Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-11-28
TIE Lafayette Platter
BY Rebeeca Barrett.
Copyright, 1900, BY Rebsssda .nmn,t.
BY Rebecca Barrett.

MISUNDERSTANDING
IS 4 oHNNIE is goin to be awful
disappointed when he gets this
~ letter, tellin him can't come
to his weddin. don't know exactly
how to word it." and Mrs. Esterbrook
left her pen reposing in the bottle Of
purple ink while she stopped mo-
ment to reflect. Writing letter was
an unusual task to her, and the
thoughts came haltingly. Then the
pen shook in her feeble hand, and the
lines were uncertain.
But ut last the letter was finished,
She sealed it on the very tip end of the
flap of the envelope, where there was n
little spray of red and blue bell shaped
flowers. Then she carefully put the
stamp in the left hand corner and laid
the letter on the window sill. Hardly
had she done SO when neighbor drove
by on his way to the village, and she
gave it to him to post.
"If there had only been some way
that could manage to go to the wed.
din," she said regretfully US she put
the paper and envelopes back into the
worsted worked cardboard portfolio
But there isn't, for it would take al
OF $40. There is the fare to Providence
and back of 81, and I'd want IS for
extras certain, so as not to so pinched.
If 1t hadn't been for that late freeze
the currants would have come on we'll
and there would have been somethiu
from them; but as it is, there is moth.
in now till 1 pick the greengage
plums. But it seems to me that ]
can't bear the thought no way in the
world that Johnnie's to be married
and can't be there"
She went into an adjoining room and
opened ore of the glass knobbed draw.
ers of a cherry bureau. The quilt was
securely pinned in n pillowcase. She
took 1T out and spread it upon the bed
in the recess to give 1t final e1amina.
ton.
There's not many an old lady of sc
could piece a better lookin log cabin
than that. I'm not ashamed to have
the SEWN go anywhere" she said, with
pardonable pride. 81 hope Johnnie's
wife'll be one thatll prize it. There's
some choice pieces here" she contin.
ued, smoothing out the blocks with her
wrinkled and thickly veined hand
There's a piece of Johnnie's own
grandmother's weddin dress, and she
looked like picture in it. Folks all
around said that she and Orrin Hutch.
inson were the handsomest couple ever
went into old Simsbury meetin house,
and l guess they were right about 1t
too. That there green in the corner
block is some of his Aunt Eunice's
dress. The very first time she wore II
was down to ball at the Holler. My,
there was no wear out to that dress!
Then there are scraps of three or four
Of my dresses in here. That one in the
middle Bissell allus called my gaudy
teury, and suspect 1t was awful gay
for me-"
She looked at the quilt long and af-
fectionately before she did 1t up. Tears
glistened in the kindly, faded eyes, and
two ran down the soft, wrinkled cheeks
and dropped on the bundle.
Just now out in front of the house
was platter of sour cherries preserv-
ing in the sun after the old code of
pound for pound"
MY, ! must 60 and stir up them cher
ries or they'll all be gettin sugaryv'
said Mrs. Esterbrook, suddenly recol-
Letting herself and drying her tear
stained eyes on her folded handker-
chief.
She went out through the little lat
tice covered front doorway, where, a
few steps off, on fiat limestone bowl
der, was an old blue and white platter
Of the reddest and richest of preserves.
She lifted the mosquito netting and
gave them good stirring up.
Somehow I allus think Of Johnnie
more'n ever when do up the sour cher
rles," she observed. "How he used to
nllus be on hand for lick when / stir
red 'em up. l used to think l had a
pretty scant measure sometimes when
come to put 'em in the jars. He allus
said he knew the cherries would never
taste the same IL they was made Oh
any other platter than this old blue and
white one with the landing Of Gineral
l A<AldS CllC w IL SSQCGl h0llOu VI LIS
l declare If I'd been goin to his weddin
I'd have taken jar or two of these
for him. You needn't tell me he's lost
his sweet tooth If he Is q grown man
there's too much of the Hosmer blood
in him for that"
"An apotheosls pitcher! What fnd
And to think they were keeping soft
soap in it! Even IL the nose was bro
ken, the very idea Of using piece OF
crockery that dates back to Washing
toms time for such purpose! Who
minds driving nine miles through the
country hot July day. If one can run
| across such treasure and rescue II
from SO cruel a fate?' And Mrs Ridge
| way stopped her horse underneath the
shade Of Il big beech tree that spread
Itself over the road and undid the
| pitcher she had purchased, to admire
it anew.
| She was victim of the old china
craze, or to soften 1t little, tho mamie
poterie.
None but the china hunter could have
found any beauty in the noseless
apotheosis pitcher, over which Mrs.
Ridgeway was e1ulting. as a biblio-
maniac might have done at the finding
of some rare first edition.
On the pitcher was hideous repre-
sentation Of Washington clothed in a
shroud, while Time was lifting him
from tomb and cadaverous looking
angel pointed upward.
"Pugh! l can smell the soft soap
now" Mrs. Ridgeway exclaimed, as
she rewrapped her treasure. ut re-
minds me Of that lovely old delft bowl
rescued from that family who were
using it to mix up the chicken feed in.
II makes me shudder to think of such
dcsecratlOnSw And Mrs Ridgeway's