig reveling 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 O.
the situation outside which was interest
ing me and now she started up and called
Sam! Sam! pointing at the same time t(
the potato patch. The dreamer by thu
gate awo1e this time As he turned,
could see by the close resemblance which
he bore to the lit, woman that they wer
brother and sister He shambed Oft t
attack the pig and his sister returned t
her work.
She was now cutting long strip o
whalebone into shorter pieces. "Hov
strange to think what use we make of fh
bones of the largest animal on the globe,'
sad. made he remark carelesslv. bu
it had "a startling effect on my companion
She glanced at me swiftly, her han
trimbied, and 10, she sat pale and neutrf
no longer, for the ROSY ceior rushed int
her cheers and transformed her before m
eyes. looked at he wonderingly and be
came anxious to solve the myster,
Would you mind telling me-, oneriec
"why you were so moved when | spoke {
whalebone?" Again the tremb bin
and the b coming blush-what very Ii
tie body she was, to be
ut called up very wildly the story
my life, which suppose you had hear
in the village she murmured.
''Would it hurt you very much to tell
to me yourseif?' inquired eagerly.
Size thought moment. 1t was a perfet
Itrangel, but then it was relief. no doub
to have some one to talk to in that remot
Virginia farmhouse
II doubt whether it would intere t 70
much, madam. she said, at last, in he
soft southern drawl There are plent
of strange stories to be heard in the sout
stories as mournful as ours" | kne
then that she was gong to tell the stor
and | settled myself comfortably for II
recital
well" the little woman began with
rather nervous laugh, "our family w;
not always situated as you see us now.
believe it is the proper thing to begin u
fortunate family histories in that way,
it not? But it is no mere romantic drea
with us. madam, for my brother and
can remember when handsome wbi
mansion stood in the place this old r,
shanty of ours. Once all the fields
wavin: grain that you can see abO
us belonged to my father. Now III
potato patch and few rods back of {
mouse are all that we retain of cur
mer property.