Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-02-27
QUAKER LADY.
A STORY OF TO-DAY.
III.

- ~ ~ 81 ~ III
the pines in the little grove below the
house, or with some gay party mounted
the numbering old stage and went ''over
the hills and far away in the picturesque
neighborhood, or rowed among the lily
pads at early dawn, when the white faces
of the flowers were lifted skyward, or
drifted among their closed, sleeping leaves
at twilight.
ings spent ON the shady piazza, where
knitting-work patterns and new stitches
in crochet were duly exchanged, like
marketable commodities, eagerly seized
upon by some, and as peremptorily re-
jected by others. Some girls always look
at a bit of needle-work from a selfish
point of view; If the article be becoming
or useful to ones SELF, pretty and worth
the learning or copying; If not, useless
and "too much bother"
Miss Flower knew how 10 do lots Of
things with her needle, things beautiful,
and things sensible and useful; and she
found herself in demand by both young
girls and old ladies, in consequence. She
was always amiably willing and ready
10 impart her skill to others. and well
coined all the ladies to what they called
the"MorningS School of Art Needle-work,"
held beside her chair at one end of the
piazza directly after breakfast. Indeed,
Miss Flower had become such a favorite
with the elderly portion of the lady
guests at the hotel, by reason OF her al
ways being ready to take a hand at whist
in the evenings, instead Of dancing, and
going on long botanical walks, instead of
fishing, in the mornings. that she began
to think she really no longer belonged to
the young folks" but had arrived at
''mature middle age
"Phebe likes quiet: let her alone,
Charles, she enjoys whist much more
than she does the l~ancers, Annette would
exciaim sometimes, when her husband
would start TO hunt up his cousin to join
a set, and 80 she naturally drifted each
evening into the card-rOom with her
elders, among whom were Mrs. Morris
and Mr.. Standish, instead of with the
younger, gayer crowd.
The girls. however. had included her
in their Progressive Euchre'' parties,
when they got them up, but one even
ing's trial had suficed; the game was SO
boisterous, and there seemed sucha spirit
Of ill-humor and gambling attached TO
the play, Phebe begged To be excused af-
ter, and resumed her old place at the
whist-table with a smile of relief.
why! / thought all young ladies
liked a winning prize game. Didn't
you like progressive euchre, Miss Flow
err asked Mr.. Standish when Mrs. Nor
ris brought her triumphantly in to their
table.
ooh. it is tool like whist best" she
stammered.
Miss Flower plays cards like a lady;
she don't like gambling, Mr.. Standish,'
quietly rejoined Mrs. Morris, with an APP
proving pat on Phebe's shoulder.
Seated one morning out ON the piazza,
in a circle of half n dozen girls, who were
being taught a pretty lace stitch, Phebe
was listener to "A conversation among
them which astonished. not to say start
led her.
Il never saw her look better said one.
''She had on her last new ball-dress. Just
arrived from Paris: her hair was arranged
lovely, and you know Ewing has some
sort Of way Of making people look natur-
al, Just a faint rose-colOred bloom ON lips
and cheeks. You would never have
thought she had been even sick; she lay
with her face turned from the light, and
everybody just raved over her beauty.
The parlors were a perfect bowero of flow
ers, and the minister quoted the most *
quisite poem to soft music: why, 1t vas
lust like-a scene in an OPERA And the
girl paused, breathless with her descrip-
ton.
"A wedding-whose, may ask" said
Phebe.
"A wedding! Oh no: it was Miss May
bins funeral. It's the latest fashion, you
know, to make YOU look beautiful in your
coffin; the undertaker-artist paints your
lins and--"
ION! how wicked and dreadful IN
kerrupted Phebe. with a look of horror.
why, ! think it is Just lovely, Miss
Flower, I'm sure no one rants To
awfully corpse-like and dead-but | beg
pardon, l forgot Quakers don't believe
HI =.
death, Miss Gray. There is something
shocking and horrible in the display you
have Just described"
Miss Gray gave a little French shrug
10 her pretty, plump shoulders. and went
10 counting her stitches industriously.
Girls" cried Miss Van Worst, throw
IlR uOMl tltf MODIS anu iillttt ullthk Wv
uncomfortable silence that followed
Phebe's words, I'm tired; and I'm going
to have a delicious rest. Wait here a
moment, and III show you a present Neal
Sherwood sent out 10 me yesterday, for a
p~lIilopena, and I'll make your mouths
water!'
She ran up to her room, and returned
shortly with q small, daintily decorated
box in her hands.
'Huyler's or Maillard's?' came a chorus
of girl voices as a dozen heads surrounded
Miss Van Worst.
Neither; these came all the way from
London, I'd have you know. There are
one hundred in a box; they are made
from the very best Turkish. with wrap
pers of rice-paper, and are the most de-
licious things imaginable-Tve already
sampled them and know. Each of you
try one, and well adjourn to Maud Gray's
room, she has lots of cushions and pillows
and we'l make odaiisques of ourselves
and have a royal siesta.'
Miss Flower looked up from her knit
ting and saw that the article whose
boa Of cigarettes.
MISS CT, VIII YOU Joih uA. aSASh
Miss Van Worst, passing the box over to
Phebe, "or are you too shocked, too full
for u~tterance.
The girls giggled and looked highly
amused and interested.
Phebe did not repty at once; she wds
too full. Then she looked into the gay
girls laughing faces, and in a low, earn
est voice said to them:
az am grieved, not shocked, to think
any American girl would care to copy
the habits of an Eastern slave. Do not
be offended at my plain Quaker speech.
girls; but indeed this is a truth, and asin
and shame which | earnestly wish | could
make you see as l do. i have heard that
there are some society ONE who smoke;
don't, l beg of You, copy them. Don't
begin q pernicious habit that will have
n tendency to weaken all the womanly
strength needed to keep your brothers
from a habit worse than tobacco; ii we
smoke, they will do worse. Women
must be pure and good to make men no
BILE and honest"
She paused and gathered up her woods
to leave the piazza. Some Of the girls
blushed and hid their faces behind their
fans, others tossed their heads saucily
and smiled; n put a cigarette to her lips
and pretended to blow a Whit of smoke
over toward Miss Flower.
Miss Van Worst looked down at the
box In her hand a moment seriously; hen