The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-12
v 0 MANS " ORLD.
4 Few Things OF Interest TO the Fair
Sex.

0eA.
A New Fad Among New Orleans
Girls-Modjeska at a California
Summer Resort-A Girls Subterfuge.
A Great Grandmother's Collection.
A Strange Scene-Conversation in
France-The Love Affair of an Eng
lishman-Other Matters Well Worth
Reading.
Not long ago, says the New York Tri-
bune, when Mrs Van A, an old lady who
had enacted a prominent part in social
life during the latter half of the century,
joined very unwillingly the mixed
crowd" which constituted the great ma
ioritY," her entire wardrobe, consisting
of the most curious accommodations of
years, was turned over to the many grand
daughters and eatgranddaughters. To
their eager curiosity the mysterious
trunks and boxes had long been objects of
exciting speculation, for their venerable
ancestress, although very generous in her
own peculiar fashion (bringing out now
and again unexpected treasure trove in
the way of rare bit of lace or curious
old jewell, always guarded her numerou US
possessions from eyes profane with the
most jealous care, and allowed no one to
touch the sacred Golfers, save an ancient
maid who was as old and peculiar as her
self. When after her death her will was
opened, wherein the bulk of her large
property was disposed of, a clause in re-
gard to her personal effects in the way of
,1e yl.,d
follows;
II will and bequeath to my direct fe-
male descendants now living the contents
of my twelve large trunks, of which said
trunks Abigail Guttermann is the Gus
todian, 1 also request that a month later
than my decease, on the same day of the
week and at the same hour, my female
descendants shall meet together in the
large south room of my house, where the
said trunks are kept, and that my eldest
daughter, receiving the keys from Abigail
Guttermann, shall open and equally dis
tribute the contents of the twelve trunks
among those present, in all harmony and
peace, all disputed questions being settled
by a referee, who shall be appointed by
vote"
you can fancy" said one of the great
grauddaughters, who was describing the
occurrence afterward, what a curious
scene it was. There were eighteen of US
in all, every one, of course, in mourning /;
and after we were all seated, with Abb
gail Guttermann standing grim as death,
and almost as CHASTITY, by the huge 'Sar-
atogas,' my Grandaunt Mary rose and
said TREMENDOUSLY that she felt she must
have an assistant in the task before her,
and that she would, with our permission,
appoint my mother as her helper, leaving
US to name and vote upon the referee.
Id \
we younger ones were all too scared
and awe-stricken to utter a word.
Then the bunch of keys was re-
ceived by Aunt Mary, the boxes
were opened and the work of distribution
begun. Costly furs, race laces, old
fashioned jewelry ana rich dresses in per
feet preservation-all were unpacked and
divided with careful impartiality, 1t was
q wonderful collection, and must have
been made for years with this very end in
view, for our great-grandmother never
could have used quarter of the costly
garments herself. Finally the last trunk
was unpacked, and nothing remained but
a long black case, which looked not unlike
coffin.
That box contains my mistress as
cension ROBE said the harsh, cracked
voice of old Abigail, breaking the hushed
silence. Her whatP uumber of US eX-
claimed involuntarily; and then my
grandmother explained how, many years
ago, our ancestors he'd joined a sect
called the Second AGventistst, who
looked for our Lords coming in a certain
year, now long gone by, interpreting the
scriptures in some extraordinary fashion,
so as to corroborate their belief Many of
the more Jealous disciples of this Gun ious
creed had actually prepared robes for
the great occasion, when the
faithful should be caught up
while still clothed in their mortality, into
heaven. 1t was grewsome and uncanny
sight, that glistening gown lying like a
shrowd in the narrow box and yellow
with age, while its owner, well stricken
in years. had succumbed in ordinary fash
ion to the great destroyer and was buried
out of sight in the tomb We all shrank
involuntarily from receiving this last
remaining bequest.
Give it to me, said Abigail Gutter
mann, tottering forward and clasping her
strange share of the rich and valuable
wardrobe. The old woman sat down in
the nearest chair and wept aloud. 1t was
the strangest SOMEONE that l shall
never forget-and would take the pen of
a Hawthorne TO do justice to its weird
ness"