Cañon City record., 1899-02-02
THE SHELVING OF
MISS BECKY.
~ =. eaAos poes-

ciety had a reputation for promptness,
and the Thanksgiving box of clothing
for the observing poor" was not ready.
Mrs. Parkinson was the president Of
the Pimlico Sewing society. Mrs. Par
| kinson had always been its president
| She was a woman of the Napoleonic
order. to whom kindly fate had as
| set brought no Waterloo. In all So
cial affairs the village had tacitly &C.
cepted her dictatorship since the day
her first husband, Rev. Joshua Higgins
| installed her as mistress of the old
red brick manse among the elms- Rev.
Joshua had succumbed TO heart disease
| a few months after his advent in the
village, and. although Mr.. Parkinson
mas only grocer in a small way. the
good lady had ever exacted full need
| of honors due her former exalted posi-
tion.
At first the conversation was desul-
tory in character. But like the prelim-
mary diminishing tina; ushers in the
real battle, it but preluded the discus
sion of matters pertaining to the gen
1rai welfare of Pimlico and its inhab-
| itants.
Mrs. Parkinson had something Of inn
portance to communicate. Sundry lit
tie hints and the bobbing Of her
head. and the pursing of her thin lips
evidenced the fact Even the decided
snip of Mrs. Parkinson's scissors car
ried its note of warning.
The president of the Pimlico Sewing
society did not seize an opportunity 20
address, her sister workers; like her u
iustrious prototype, she created oppor-
iunities.
MRS. Blythe isn't coming to-day. not
bein' very well. I've had no word from
Miss Becky, SO / suppose she'll be here
Before Miss Becky comes" here she
lowered her voice impressively--I've :
word l Just want to say TO the ladies
here / haven't a thing to say againsf
Miss Becky, except just this: Miss
Becky is a-ge;tin' along in years. anuz
| il makes me down sick to see a woman
of her age a-goin' on so. Why. she's -
IL she's a day. and shea a~goin' out "a
parties an havin' young men company
| like she wasn't more than 49,
| fee, like woman o. her age ought to
have more sense than TO be wearin'
hats with all kinds o. flowers an feath
ers on 'em. But, IL she hasn't why
st.rne one Just ought 20 tell her. That's
wha, think"
Mrs. Parkinson had grown excited
Her low, mysterious utterances had
risen TO full oraiorical crescendo. She
wiped her glasses deliberately, put
| them on and looked around
Mrs. Morrow's scissors had ceased
cutting. She possessed only one pair
and they always squeaked-
Mis- Parkinson. ye hev jest give ut
| t'rence 10 what I've been a-thinkin' this
four years back Becky'n be 81 mex
spring. cause / know she wuz born
the very day old Deakn Toutelotte's
calves died, fer l remember ez though
'rwuz yes,'day how the deak'n-"
Mrs. Morrow had a reputation Some
one considerably rescued the meeting
from the intricate mazes o. one Of her
reminiscent tales
my mother wasn't married till she
wuz 70. but la, she hadn't wore Posies
in her bunnet for so long fore thet
time she felt ez though ev'ryone in
the meetin' house wuz eyein' her when
she wore her wesidin' bunnet with a
q
.I've been keerful about sayin'
anything thet nigh; cause trouble by
comm TO the years O. Mis- Blythe an
Becky Mrs. Rigge remarked, but
hev been ;hinkin' fer some time thet
| fer n woman closi TO 10. all that dress
| in up could scarcely be favorable in
| the eyes o. the Lord. But 1 said moth
| in about it,
.Near soi- old Mira Tracy exclaimed,
with some scorn; "Becky'n never see
20 again. She's one age to my Joe, an
he's been married goin' ON nine years
| now. Why, Becky an Jane Thompson
air the same age, an James been wear
iu' nothin' but gray an brown fer
wears: an she's cettin to look real old,
too"
''But. mother" young Mrs. Tracy
said, surely you do not think Miss
Becky looks oid?"
NO; must say Becky does not show
her age; but she's a-gettin' along ali
| the same. An las summer. after saw
them red flowers, jest made up my
| mind TO speak to Becky, an says L:
Don't ye think red IS jest little gay
fer yep says I, an she lated Why,
Tn not grandmother. ye know says
she. A grandmother, An she not even
kecpin' steady company ex fur ez l
know. But it's the way she has young
men a-comin' to see her thct I don't
like. There wux Seth Adams a-settin'
up reg'iar with her all las winter, an
ev'ryonc thought they'd be married.
an nothin' ever come of It. An Mis-
Ciark's nephew. he took to goin' there
fer another spell. an nothin' come o
thet, either"
Then Miss Flint-no one seemed to
remember the time when this good old
woman was young-spitefuily bit on
the end Of her thread. and peered
through her glasses at the irregular
stitches she was putting In the apron
Of some poor child who presumably
would prefer the useful to the beauti-
ful.
~Twouldn't be no surprise to me-
she said. eff Miss Becky didn't keep .
light burnin' In the parior ev'ry Sun
day night o. purpose to make folkz
think she was havin' company.
.rwouldn't surprise me none,~ ths
widow Jenkins assured the ladies. n
gueus putty ein'aily q gal a. has an
o9er aceep'sit- Nobody amt breakin'
his meek fer Miss becky ~ know o.
- ksss sessrsl e tAe l.11n y9es