Middletown transcript., 1894-11-17

was relieved by muslin tie and smooth
breadtd of white apron, seated herself,
with sigh of relief, by the window of
the cosy sitting-room. Her eyes wan
dered to the fresh beauty outside-the
grass growing greener with each days
sunshine, and dotted with crocuses,
purple, yellow and white. The burst
ing leaf-buds of the naples flashed red
in the sunlight and Mrs. Perkins said
to herself "Ma'am Natur' seems to
have got most of her hard spring work
done early this year everything looks
so clean and fresh, and she's ready now
to do the pretty part-cOaxin' out the
buds and leaves, and gettin' the birds
all settled down to .housekeepin'.
There's one thing, she never makes her
carpet last over one season, though she
don't 60 in much for new styles"
Mrs. Perkins meditations were cut
short by the entrance Of Mrs. Gates,
who took advantage of the neighborly
custom of walking in without the cere-
mony of rapping.
She came just in time to hear Mrs.
Perkins say something softly about
''carpet" and "new style' and at once
jumped to a conclusion. Her sharp
eyes surveyed the room critically, then
she said:
II was just wonderin' how it hap
pens you amt got your spring cleanin'
done yet, and, says to myself, I bet
Mis- Perkins is a-waitin' fur a new
settin room carpet. | knew yours is
gettin' kinder thin in the middle,
and
"a new carpet p said Mrs. Perkins
rather tartly. "Land knows, I wish
this old one could"
Her re mark was interrupted by the
entrance of another neighbor.in search
of Mrs. G ates, who departed, her curl
osity un satisfied, but her imagination
furnished her with ma terial enough to
surmise that:
Samuel Perkins must be dretful
close. He was plenty able, and yet
they had mt had a new settin'-room
carpet for goin' On fifteen years. l
know it worries Mis- Perkins, cause
she was talkin' about it to herself when
1 went there, and she just as good as
said to me, land knows, she wished
this old one could be got rid of - so
Mrs. G ates completed the sentence.
Stories grow fast in a little village
with Mrs. Gates to give them motion. |
About week after this Mr.. Perkins
ent cred a shop. He was accosted by
Mr.. Brown, who thought business and
gossip might be pleasantly combined.
"Well, Perkins," with confidential
wink, ''come to look at my new car
pets, have you? I've got something
that will just suit her, this red and yel-
low with little green vine runnin'
through it, "rand he pulled out for in
spection the pattern described.
"How do you know my wife wants a |
new carpet?'' asked Perkins; and
Brown, nothing loath to see the effect,
made out good story of Mrs. Gates
version of Mrs. Perkins simple words. |
so changed in passing from mouth to
mouth that Mrs. Gates herself would |
scarcely have recognized as hers the
story she set afoat. Mrs. Perkins had |
told somebody that her husband was
too "near" to buy new carpet though |
she had pus off her spring cleaning 10 |
see if she couldn't persuade him to it,
and the old carpet worried her so that |
she even went around talking to her
self about it. 1t was to be hoped it |
wouldn't onaettle her mind. Women
did go crazy over iess-things. "They're
poor, weak creatures" added Brown.
Poor Perkins, too surprised to say |
anything in his own defense, mechan-
ically looked at the carpets Brown
showed him, took his molasses and |
rtarted home. Had he been close with |
Marthap Had her love for him grown
more threadbare than the carpet that
she could discuss his failings with
gossipy neighbors2 1t was not yet
dark. The little brown house on the
hill stood out distinctly against the
soft gold of the sky. The robins in the
naples were chirping cheerfully, and
the breath of the hyacinths came up in
fragrance as he passed the fower-bed.
He walked into the kitchen, set down
his purchases on the table with such
unusual force that the cat, curled up
by the stove, scampered off in fright.
Martha was setting in her usual place
by the window, looking out into the
window, looking out into the evening
glow and knitting as fast as ever. She
smiled SO pleasantly as he came in that
he thought there must be some mis-
take about that story. He would be
careful what he said, so he remarked
carelessly:
swell, Martha, you ken have one Of
them new-styled carpets, if your hearts
set ON it. Brown was just a-showin'
'em to me-"
"why, Samuel, l don't want new
carpet this spring. | couldn't part
with this one without feelin' I'd
parted with an old friend. You can't
get such carpet for wear nowadays.
we've had it most fifteen years, and
it's good, with care, for some time yet.
Yon know it was the first ingram ever
in Luxmoore, and how proud was Of