Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-03-25

TITS perfectly ridiculous, sald
Miss Daffodil, ''for you girls to be
thinking of getting married all the
time; never do. Now just look how
this bias fold is puckered! II you
young women weren't cackling and
chattering all the time, these things
wouldn't happen. Valentines day,
indeedl Who was that talking about
st. Valentines day? And what is st.
Valentines day to you working girls,
I'd like to know? It's only ladies that
have time to think of such things"
Miss Deborah Daffodil, somewhat
faded maiden of five-and-thirty FROST
bitten autumns, was the Burnville
dressmaker, and the four girls in her
dingy back parlor were her assistants,
whom she paid as little snd scolded
as much as possible.
''But, Miss Daffodil, reasoned ANA
bel Archer, a rosy, dark-browed bru-
nette. with limpid brown eyes and q
rich crimson flush on her cheek, "why
shouldn't we talk about st. Valentines
day? It's always lucky day in our
family. Uncle Job sent mamma a
chequc for $50 a year ago st Valen-
tines day, and two years ago, on that
very anniversary, my sister Ellie met
the man that she afterward married.
And who knows what dawn of good
fortune it may bring for me?"
"Marriedw shrilly repeated Miss
Daffodil, tapping her thimble. finger
on the table. "There it is, again! I
believe you girls think of nothing
else"
"Well," said Amabel, thougbtfully,
''it does mean good deal in II girls
life. If I supposed that had got to
sit here and sew Always"
II only hope no worse lot will ever
befall you," said Miss Daffodil, sourly,
"But / never knew girl who
was always curling her hair aud
thinking of her complexion who came
to any good end.
Amabel crimsoned.
''Do you mean me, Miss Dafodil"
said she.
The spinster tossed her heal.
"Them as the cap fits, let 'em wear
it," said she. "And I'll trouble you
all, young women, to leave off chatter
ing silly, superstitious nonsense about
heathenish old saints that never ex-
listed at IL"
At this there was general cutlery.
Not even from the lips of their vine
gar-tongued employer would the girls
listen to aay derogation from the dar-
ling patron saint o! girlhood--the good
saint to whom all maidcns reader low
ing homage--St Valentine!
"Well, if h did exist, it was Il long
time ago." said Miss Dahodil; "anl
you've mono OF You nothing to ito with
him now. And Miss Chickering's
bridal outfit is TO he packed on Mon
day, and here it isn't half finished
What's that, Ama1el Archer? You
want to gej away early this evening?
You're going for a moonlight sleigh
ride with Captain Juniper? Let me
tell you, miss, that you will do moth
ing of the kind" said Miss DafloliI,
speaking with added rancor. at
isn't decent nor proper for young
girl like You to go cutter riding
around the country with every gentle
man in town."
"You went riding with Captain Ju-
niper yourself, last week, Miss DAT
fodil, said Amabel. all else forgotten
in her rising indignation.
"rhats quite different thing"
said the dressmaker, simpering. cap
tain Juniper and | are very particular
friends"
"Oh, Miss Datlodil"" cried out Bar
bara Dayton. you're not engaged
to him? ON, do tell u.s."
'Bnrbara, viii YOU attend to your
work." said Miss Dadodil. Though,
all tue same, ii such reports do get
abroad, con iler it my duty neither
to deny nor confirm them.
But Miss Da,fodil did not consider
ii her duty TO tell the girls that she
had run half dozen Yards through the
deep snow after Captain jumpers
cutter, to ask him III he would Just
as lief as not take her as FAR as the
village to match some lapis-lazuli but
tons for Mrs, Gregg's Dress" and that
the gallant captain was too chivalrous
TO refuse to aid lady in distress.
And thereupon Miss Deborah DAT.
fodil had based great hopes.
Hes a few years younger than l
am, to be sure" said she; "but if ever
devotion was expressed in human
eye, it was in his when he handed me
out the card of buttons that l wanted
to match and told me to be careful
not to slip down on the frosted curb
stone. And when invited him to
call he thanked me and said he should
he very happy. Aud don't see how