Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-08-05
MRS. PERCY'S SPEECH.
hNH, is it you, Myra? Come up here
BY ANNIE H. DONNELL.


h0H, is it you, Myra? Come up here
and sit down in the hammock
You're just the person want to make
my speech to!"
Mercy! is it long and dry, and has
1t moral?" cried Myra, retreating
slowly down the path.
Mrs. Percy Penley then ran down the
wide veranda steps and dragged her
gently back. .... ....
'"Bless your innocent heart" she
laughed, cts all moral! I've just been
working out the most beautiful perora-
ton. Oh, you needn't look for my
writing things. My speeches are al
ways in my head. They never get a
chance to get out at folks, unless some
innocent victim like yourself happens
along unwarily. No use to try to es-
cape now, my dear-you're caught"
"Then here's for making the best
of it," said Myra, making a grimace of
meek resignation, and curling up cozily
In the hammock. $50 on, Mrs. Percy!"
She was quite used to this small wom-
ans ways, and not at all 10th to hear
what new notion was buzzing behind
the small woman's pretty brow with
the runaway curls on it.
Mrs. Percy hitched her rocker a trifie
nearer the hammock, and let it begin
again it's gentle swaying back and
forth. wgN3 7N4E1t9 lis.
"Tm in sober earnest, Myra. There's
common sense in it as big as its moral!"
she said. % "a al o., "a se~s.v %
Myra groaned under her breath. 81
feel little sleepy already" she muir
INJURED. "I'm accustomed to snooze
during speeches. You are forewarned,
my dear" n Of Nj a =
But Mrs. Percy kept on undismayed.
"Snooze during my speech at your
peril, madam!" she cried. "And now
shall begin. You will find my text in
Jersey City! 1 guess by this time
she's there-she went on the fast ex-
press, you know. The words of my
teXt-Cousin Hortensia Addition. Sub
text-How to Entertain Ones Hostess"
Mrs. Percy paused impressively, Myra
sat up straight, decidedly interested.
"I'll postpone my .nap-go. right
ahead" she urged. A 81 ~
''Well, you know we hear good deal
of good advice about entertaining our
visitors-making them feel at home,
and all that. Good idea, tool believe
in it; but where's the other side of the
question? l don't believe you realized
there was another side. Me, either as
Jacky-boy'd say. That is, 1 didn't till
Cousin Hortensia came and lived it out
before my very eyes-the dear old soul!
She taught me a good many things
but to stick to my text-How shall we
entertain our hostesses when we go
q visiting, you and I?'
"Mercy! II thought we were the
ones to be entertained then!" ex-
claimed Myra.
Naturally. That's because you are
vet in the darkness of-well, We'll call
it ignorance, my dear. 1t mightn't be
polite to call it anything so dreadful
as egotism. If you'd had Cousin Hor-
tensia for guest three beautiful weeks,
you'd be wiser woman. You'd know
that the guest herself has something
10 do besides being entertained. She
has her hostess to think about and EN-
tertain.' How? Why, by being easily
entertained herself, that's one way. BY
being thoughtful of her hostess-that's
another. BY remembering that she is
hurried and anxious, and troubled about
desserts, soups and suppers. She may
be without help in her work-instance
myself-and nearly p~side herself
sometimes with keeping things run
ming company fashion.
Nov, just suppose the guest to be
one of those languid, indigestible-
that's just the word want!-persons
who toy gracefully with their forks and
say mo, l thank you,' to most of the
dainty dishes you've taken so much time
and goodness me!-to get up
for them. The l. G.-indigestible guest,