The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-24


put down, while you are here. George
never gives less than SIS and this
year he's been prospered nightly, |
dare say he'll give $40, but we will
just be sure about it. LOUSY, o
LOUSY" she called, "Mis' Briggs is
here, come out"
The young woman's face flushed
angrily; it was not the first time
Mother Talcott had placed them so
that they were left no choice as to
giving. Both George and herself
wished to appear as generous as pos
sible, with as little outlay. Some
way this gentle little mother had
never accepted the fact that her eld-
est son was penurious and selfish.
She took his virtues for granted, and
talked of his generosity, until he
found himself obliged to give freely,
and seem more generous man than
he was.
"Now Mis- Briggs" she said, as
Louisa appeared in the doorway,
"just tell over again, what the SEWN
circle has decided on doing. 1t
strikes me as some outlandish, but
I'm old -fashioned, and folks don't
look at things like they used to; be-
ing it's for the Lord, mebby he'll
overlook that, and prosperthe means.
l dare say he will"
GOOD morning LOUSY" said Mrs.
Briggs. Il was just telling your ma
what we were goin' to do to help
raise the money for the board. You
want at the SEWN circle, SO l will
begin again"
"We are going to give Relic So
cable. Some wanted to call it Relic
Fair, but Parson Davis objects to fairs
as means of getting money for the
church, so we decided to call it Rel
ic Sociable and nobody can have any
qualms about it. There's the usual
number of city people boardin' in the
village for the summer, and Mrs.
Marten says they were about wild
last year over all the oldfashioned
things they saw, everywheres they
went.
"After we've had the railroad here
few years, most likely they'll stop
comm to Ludlow. There isn't a
Twin thing here to see, but the noun
tins, anyway. Mrs. Marten said one
of the girls stayin' at Wilson's actu-
ally wanted to buy them old iron
andirons, of her mothers! Well now,
we are every one going to bring some
thing that's real old, for sale, and
have cake and Strawberries, land spend
a social evenin'. It's to be at Mrs.
Atwood's, and l am going to take
that blue chiny cup and saucer that
belonged to great grandmother
Briggs. I'll just be relieved to get
that off my parlor whatnot. The
whatnot shakes, and nobody goes by
it. that that cup and saucer don't tilt,
and make like it's goin' to fall; then
/ jump to ketch it. I've been jump
in at it for twenty years, an just
told Silas Briggs that the list of
things for the Relic Sociable was 60
in to be headed by the Briggs chiny
cup and saucer! He don't mind; I
told him / believed it was some re-
sponsible for my nervousness-watch-
in of it tilt, and ketchin' it SO often.
was just sayin' to your ma, LOUSY,
that the punch bowl her Uncle Jonas
left her would be just the thing for
her to take. There won't be thing
there like it, and seem it was left to
her 30 recent, she can't have much
love for it.
And Mrs. Briggs being obliged to
take breath, paused. Louisa looked
at her mother. Mrs. Talcott hest
tated.
"Why Mrs. Briggs" she said finally,
81 set more store by that, than by
anything I've got. It's all I've got
that belonged to my mothers family.
When l was little girl and used to
go with mother to visit at Uncle JON
ases, many's the time I've heard him
tell, how George Washington himself
gave it to his grandfather. l just
grew up with love and respect for
that punch bowl. When Uncle Jonas
died, I made sure he would leave me
some of his money, for he was fond
of me always, but all he left me was
that bowl. There's chiny top fits
on to it; but it's never been off since
| had it. for it fits tight, and 1 was
afraid of breaking it trying.
'It's been a sight of comfort to me
since I've not walked, and when /
stay out my month with George and
LOUSY l always take it with me
when l go for my month with John.
Manv's the time when it's snowin' ar