San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-21
SISTER MARTHA.
By AUGUSTA HARMED.

winter evenings was to sit at her clean
kitchen table, with a brightly burning
kerosene lamp, and make over her old
clothes. A new fashion hardly ever
came up that she did not get some odd
wrinkle of it ON her garments. When
the high sleeves first were in vogue she
was one of the earliest to appear al
meeting with queer little puckered
bunch on each shoulder. Meeting was
AIMS great resource and pleasure. II
was her theater and opera, her concert
and lecture. She never missed service
at her church however stormy the night,
and with her kitchen key in her pocket
she felt her dominions were safe, nc
matter what might happen to the front
of the house.
One morning Ann came down stairs
with the breakfast tray and a message
from her mistress to Sister Martha, beg.
ging that she would excuse her that day,
as her head was unusually painful.
"Well, it's about as lively here as a
graveyard, amt it," said Mrs. Whitcumb,
pushing out her foot as she sat stoutly
on kitchen chair. II can't go thrusting
myself in on folks when they haven't
called on me, and l know pretty well
why they don't call. They've got tired
of a one sided business. Vinie's been
shut up so long they know there's moth
ing to look for from this house. You
can't expect to be asked to places if you
don't do something in return" Mrs.
Whitcumb felt the black silk dress and
bead trimming up in the press burning
to be worn.
what do you say Ann?" after musing
a moment; II have an idea. Suppose
was to give tea partyY'
Ann turned slowly around from the
table where she was doing up the break
fast things, and Mrs. Whitcumb noticed
that her gray pebble eyes had turnsl
green. "Why, Marthy Marier Whit
cumb," said she deliberately; "be you
crazy"
mo, Ann" snapped Mrs. Martha;
I'm clothed and in my right mind. But
what's to hinder my having few people
to tea in my own mother-in-law's house
that was? There's the parlor and dining
room all sweep and garnished, needing
only few punches of flowers set around
to brighten things and some sparrow
grass bushes in the chimney"
~ guess should hev something to say,
leastways about the part of the house
that belongs to me. Them are her rooms.
don't claim no control over them"
"Of course you will have all to say,
Ann. | am aware of that. If you put
down your foot that is the end of the
worsted. should think it might liven
you, Ann, to have few folks in to tea
almost as much as prayer meetin?"
81 don't want no liveliness," said Ann
grimly. "Tve got along these fifteen OF
twenty year without any and I'm puff.
fickly well; not an ache anywhere, least,
wise it might be kind of stiffenin OF
the joints on damp mornins."
II don't see as she need know anything
about it, at least at first. We might get
well started so as not to fuster her."
Ann again withdrew her parboiled
hands from the hot suds and rested the
right-doubled into rather formidable
looking fist--on the table, while her look
went through Sister Martha like sew
ing.machine needle.
III hev no underhand contrivin, Mis-;
Whitcumb. Them rooms are her part
and if she says you may hev EN- yor
may, that's all. I'll do what can Il
oblige, but she's got to be consulted first
If you locked her up in the attic yoU
couldn't keep it from her, for her ear
are like one of them telephones tina
ketches every whisper. You may talk
back your piece of linsey woolsey e
you're mad at my plain speakin."
81 amt mad, Ann, only thought t.
save her fret and worry. But | wan
you to let her know there won't be an.
expense on her. III pay for all the suga
and butter and eggs that's used"
Ann flashed out on her: you won
do no such thing. guess we ain't com
TO that pinch. There's plenty of every
thing in the house, for lay in supple
once month regular"
But you must let me add some littl
extrys, Ann. If do the thing at all
want to 90 it up in style. A real frs
class high tea leaves wake of light be
hind 1t, so to speak. And it does bea
all how folks will eat when they get Sc
down to loaded table. I'll buy tn
chickens for salad, Ann, for know no,
to make it extry well, with mayonaz
dressing, and | guess 1 shall order ic
cream from Holden & White, best Phils
delphy. We will have real loaf at on
end of the table and the salad at tn
other, and celery glass of flowers i
the middle and smoked tongue an
picked oysters in between, and whe
the cream comes on it will be a surprise