Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-14
A RUSTIC COMEDY.
aaryE. wilkins in the Ladies' Home Journal

l. meeting was ringing, but it was still quite
light The sun had scarcely gone out of sight.
the sky was a clear, pale yellow, and the trees
looked dark and distinct; it seemed rs if one
could count the leaves.
The bell rang, and Bessy Lang came down
the street with her mother. Bessy was small
and round faced. She held mp her rustling
muslin skirts dainty out of the dust and moved,
with light toss, like bird Her mother, in
her black gown and Sunday bonnet, stepped
firmly beside her.
They passed presently glossy white house
set well up from the road, on pile of green
banks Bessys mother nudged her when they
came to it. Pretty soon you'll be turnin' in
there, an expect you'll feel pretty grand,
said she. 81 declare, there's Jerome at the
window now, He'slookin'; look up an bow to
him. Why don't you look up?''
Bessy looked up, and bowed to a man whose
face was dimly visible like q pale shadow at one
of the windows
Il guess he amt quite ready" remarked
Mrs Lang. "Mebbe he's waitin' for Maria
She and Bessy were already seated in the
church vestry when the man emerged from the
house and came down the steps between the
green banks. There was woman with him.
She looked older than he; her face was pale and
seIf-contalned and her bonnet strings were tied
austerely. Maria Bowles in her young days had
experienced disappointment in love. What
ever change 1T might have worked in her
nature, she had tied her bonnet strings
straighter and pinned her shawl more evenly
ever since. That may have been the outward
evidence of an inward revolution. of perpetual
squaring of herself for q contrast to the crook
edness of the world whereby she acquired a
certain cold peace and satisfaction in life. As
they went down the steps she surveyed her
brother with pale, sharp eyes; then she picked
q thread from his coat sleeve.
dispose you won't be home till late tonight"
said she, in a dry voice which had no accord
with her friendly action.
Some where about TO-"
1T was IL before you got homo last Sunday
night"
.'wen, it won't be many Sunday nights
more" said Jerome, with embarrassed pleas
antry. His thin lips curled in smiles as If
under stiff protest. He looked like his sister,
though he younger and darker. People
called him handsome. BE had never paid any
attention to a girl in his lfe-and he was well
toward forty-until he commenced counting
Bessy Lang.
Now he was to marry her in four weeks.
They were to live in his house with Maria.
The BOwles' house was finely furnished. the
carpets were all tapestry and there we're drap-
cry curtains in all the front rooms. Village
people eyed them with respect and admra-
ton Mrs. Lang had expatiated good deal to
Bessy upon these grand household belongings.
Them carpets is elegant. elegant said she.
cNpcCb you IL ltcl unc ellOuBu W0e0 Won re
Twin on 'em. They'll be dreadful hard to
sweep; that's the worst of it; but maybe you
won't have to sweep EN- much"
Maria Bowles. although there was money
enough to pay for one, would not keep a serv
ant; none could work to suit her.
Jerome had talked the matter over with
Bessy. I'VE can't keep hired girl when VIC
are married" said he; Maria wouldn't be will
ing to; but We don't need one, anyhow, with
only three of us"
had faI a,l
She had never done any hard work; although
the Langs were too poor to keep a servant, her
mother had taken it all off from her. The older
woman regarded her daughters little. soft
white hands and tender arms with kind of
fierce protection; she would have worked her
own to the bone to them. The sweeping
of those tapestry carpets was all the drawback
to her delight over the prospective marriage.
and she was hopeful over that. She could not
believe that Maria Bowles could have the heart
to be less tender with the girl than she; very
likely she would not let her touch the carpets
Tonight. when Jerome came into the vestry
Mrs Lang gave Bessy little nudge. and she
cOlored. but did not look around. After meet
ing she took his arm and walked down the
street with childish decorum, suiting her pace
10 his. Her mother followed after with one of
the neighbors-
Maria Bowles had staIked on alone faster than
any OF the Others She entered her house. went
unsweryingly through the dark for a lamp
which she lighted, then sat down to wait for
her brother. No matter how late he should re-
turn he would find her sitting there. bolt-up-
right and unoccupied. rigid and remorseless
with that remorseiessness toward her own COM
fort which could sting another deeply because
it reflected upon his selhshness. Maria was not
pleased with this match; she did not wish her
brother to marry. She had said all along that
u would come TO naught- -'She' fighty little
thing. she said often. ''She won't have you
Jerome You mark my words"
Jerome. past the first rush of youthful conf
dence, and thereby rendered more susceptible
To it. had caught the poison of his sisters
nature. At times he looked at Bessv with an
ineredulous and suspicious air which bewil-
dered her. He questioned her sharply about
al her doings- She used to tell her mother
but Mrs Lang was rather pleased than other
wise 'Oh, he's kind of Jealous. child she
would say, that's all, he'll get over it,
Bessy was all ready TO be married with the ex-
eeption of the wedding silk and the bonnet in
which she was to come out a bride the Sun
day after her marriage She was to be married
in white muslin gown. She and her mother
had planned to go to Wellsboro to buy the silk
this next Monday. But in the morning Mrs
Lang was not well; she subject to rheuma-
tlsnl and Just at this critical moment had an at
tack Of it in her knee.
Il don't know what's goin' to be done.
Bessy, said she She had contrived to hobble
out into the sitting room. and sat there help
less Il couldn't walk over to Wellsboro to
save my life. spose could get "a team but
could get in and out, then. i wonder if you
eouldn't set the silk yourself, Bessy?'
%, mother, I'm afraid tor
I'D like to know why? It's time you learned
how 10 do such things yourself. l want any
older than you when / was married, an /
bought an earned everything had myself. nv
weddin silk an all. an cut an made it. too. /
should think you could do as much as buy it
when the money right in your hand /
guess shouldnt have been afraid when was
girl i should have thought / was pretty
lucky. / wouldn't tell Of it il couldn't. If /
was you Here's the dressmaker comm to-
morrow
20. mother, I'm dreadful afraid shall get
something you won't liker' Bessy stood before
her mother, terrified and appealing in her
little, limp morning calico.
Il don't why you can't bey a dress IL /
ain Z at your elbow: you won't always have me
You know jest about what You want: YOU don't
want to buy any light dabby thing. Won know
that We've talked it all over and Won don't
wantto getanything that goin' to fado or SPOT.
think good brown silk would be about as
good ss anything. An YOU want to loos out
an not get one that will crack Some silks will
crack right out before you've worn 'em apy
time: you must take a corner Of il and pincb !,
together this way between your thum' an
finger and see II it's made much OF a crease III
i. has it's likely to crack. You want 10 re-
member all these little things. an take your
time an LUX aroun al not buy the first thing
you see- That's all; you can do il Jest as well
~ anybody if you only think So
At Last ,ad and