Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-09
city girl could have learned a great


were cretonne bags for your shoes;
there were linen bags that rolled up
for your medicine bottles, there were
big howered chintz bags bound with
braid and with stick run through the
top to hold your soiled linen there
we're brocade bags for your fan and
handkerchief when you we're going to a
party; there were satin and plush and
brocade bags for opera glass and there
were netted bags of coarse elk to be
used for shopping. You know that
kind OF bag. In Philadelphia they call
il the Boston bag; in Boston they call
1t the Philadelphia bag and in New
York when it is seen somebody says,
"Oh she lives out OF town, you can
tell 1t by her bag. i" Then there were
rag bage, clothespin bags and best Of
all just in the center Of the table stood
travelling bag all fitted up with lovely
brushes and bottles which was not to
be raffied, oh, dear no, raffled is gamb-
ling, but it was to be subscribed for |!
The distinction is a fine one, but the
fun is Just the same.
l bought laundry bag and clothes
pin bag, and then l was led astray by
pretty girl to the next table. That
table was a sort of Jim Dandy. 1t
was the handkerchief table. You get
everything you wanted in tho shape of
handkerchief from tiny hemstitched
square of linen cambric up to silk
muller and down to beautiful red
| and yellow bandanna. After this,
was drawn, through the Quaker blood
in me, to what might have been called
the cleanly table, since upon 1t were
sponges, and knitted wash clothes with
soap tied on them. A knitted wash
| cloth, l may mention, is calculated to
| take not only the dirt off ones skin,
but anything else that is superfluous
with the possibility of the skin itself
departing. Ii l had an enemy | would
urge him to use knitted wash cloth.
But they do look clean, 1t costs but
little to evolve them and by tying a
cake OF soap that costs but five cents
to one, 1t becomes possible to sell tho
whole getup up for 25 CENTS They
are evolved by knitting needles and
plain white cotton. The enormous
profit is excused on the ground that
considerable carpet is required for q
parsonage.
But the real duck of table was that
which was piled high with aprons.
There were little aprons with tiny
pockets and ribbon bows; there were
big aprons with big pockets and long
strings, and there were aprons em-
broidered in Kensington stitch and
cross stitch, aud aprons that were beau
tiful in their simplicity with machine
stitching. i became the proud posses
sor of an apron of blue aud white
checked gingham. having two large
pockets, and warranted to protect me
even from the man selling books on
the sinstament plan, while l also own
another apron trimmed with lace and
blue ribbon, which would make a
great-grandmother look coquettish. A
country girl is great on ideas, and she
is good at carrying them out.
RURAL ETIQUETTE.
1t is funny how in small town
everybody is given over to etiquette.
A girl who knew me when my frocks
were shorter than they are now. and
my hair was longer, regretted that sho
couldn't come to soc me, because she
had only been in mourning for her
baby three months! And the lady who
lives next door sent me her visiting
card, by post, and she had to go further
to post that card than she would to
come and see me, because the year
would not be up for week since the
gentleman whose name she bore, and
who was utterly worthless, had taken
himself off to green fields and pastures
new. | wonder if he has? A sawdust
floor would be more familiar to him
than a green field, although he lived in
the country. In small towns, one
needs to be familiar with some book on
social laws. | have made enemies of
an entire family. not believing that
visiting cards wore required for an n2t-
ing. l dropped in to SEQ them in
formally, and heard afterwards that
they we're surprised that didn't leave
card for each one OF tho ladies of the
family. wasn't thinking about cards.
] was thinking about the beauty OF
the flowers and the lovely green of the
grass, and of how good it was not tc
hear the ring of the car bell, nor the
pounding of the big wagons carrying
trunks.
The fair has becn impressed on my
mind because | won-no, that is al
wrong-I gained by subscription
cake that had ring iu it. 1t tool
three boys to carry the cake home, anC
it took five women all the next day tt
crumb up the cake to find the ring
in it, and the result was--disappoint
, mont. Either no ring had ever beer
, put IN, or else somebody was ahead o.
] me in looking for it. / don't like t.
, think the country people have lost til,
, bloom of their innocence, but where il
that ring? Experience, experience tha
resulted in thrilling pain, proves tha
: lemonade at country fair is no better
than at city circus. So many thing
have to be learned by experience, ant
after the lemonade episode | appre
, ciated the value of Jamaica ginger
After everything had been sold at th,
, fair we had very good time. w
!, danced the Virginia reel and told tn,
preacher it was new kind of game
am sure he wasn't fooled little bit
+ for he balanced to his partner as il hl
had done it before, and he danced VI
a and down the circle with crossed hand
/ in a way that suggested that, when h
. was at college, he probably ioyed il
some such innocent amusement. 4
f: country parson is to be pitied. He j
expected to be more than saint AM
) less than man. OF him, it is do
1 manded that he shall guido everybod
] else's children in the way they SHOULD
t go and then find time enough to max
/ young saints of his own. His wifi
: must be mother in Israel and We
: wear bonnet that, while il is not to-
0 gay, doesn't annoy the congregation b.
a suggesting bow mean they are in put
s ting out money for the minister AM
. the Lord. .....
y wouldn't marry a minister for-bu
K | goodness gracious! | don't beliey