The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-08-06

an thathe's jest fool Of her,
an it ought not to be allowed"
''I'm O. your min Surilda," Mrs.
Hawkins said, coming in with a batch
of dough in her hands, to have a
word in the talk. "Only last night
as Absalom was comm home from
the mill he sees the teacher an Jane
a-promenadin' in the orchard, an
she was a-holdin' to his arm, an
a-smilin' in his face jest Us 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 just laughed atit, std o haul
in off an slappin' him over, as she
ought to a done.'
Up went thirty pairs of hands and
thirty mouths calculated, "Ohv'
oval, it ain tho more'n I'spected, >"
Parthena said, when she had suftici-
emily recovered from the terrible
shock to be able to speak. ATS a
dretful state O. things an shouldn't
never be allowed to go on"
"That it shouldn' t." said Tilda,
'fer it it is, what's ever to become of
us innocent young ladies? I say it
ought to be stopped"
Eyes, 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 ateerd to do
our duty" .....
Cant nobody say that Parthena
Perkins ever Stunned her duty" PAR
thena said, with a derisive nod of her
small round head, can if there is
anything l do love to do better, n
anything else it is to pint out to
people their tailin's an help 'em to
git right
Il can say the same" chimed in
Mrs. Huff, "an' I'm ready to go this
minute to do what's best toward
Jane Martin. know that something
ought to be DONE"
can me, too," Surilda said; "but
I'm not settled in my own mind how'd
be best to perceed."
"Wal," Mrs. Hawkins remarked
thoughtfully, II reckon as good a
way as any would be to see Mis- Mar
tin an talk to her about it. She's q
curious sort O. critter, an flares up
monstrous bad when anybody goes
to tall1in' to her about her failin's,
but reckon we oughtn't ter mind
that 50 long as we feel easy in our
own souls, an know we're dom it fer
her own good.'
'She's powerful ungrateful, though"
Parthena said, 'fer I remember the
time a committee Of US went to see
her an pint out to her that she was
committin' 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 tits to pokin' erbout meddlin'
with things that don't consarn us"
''She was mighty frien'ly an mild,
though" Surilda commented, "till
we teched on the thing we'd come
| fer" --1~ - E
eyes, she wus. But that amt
neither here nor there. We must do
somethin' an as there amt nothin'
better to do, s'pose we pint COM
mittee to wait on Mis- Martin, an
warn her O. the way James carryin'
on with the new teacher, an tell her
she'd best turn him off an let him
hunt another boardin' place."
This proposition was agreed to
unanimously, and, accordinly, after
considerable further exchange of
ideas, Surilda, Parthena and Mrs.
Gilley were selected as committee
to wait on 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, Parthena and Mrs.
Gilley met Surilda at her own house,
and together the three ladies started
out on their mission of kindness and
mercy. AS they passed the Haw-
kins place Mrs. Hawkins came out
and Mrs. Gilley stopped for few
words with her, while Surilda and
Perthena walked leisurely on. They
were no sooner out ofhearing of Mrs.
Gilley than Parthena said:
SIwish they'd lett Mis-. Gilley out
ten the committee. I don't feel lest
right a-goin' along with SIGH as her
to talk to other folks about their
shortcomings, do you, Surildy?"
''No, l don't fer ever body knows
that Sam Gilley amt worth KILN;
asides man as sells as many sheep
skins as he does 'thout even ownin' a
sheep, don't pear to me to be strict
~ honest, an it might pear to Mis-
Martin as how we're mighty hard off
fer fifth women to serve on COM
mittee when SIGH likes as her is chos-
en-"
just then Mrs. Gilley came up, and
the subject was changed; as the lady
walked on, they chatted as pleas
antly as three honest souls ever did.
Mrs. Martin received them gracious
ly, and invited them into the chest
room,' which was quite dignity.
Parthena was selected as spokes-
woman, and after a few commonplace
IL