The aegis & intelligencer., 1897-02-05
zAisCellauenu5.
MRS. TALLBOY'S GUESTS.
BY MRS. :. II. GILMAN.


strangers, You'll catch IL white black
bird :, exclaimed Mrs. TalIboy. as
she came upstairs. She was flushed
and tired. All the morning she had
been in the kitchen, the oven door
opening and shutting with bang and
the air resounding with the beating
of eggs and pounding of crackers. 1t
was the first Tuesday in October.
The great annual meeting of the A.
IS. +. NJ, was to De held in C this
year, and this was the day when it
would begin. with its influx of visitors
from every part of Christendom.
There is au ocean Of things to be
done yet continued Mrs, Tallboy to
l4er aunt, who had just dropped in
r5c ii moment, ''aud l'ln tired to death
now" She SAT Gown i'll an attitude
of utter detection. with an armful of
fresh towels iii her lap.
Louise said Aunt Eliza, "it's be-
cause YOU won't give up your beset-
ting sin. Ven cau't look me in the
face this moment and deny that
vou'ye been making three kinds of
cake when one would do, and rolling
croouetts like Martha, instead OF
giving your guests cold ham like
Atry. How many are YOU going to
have -
-Four Fool that | was to say that
I'd take so many when the committee
came round last spring, a minister
and his wife from Fileno, Me-
wherever that may be and a home
missionary and his wife from out west
somewhere
"Well. dear, it's not for your own
nleasure YOU undertake it. Don't for
ret that. and I'm sure the Lord will
Relp YOU through
"Faith and fatigue never go along
together with me, | find,n answered
Mrs. Tallbov. taking up the towels
with a sigh,n
She got through with all that her
ideals of housekeeping demanded
barely in time to dress herself and
meet her guests, when they arrived
before tea, with a smile, which to her
ewes bore no suspicion of forcing.
The Rev. Mr.. and Mrs. Brock. of
FiIeno-he. tall and thin. with a gen
tle stare over his spectacles as if he
called back his idea from another
world with an effort: she, thin also,
bnt small. worn and anxious looking.
in a we'll preserved black dress of the
stvIe of p. dozen wears back, and a
snowy vbonnet-presented bv the vii
lace milliner for this occasion-that
hore no relation whatever to the
meek little head under it, with its
face so patient and sweet. Mr.. and
Mrs Howard. the other two. were
vonnoer and more sprightiv. with a
beartinass ana Western frankness
that stood ont in striking relief from
the Quiet subdued manner of the
Rrocfs
The simmer was excellent and went
off we'll That lifted Mrs. Tallboy's
shirts a little as did also her hus-
hands cheeriulness at the sight of
lis we'll filled table Rnt the fatipue
w,s still there. and the rebellion that
she m had consented to all this trouble
for nerfect strangers. She had given
her own room to the Brooks. When
lha want to he'd she had to 90 TO the
ciosat of their room for her sinners
Tbronoh the partition she heard[in.
Voluntarily at first-this conversation
"Josiah isn't this n beautiful room,
Wby 7 can't holm thinking all this
+irS 3bot - inst draam INV being
~ Board l ,nSeting How stunned /
Ias IUban Mrs Marvin said to me
rbat MORNING Mrs Brock the whole
narisL is Ennnd vou shall GO this
veari and CLAIMED that money into
NV bondi Won't they ali he nIeasad
,nTan tbav hear what a deIirhtfni
famiIv we are assigned tor
YES answered. tie minister's
slow voice siwe'rA highly favored
nverv wav Amanda. Mrs. Tallboy
seems 70 he really deIirbted TO have
us';-here he p8nsad AS if hunting for
somethinp II was almost afraid
you'd forgotten my clean collars for
fhe waak hnt I've fonnd them in the