Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-23

Talking 1hiuea nv You Find Them and the
Deinsion Attached Thereto Zee Cream u
kcdeeming seature--Ths Eunereal Ways
of Mrs. Jini Johnson.
Special Correspond enco of tiazette snd journal
New York, July II. We were in
vited out to tea. In country parlance,
going to tea is quite a different matter
from dropping in ito have cup Of
toa" in the city. Here. ono receives
ones invitation at least five days ahead
Of the time, and it is deli-ored by tho
hostess herself, dressed like Mr.. Nc
Ginty in her best suit of clothes. Sho
appears about 3 o'clock: looks warm
and over dressed and is ushered into
tho parlor. Aunt Maria's parlor is like
almost every othor ono in the village.
Z In the first place it is kept pitch
dark, and when you come in from the
N daylight you would run great risk OF
x the fact that, with the exception OF
tue ceutre table, every other piece
*of furniture is ranged in straight
line against the wall. There are
sBix chairs, ono lounge (upun which
mo human being could loungel, and
rocking chair upholstered in tho most
sippery hair cloth. The centre table,
(which is the joy of Aunt Maria's life,
xis funereal one; 1t ia round and has
q marble top to it, and upon 1T, at
T regular angles are placed the family
Bible, the family album, two books
bound in rod and gold that were given
atto Aunt Maria by Uncle Timothy when
he was counting her and basket made
s OF strung beads, which is supposed to
&hold visiting cards. There is another
table in tho room, but that is against
the wall. 1t is smaller and has cover
made Of silk patchwork. Every patch
having history which Aunt Maria
gao give and does give GLADLY. On this
table are tho wax flowers, pond lilies
5and rod roses, under glass globe,
(which were gwen to Aunt Maria by
her bridesmaid, and then there is a
(plnster of Paris Apolla which Aurt
Maria got from man with whom she
s. Traded. that is to say she gave for it
81 live times its worth in clothes belong
Il ing to Uncle Timothy.
II The wall is papered in light yellow
with bunches of daffodils in pale blue
upon it, and the only pieces Of art
( decorating it are the photographs of
Aunt Maria and Uncle Timothy, taken
on their wedding trip, where they posa
with clasped hands, a something they
would not dream of doing, and Aunt
Maria's brooch, watch chain and we'd
ding ring are worked out in gold paint.
Then there is a wreath of flowers made
h of hair, put in a framo.
r Tho hair of all the family is in this
Z wreath, and the lady who made it
Scharged So for her work. / am sure
sEe deserved more. These pictures are
counted SO valuable that instead of
being hung low enough to sec them
properly, they are ever SO far up, and
10 look at them one has to stand on a
chair and risk sliding off. But when
'aswe heard that Mrs. Jim johnson (she
Y Is always particular TO call herself Mrs.
~ i'm johnson because she don't speak
80 Bill Johnson's wifel had come to ask
us to tea party. we nearly fell over
f Each other in our eagerness to receive
the invitation. We were told that
there would be no 'tfussin'," " and that
we were expected to como early and
take things as We found them. Being
city bred, l believed this. Later on,
~ learned that unless l wore my finest
1frock, Mrs Jim johnson would be in
Nbuted
"A By-the-by, at country tea parties,
|tthe children are asked as well as tho
grown ups. The fateful day arrived.
tAt . o'clock Aunt Maria began to scrub
2the children.
n There was weeping and wailipg in
the land. She evidently regarded them
.'as wicked, but young Holsters who
e Wouldn't be worth consideration until
they were fiery red. AT o'clock
Fbeard Nanny weeping bitterly. Tho
& Trouble resulted from tho fact that
"a unit Maria had read a fashion maga-
( zine, and from what ahe read, and
rom the diabolical pictures, she had
concluded that Nanny's swiss skirt
Mould stand out after the received
mode. The consequence was she made
poor Nanny put on five petticoats, and
: every petticOat was starchier than the
other. | haven't the slightest doubt
3 that starch has value in tho COM
+. mercial world, l know that pounded
And perfumed with bay rum it is used
By people who object TO the delight of
fine French powder, and who strain at
~ gnat and swallow very enormous
tamel by banging a starch bag at their
faces and gaining AN imprcssionist re-
3hult SO that they may be able to shrug
3 their shoulders and express their hatred
tof powder and rouge. Starch in skirts
y and in frocks is not in harmony either
10 dress. Poor Nanny looked like an
r hggravating blot on the landscape.
Whom she moved she ratified, and whom
dho sat down she stuck OUT. History
Z tells us that the old woman who first
used starch was hung as witch, and
really one cannot but be convinced that
: starch is product of the evil spirit.
8N 1t is ruinous to the temper, In this
s special case it made pretty girl like
1 Nanny look commonplace. Starch and
~ tte wielders are surely possessed of
< devils. About the bolt Of each one of
Z kanny's petticoats, do believe, there
"a Fas Il pound of it, and it stood up in
lumps that were dreadful to look upon,
md must be trying TO wear. The very
/. word itself is disagreeable, for who
likes starchy people?
Half-pa found us all dressed. The
big wagon came into uso, but tho boy
that ''helps" drove us down. 1t wasn't
Etiquette for Uncle Timothy to arrive
4 With us. When wo got 10 the house
We We're invited up stairs to take off
a opr things. Then Mrs. Jim johnson
was the happiest woman in tho village