The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-09-23

all ready for the company when they
cum hum from church.
We that knowed things felt that We
could see marks Of innard torture on
poor Mrs. Virgins face. and we felt to
sympathize. fur she wus naturally q
moral woman and pious one, and
she'd been driven to sin by the mean
ness Of her pardner. You see, she wus
one Of them women that lives fur their
children. Ell she'd been a pelican. she'd
hev took all the feathers out Of her
buzzim to make 'em beds. and she'd
sackerficed herself fur Melindy. She
looked kinder better when she got to
church. but our minister he wus young
and hadn't married nobody before, and.
bein narvOus, lie commenced fur to
read the burial sarvice instead of the
marriage sarvice, and we, bein all stiff
with horrer. hadn't presence of mind
enough fur to stop him until he'd actil-
ly buried Melindy as fur as words
could go, and Mrs. Virgins wus in
high strikes.
However, she got over 'em, and the
minister he said he didn't know after
all but 1t wus a providence to keen. lis
from bein too sot on the things of this
world and reminded how short life wus
and went back and married 'em proper.
And so we did get back to Virgins.
only. Mr.. Virgins hevin been too mean
to get the wagin mended. the wheel
come off. and they wus all split out and
eenamost drownded goin over Slabside
bridge that amt got no railin. Mrs.
Virgins, poor dear, wus soaked, and
when we tux her into our wagin she
kept sayin, "Jedgments-je Judgments
Judgments is comm" We knowed what
she wus thinkln Of, and we tried to
cheer her up.
Well. when the folks wus dried aud
dressed over we all went to supper, and
We praised 1t up rs much as we could
but Mrs. Virgins sot down in her place
like a ghost. and folks began to talk
and laugh and help everything. But
she didn't smile
She passed the chicken salad plates
to the help, and the help gave 'em to
the folks, and we all tasted 1t, but it
didn't relish. Still we tried to eat It fur
her sake. Most of us done 1t, too and
the coffee wus good, and we cheered
up some. Mrs Virgins didn't eat no
sallad herself, so she didn't know how
1t tasted After supper we all went in
tn tho rInr and nrnIJpI and Nj
Barker WIS tryin to git up dancin, and
! did hope things would end happy,
when all of a sudden folks began to
look pale and say they WIS p'isoned.
So they seemed to be. One artcr The
other wus took sick. and they all said
the same thing-it WIS the salad. l
felt very poorly myself, and SO did my
Obediah. The minister had gone home
sick, and there wus Il regular panic.
There wus one doctor there and he
sent fur another, and old Miss PEBBLES
said it WIS like old cholera times. 1t
WIS awful, anyway. but jest as we
WIS at the wust, we ladies' lyin about
in the up stairs rooms expectn to die
and feelin sure it WIS arsenic, Mrs.
Virgins appeared amongst us.
"F'ricnds and Teller Sinners" she said.
1--WE air all on the pint Of death, and
here. before you all, make confess
sion. am thief aud a robber, and
shall never be pardoned. 1t WIS me
that robbed my husband, and, more
than that, stole the chickens to make
the sallad-one Of 'em from each of my
good friends and ueghbors. Judgments
has fallen"
"You wus driv to 1t, Mrs. Virgins"
seq I, "by your pardner's meanness.
We all knowed it, and none Of us
blame you"
you don't know ALL" said Mrs. Wig
gins "More'n that, ] went to the store
and TUX my chances and stole bottle
OF ile The recipe said to make the sal
lad drcssin with lie. I'd never made
none. stole the bottle. Oh, shan't
never be forgiven. shan't never be for
given. TUX bottle of Prison of some
sort. fur it wus in the drug department
whore lies is kept, and I'm muir
dercr."
ooh, no." says the doctor. Bring me
the hottie. Mrs. Virgins, and | guess
I'll find out how TO cure EN-"
Mrs. Virgins fetched it; doctor he
tasted it.
"rhis amt bison, ladies'" seq he
"Therr amt no great harm done, only |
don't suppose the recipe mentioned cas-
tor oil for salad dressing. 'Tisn't usual
anyhow. Nobody is gon to die this
time Mrs. Virgins, unless it is you
yourself. You lie down and quiet your
self"
Poor Mrs. Virgins, she dropped on
her knees and prayed right there fur
thankfulness, and we all fined in, and
as soon as folks knowed they hadn't
| TUX arsenic they all got better Mrs.
| Virgins solemn and distracted looks
and her not eatin any had made them
| that worn't in the secret think that
she'd gone crazy and done 1t a-purpose,
| which scared 'em more.
| And they do say Mr.. Virgins amt
! quite so near as he used to be since he
saw what might come Of drivin Il wo-
man into a corner for want Of penny.
Still, we shan't forget Melindy Wig
gins wedding in a hurry. those Of us
that went to it.
| The Discount Fiend.
| There is probably no abuse which the
long suffering wholesale market has