Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-11-01
TWENTIETH YEAR-NO 6. T.

an slappin' him over, as she ought to a
done.
Up went 80 pairs of hands, and 80
mouths calculated "Oh!"
wall, it amt no more'n 'spected, !"
Parthcny said when she had sufficiently
recovered from the terrible shock to be
able to s. eak Its II drrtfuI state o
thirys. an shouldn't never he 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'? l say it ought to be
storp"d
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
we mustn't be afeered to do our duty )"
Cant nobody say that Partheny Per-
kinS ever stunned her duty" Pertheny
said, with decisive nod of her small
round head, "an' if t ere is anything 1
do love to do better'n ANYTHING else it is
to Pint out to peo lie their failin's an
help 'em to get right.
Il can say the same, chimed in Mrs.
Huff, IAN I'm ready to go this minute
to do what's best toward Jane Martin. l
know that somethin' ought to be done. "
An me. too, Surilda said; but I'm
not settled in my own mind how'd be
bes' to percred.
wall" Mr.. Hawkins remarked
thoughtfully, Il reckon as good way
as any would be to see Mis- Martin an
talk to her about it. She's curious
-, nd
bad when anybody goes to her about her
failin's, but l 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 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 mcddlin' 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
mere nor there. We must do somethin',
an as there amt nothing better to do,
s'pose we pint. a committee to wait on
Ms 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 a new boardin' place.
The proposition was agreed to unani-
mously, and accordingly, after consider
able further exchange of ideas, Surilda,
Partheny, and Mrs. Gilley We're 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, Partheny and Mrs. Gilley
met Suritla at her own house, and to-
gether the three ladies started out on
their mission of kindness and mercy.
AS they passed the Hawkihs 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:
81 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 every body knows that
Sam Gilley amt worth killin'; an asides,
a man as sells as many sheepskins as he
does 'thout ever ownin' 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 to serve
on 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 chatted 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:
"Ms' Martin, we've come on Grand
of mercy, an hope you won't feel [ 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
talkin' 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
to worn you to be on your guard.
"Do understand you to say that peo-
pie are liable to talk about James con-
duct toward Robert?"
"That's what l tried to say, Mis- Mar
tin. You know he hasn't been here long
an they amt enough acquainted to be so
intimate.
mo, he hasn't been here long and
neither have we, but you are mistaken if
you think Jane is not acquainted toler-
ably we'll with her own brother, 'and
Mrs. Martin looked at them with eyes
that twinkled with merriment and eXul-
tation, while the committee stared with
open mouths and felt smaller and smaller
every moment AT last Surida got com
mand of her tongue long enough to gasp
out:
Her hrother?"
"Yes, he is her brother.
"But his name is different, Parthena
protested.
"That's natural enough, isn't it, when
he is nv son by former marriage?"