The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-25
TContinued.l


burg had fallen. Apologize county was
Theoretically sealed from the rest of the
world, and the upper and neither mill
stones were in position to crush at will.
Cloverdell, in these days Of going
without, was reduced to one newspaper,
issued weekly. The fact that it was
printed on the reverse side of wall pa
per Of an exceedingly ford pattern did
not vitiate its statements touching the
invincible valor of the army which was
moving on to the total humiliation Of
the foe nor lessen the impressiveness of
the call it made for grand rally OF the
women on a certain Tuesday to devise
means for making and forwarding cloth
ing to the Apologize sharpshooters
The fervor Of the call resulted curl
ously. Mrs. Brownell, the president,
had declared that the moment had ar
rived for the women to sacrifice their
all for the husbands, fathers, brothers
and lovers who were in actual need. 1t
was cry that sped straight to every
feminine heart in the community, pierre
ing 1t with an individual intensity.
The old courthouse, with its square
yellow dome, opened its doors early on
that morning, none too soon, however,
for the eager procession of willing feet,
fastening to make fresh sacrifices to
'fthe cause.
All nature seemed at war On that
smiling morning in the glad springtime
of the year. The china trees that CIR
died the old courthouse roundabout
were scattering their purple chalices on
the ground, laden with perfume; mock
ing birds were pairing under the rose
trelIises in many a garden; the smell
of freshly spaded earth bespoke garden
activities; early hyacinths starred the
sod.
"But one cares SO little about spring
gardening when there are no men left
to feed" said old Mrs. Denman, care
fully laying her votive offering on the
long table before the cutters out.
''It is my parlor curtains, - she said,
tenderly stroking the damask flowers
about to fall under the shears. 81
wouldn't try to match the flowers, my
dears; they are SO large it would entail
a great deal of waste. I think, with
careful cutting, you ought to get at
least ten shirts out of the whole set OF
curtains.
"And no end of caps out Of the
scraps said one Of the cutters out,
carefully laying an old shirt on the
brilliant damask by way of pattern.
Mamma sent her spare room blankets
in this morning, but the borders do get
SO dreadfully in our way. We don't
think they would like to wear blanket
shirts with those dreadful blue stripes
down the back, do you?"
ST really don't know, my love. From
the way my boys write I fancy they are
not quite SO particular about appear
ances as they were when they left
home"
ST should say not, nor about what
they eat Reggie writes that he gave
away the mosquito bar put in his bag
to an old woman in exchange for some
raw onions Fancy it! Why, never
knew man who had a greater horror
of raw onion in all my life than Reggie
had. War must be terribly demoraliz-
ing"
Marianne blushed prettily at having
made SO bold in such an august assem-
blage, but Miss Varina had been re-
preaching her for her slack interest in
the work other women were doing for
the company in which her brother was
an officer, ami she had come today bent
on taking her place among the workers.
She was loosening the strings that held
in place bulky parcel Uncle Toby had
brought In.
81 couldn't find thing about the
house but this roll of bedtioking. I had
got it just before Reggie went away
to recover pillows, but since he went
and we have moved we seem to need SO
little Of anything. Nanny Jane says
she doesn't see why we can't make trou-
eers out of it. !"
The brilliant blue and pink striped
ticking lay unrolled on the table where
lawyers had been won't to fight out
their legal battles. A dozen hands were
outstretched to test it's quality.
"It will be just superb They could
not ask for anything better. l only wish
we had 100 yards of it. T"
sob, I'm SO glad you think we'll of
it. I almost went into Mysteries when
NANNY proposed it. Just fancy Reggie
oareering after the Yankees in a pair
of trousers made of bedticking.''
"He could career after them much
more comfortably, my dear, than in
none.
sob, yes, of course; but you don't
think things will ever get that much
worse, Mrs. Denman?"
"There's no knowing, there's no
knowing" And, turning away from the
sacrifcial altar on which she had laid
her cherished damask curtains a willing
sacrifice, the old lady wiped away a
furtive tear or two. "Not, :" she made
pathetic haste to explain, fthe giving
up of a pile of old damask, my dears,
but it emphasizes the straits Mr.. Den
man and the boys are passing through
IS nothing else in the world could do
Why, Mr. Denman helped me to select
thoca worry curtains the first visit wa