The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-10-22
SISTER DILLY'S BONNET.
BY ZENAs DANE.

BY ZENAs DANE.
The Ladies' Society Of an active lit.
tie country church met one Friday
afternoon ut the home Of Mrs. Jonas
Wellman. Every member was pres.
ent, and all were in such a pleasant.
merry mood that Mrs. Cyrus Hodge
thought it a good time to mention
something she had had IN mind for
several days: so, during il niOmen tary
lull in the conversation. she said:
"Sister Dilly's wearing her old win.
ter bonnet again this summer, amt
she?"
"Yes; I noticed 1T Sunday and IL
looked awfully old and hot for such a
warm summer day. She's worn that
one old. fashioned black velvet bonnet
with them cheap black ostrich tips
for four years, and its only cotton
velvet at that. l should think she
might cOntrive some way to get her
another, even II we don't pay Brother
billy but three hundred year,
II get me a new bonnet every sum.
mer with my egg money, and Sister
Dilly has hens a,layin' right along"
said Mrs. Wellman.
"YOu can get real neat, black
rough.and-rcady straw bonnet in town
now for fOrty-fOur cents" said Mrs.
plumm.
"Yes, but l don't suppose Sister
Dilly feels that she can spend even
that much for Il bonnet and buy the
trimmin's too" said Mrs. Hodge.
''You know them three little orphan
gran children Of hers was sick most
all winter and her and Brother Dilly
had medicine and doctors to pay for,
and Brother Dilly either had to have
a new suit this spring or stop
prcachin', an that cost over twenty
dollars. Then they're paying of that
mortgage Of three hundred dollars
that's been on their place SO long"
"Ycs, that's So" said Mrs. Eli Curry.
"Slster Dilly told me the other day
that they'd paid 1t all off but fifty dol.
lars and she didn't feel that she'd a
cent to spend for anything but home
an furrln missions Till that mortgage
was lifted an she'd ruff OF her own
over her head. Id feel just so II !
was sixty years old, and In her place
doubt II I'd feel called on to give ten
dollars a year to missions of any kind
as Sister Dilly does"
well, now, sec here,' said Mrs.
Hodge, coming at once to the point,
'SpOsin' we club together and make
up little purse and get Sister Dilly a
bonnet for a birthday gift. She'll be
sixty a week from Sunday. know,
cause I'm flfty.ninc the same day and
we was both born In the same county,
and our names is Matildy, and both
our husbands names IL Cyrus, and
we've often talked about how queer
that was.
"Now our society's got over fifteen
dollars in the treasury that we've no
special use for, and vote that we
take two dollars Ut that and each
member give ten cents extry beside.
That'll make three dollars and ninety
cents, and VIC can get u real neat,
tasty bonnet for that. What do you
all say?'
Tie proposition was readily agreed
tn, and the next hour was spent In
discussing the style and make Of bon
nets IN general. 1t was agreed upon
that Sister Dilly should be kept In
profound ignorance Of the action of
the society, and IL was further agreed
that the bpnnct should be black.
IA black bonnet is like nice black
dress; It's suitable for almost any and
every OCCASION" said Mr&s plumn,
"and nothln' else Is suitable for fun
rails, and Sister Dilly, bein' 4 preach.
er's wife, Is bound to 60 to fun'rall
considerable.
II don't think y woman OF Sister
DilIys age had ort to wear hOwers Ia
hcr bunnit n0h0w,' said old Grand
mother Peters, Mrs. Wellman's moth
or and the oldest member Of thes0
clety. mo, not even wheat or OATS
artj0Shuls, an when II comes To u
big, FARM red puppy a-standln
straight up an' a.bobbin' around on
top Of = bodys head, like Clilncn,
Cawker that's only six months an
three days younger'n me wears,
think it's perfectly scan'lous, an