Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-23
/ A CHRISTMAS FOLLY
BY HoMESPUN.


Nov aira. Dlnnthn may have had her
faults who has not? But 80 charming
was shc from the crown of her Well
shaped head to the sole Of her NO :
shoe. that every one-husband. family
lew. Gentle. bond and frcc-was under
the spell Of her laughing good humor'
She was the friend. sister and counselor
10 the whole community.
Come one once vcnturcd to ask clti-
zen OF the town the question: who
runs this town anyway"
The answer was prompt and finals
THE Bishop and Mrs. Dianthn Wood
'1iowsomcvcr." as Mrs. Woods mo-
Their remarked when the satlrc was re-
peated to her. there aint many towns
In Zion that's better managed"
There was a Air Wood: and his first
name was James Il. Although some
wag Of the town had once addressed
an Invitation to MIR. and Mrs. Diantha
Wood" yet everyone knew perfectly
wen that Mr. James T. Wood was
force md power to be rcckoned with
very ostenslbly. And the authorities Of
the church knew his worth quite wei
and they had appointed him to one Of
the highest positions In the stake.
The stake Of woodston was one Of the
most distant outposts 81 our dear Zion.
Pioneer In every sense Of the word.
Some one rises up to ask me where
woodston stake IL locatcdg My dear,
Imaginative and literal friend. this Is
Christmas follyi And you are to see
your friends with gowns and wigs on,
vet In scenes Of pastoboard and trusle
Please TO hold thy peace and let the
masauc 20 ont
Pioneer was certainly the word for
woodstonl
Mrs. Dlantha lived In q thrcc-roomcd
log cabin which stood In the principal
street-but stay. II ! remember correct
~ there was but one street IN the town.
However. that one street bonsted OF
quite number Of log houses. chieicst
Of which was that belonsing to MIS-
Dianthn.
The CAV little woman ondcayorod TO
satisfy her love for the beautiful With
the fashloning OF rheumatic chairs ana
lounges from sawcd-out barrels and im-
provised dry-goods boXct
And II was cosy retreat. that sitting
rooml
In the center was a small table dry
goods box) so cunningly drapcd with
brlght-colorod cfetonne that II became
an artistic pedestal for the one large
handsome vase which had been per-
mittcd TO travel with them clear from
the distant Utah home.
And the vnae rs well as the windows
all glowed and shlmmercd with the
4. .t4t anil a.
turtlams " the winter growth, while In
the summer. the Wild daisies. bluebells
and fla gloves filled every corner Of the
spacious ioJm with fragrance and beau
~.
couches. stifr In manufacture, mem;
tdry goods boxes) were skillfully
draped and fcstooned with the Gre
tonne while pillows piled In luxurious
confusion, bore evidence ~ Mrs.
Diantha's taste. and her thrifty care
for the great brood OF ducks which
quacked and waddied In the distant
barn yard.
The sewing machine was n part Of
this pioneer parlor's furnishings, and
whenever not In use. II. too. was care
fully and tastily draped In graceful
folds.
Now thIs sitting room was the pride
OF Mrs. DIS heart OF hearts. II was
the ethical embodiment for the whole
colony OF the beauty and culture OF d.s-
tant civilization.
The shrewd little sermons which were
preached In the Relief so.
cietics and Y. l.. NJ. l. A. by Mrs. ID
on order. cleanliness. beauty In the
home ana such. would fall utterly TO
the ground without this definite and
practical Illustration OF all her teach
ings.
And so dainty little Mistress Diantha
Junior was always ON her best be-
havior when she was permitted TO take
the clean, hemmed duster In her own
lily white hand and to dust the whole
Of the sacred precincts.
With what revcrent care did she
whisk about the ancient ornaments on
the reverend "what-not" which stood
In the corner.
For the picture frames she took
chair from the kitchen. placed n news
paper upon IL. and then rose steadily
and grandly upon her pedestal TO fieck
the dust from the gilt frames ~ the few
really good etchings and cngravings.
Before the organ the little girl bowed
ms before a voritabe shrlnel Every
knob and crook ana qulrl and twist
ana don't they make bewilderlng lot
on organs-was scrupulously wiped and
polished.
Charles. the twelve ear-old boy.
carefully wiped and scrapcd his feet
before bringing into the sitting room
the great spicy, plncy chunks which
were TO burn IN the roOmy crate.
While even baby Tom. with his
mothers merry ana beautiful grey
eyes. would peep rougishly In and say:
MY feets Is all clean, mama, may
toned in2'
Now, III leave It to you, my can
did rcader-the reader Is always as
sumed 10 be candid or kind. you know,
although l could never Imagine why
however. III leave II TO you " II wasn't
a trying thing for Mrs, Dlanthn, with
her oxquisitely neat ways. and her well
trained children: with all her New Eng
land conscience and the president OF
the Relief society responsibilities, to
have her husband afflicted with the
habit Of throwing his things down
almost anywhere
II n true that years Of gentle ham
mcring on the same spot % grey brain
matter had induced In her good hus-
band dim consciousness that his
clothes ought 10 be hung up some
where, but the somewhere tried Mrs.
ID almost as much as the nowhere,
The treasured sitting room was Mr.
Woods faVorite retreat, Small Won
der that! Mrs. III rciolced nightly
that her dear once enjoyed the fruits OF
her womanly toll. II was for them she
toilcd
Whenever Mr.. Wood came into the
house he AT once felt the hung p-
ond-put-away" atmosphere which Der-
mehted every corner thereof. and In
obedience TO a dim half-forgotten OK
hortatlon, he at once pulled OF his hat,
and hung lt-on convenient picture
frame. DVershocs were set neatly on