The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-16

I opening hour, as her paper was TO Ds
one OF the first.
This note arrived the day before the
convention, and CONSERVATION reigned
in the Brown household. Ladies fol
whom Mrs. Brown had written papers
had always dunned her assiduously fol
them weeks IN advance and, depending
on Mrs. Smith to co the same, she had
forgotten how soon the paper would
be required. Three teas and reception
were booked for that day, and it was s
o'clock al night before, surrounded by
encyclopedias and other books of refer
ence, she got TO work at the Chinese
missions 1t was / o'clock before she re-
tired. having completed % pages of a
closely written article breathing forth
good things of the work done by the
missionaries in the land Of pig-tails.
Mrs. Brown is a humorist. Besides.
her husband is one OF the cleverest pro-
! fessionaI testers in the country, while
/ her youthful daughter has an apprecia-
ton of the funny side of life that makes
/ the conversation in the Brown house
/ hold far from solemn. Living in an at
mosphere of popularity, it was very hard
| for Mrs. Brown to give her article on
the missions of China the proper sedate-
ness and earnestness for a missionary
convention. Early in the evening she
had sent an agonized telegram to Mrs
Smith asking her to take the paper and
read it in the scheduled victims place.
a prompt and decided negative was re-
turned.
TN start out in the morning and get
some one to read it for me-" said Mrs.
Brown as she retired. There are a lot
of women on this street who are quite
used to reading club papers. I've writ
ten papers for some of them, and they
can't very civilly refuse to read this
one for me-"
The morning found Mrs. Brown maxi
ing a round of the ladies in the neigh
borhood known to have had experience
on club or missionary platforms or a
longing for such. It was remarkable,
however, the number of engagements
every woman was prepared to bring
forward in support of her cegret at not
being able 20 oblige Mrs. Brown.
Even little Frances Brown, moved to
compassion by her mothers evident
mental suffering, had volunteered to go
across the way and interview Mrs. DR..
Greed, the wife of the clergyman, who
was a connection by marriage of the
Browns. Mrs. Greed admitted having
read many missionary papers in her
day, but gave Frances a cooky and
said she was sorry she could not help
her mamma out of the dilemma. Posi-
bly, Mrs. Greed was suspicious of the
gravity of a paper that came from the
pen of the humorous Mrs. Brown. At
any rate, Frances went home cynical
and unsuccessful, declining to eat the
cooky.
At luncheon time Mrs. Brown came
home exhausted and despairing and
dispatched Mary, the housemaid, to the
family physician, with a note request
ing amy sort of a dose that will put a
little courage into a forlorn woman VINO
has to read missionary paper" The
doctor without a smile, returned half
dozen pink lozenges. with directions
that they were to be eaten at intervals
of an hour.
After having partaken OF one OF them
Mrs. Brown felt her courage rally and
started off quite cheerfully to the con-
ventiOn, saying that she knew in all
that gathering of lovely Christian wo-
men there was sure TO be one who, see
ing her anguish, would consent to read
the paper. When she reached the
church, she found it surrounded by car
riages and the auditorium packed with
people. There We're many lovely Chris |
tan women present. but none of them
was willing to read the Chinese mission
paper.
Her faith in women sadly shattered |
Mrs. Brown sat near the door and ate
another pink Iozenge. Mrs. Smith bus
tied up and shook hands
You must come right up front and |
sit near the pulpit" said she.
Il don't want to go up front and I |
just can't read paper before these wo- |
men," feebly protested the victim Mrs.
Smith was too experienced a worker on |
programme committees to heed this and |
chartered volubly on such topics as the |
weather and the health of the Brown |
family as she lightly drew Mrs. Brown |
TO the front pew. where she seated her
among a bevy OF eyegIassed elderly la |
dies each armed with a roll OF manu- /
script.
Whispering a few words 10 the usher
who lowered at the end of the pew. Mrs. .
Smith disappeared. Mrs. Brown felt
that her fate was sealed. for the usher
kent eying the newcomer sus2iciouslv. /
She felt sure that Mrs. Smith had warn
ed the young woman to keep an eve on
her lest the writer Of the paper on Chi
nese missions should escape from the
church. as she had threatened 10 do. 1
The first speech was from real live /
missionary lady from Shanghai.
Nothing could have been worse" /
sighed Mrs. Brown. She viii catch me
in every mistake"
There was din in Mrs. Browns ears .
like unto the borbarGing or Santiago
as the suave. elegantly gowned presi- .
dent announced.
We viii now listen to a paper on the
condition Of the Chinese mission field.
1t was prepared and VIII be read by
shat gifted writer, Mrs. William Henry
Brown
Mrs Brown says that she was imme-
diately stricken deaf. dumb and blind.
FOR the first vague consciousness she
had was OF unrolling her paper on the
platform Down below the lavender
plume IN the hat OF the missionary lady
waved uenacingly. Il seemed 10 say.
Make an error II YOU dare,"
Far OF and JreInulous her voice
sounded She read with an eve upon
The audience and on the lookout for a