The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-21

| calico cushioned and padded arm
chair. IT'S stockin's and bunnits, and
gowns. and head-dresses and ear
rings"
There. what did I tell your" she
exclaimed, triumphantly.
| "Judgin' from the way the wild geese
| flew, and the owls boot, and the tree
toads twittered all summer, 1 profersy
a turrihle. long. hard, cold winter"
solemnly interposed Uncle Lemuel,
who as a retired pensioner on twelve
dollars a month, regarded himself as
a gentleman of Independent means,
and privileged to voice and opinion
upon all family matters. And would
suggest that a woman of your age
| consider we'll afore she throws away
such skerce article as good money
on pomps and vanities."
| And 1 would. suggest that a man
Of your age, Uncle Lem, learns to
mind his own business" broke in Mrs.
| Marble sharply. LAS for you, Henry
Clay. get a fire in the settin' room
lively. Samanthy Simmons is comm
here after dinner to get me ready for
my trip
your trip" Henry Clay opened his
eyes in mild surprise. where be you
goin'?"
Me? I'm goin' to the city"
| To the city! Why, it costs six dol
1
II can't help it if 1t costs sixteen!
Do you suppose 1 could get such a
wardrobe as l want in this town? No.
I've been studin' fashion books and
| magazines for the last Tx months, and
l shall go the whole figger or none
that's fiat. have set my heart on a
black satin dress, with bugle trimmin,
| and Lasky seal coat, and a velvet
bunnit covered with piumes, and some
4 in nd I
| you men folks to keep out of the set
tin room after Samanthy gets here"
| concluded Mrs. Marble, abruptly.
| Miss Samanthy arrived in due sea-
son. and proceeded to make a careful
| inspection of Mrs. Marbles meagre ar
ray of wearing apparel
| Now, Lily" she remarked, "as she
| viewed that lady's best gown, you
mustn't feel offended, for l know you
want my candid opinion; but unless
YOU want to be taken for a laughin.
stock by a. set of city snipes, you will
never wear this old tan-colored poplin
on a shoppin' expedition in cold
weather"
/ Mrs. Marbles face was very red,
and betrayed strong combative emo
ton, as she expressed in forcible Ian
guage her antipathy to being taken for
a laughing stock by "snipes," whether
indigenous to city or country, and she
predicted the direful results which
would follow the attempts of any who
might venture to make her an object
OF ridicufe.
However, she FASTENED to assure
Samantha of her unbounded conf
dence in her judgement of what was
perfectly right and proper, but what
was she going to wear? Her only
dark dress-a black cashmere with
narrow ruffies to the waist-was cut
in style that prevailed twenty years
before, and. besides, since then she
had grown very stout.
A solemn consultation was held
and the ancient cashmere produced
but when, after two hours of patient
letting out, letting down, and turning
and twisting, IL still stubbornly re-
fused to meet without displaying hall
breadth OF red flannel petticoat, Miss
Samantha rose gloriously to the occa-
SION and magnanimously proffered
the loan of her own best blue serge
and gold-piated neck chain.
Mrs. MARBLE was profuse in hel
thanks. When the blue serge had been
tried on and pronounced a perfect fit
she consented with many misgivings
to have ner sparse, gray locks curled
on hot iron.
Henry Clay was accordingly dis.
patched on tour of the neighborhood
In quest of tcngs for the purpose. He
returned after a cold tramp, trembling
but triumphant, having procured the
coveted article at the home of fam.
lily named Higgins, with a local repu.
| tation for slackness and improvidence
Like everything belonging to the
Higgins, the curling iron had received
hard usage. 1t had been broken
mended, wired and tied up with liner
thread to such an extent that it hat
acquired an unpleasant trick of drop,
ping out of the handle at the mos
inopportune moment. AS result, anc
in spite of Miss Samantha's extrem,
caution in manipulating the tongs
poor Mrs. Wcrble received severa
painful burns on neck and forehead
and was kept in a state of constant
trepidati"n until the ordeal was de.
ciared ended.
Her best bonnet was brought for.
ward, an old-fashioned poke decorated
with limp bows of faded green anG
red ribbon. A Dig stuffed bird, who'll,
! deficient as to tail feathers and minus
a head presided depressinsly over
the ruin.
) THAT was q handsome Bird Eek.
planned Mrs. Marble, as she eyed II
respectfully ut cost seventy-twc
cents, and had the purtiest beak yo,
| ever see, Dut our miserable old tom
) cat made a grab for it one day wher
my bunnit laid on the kitchen table
and chewed the head off and split the
looks OF the tail. It seemed a vast,
OF money to throw it away, SO I've
worn it just as il is"
well" said Miss Samantha, afte,
she had held the bonnet at arm.
length and surveyed it for a few mo,
naents in silence, 1.-The best thing VOL
can do with this bonnet, Lily, is t.
put 1t in the stove"
What be I goin' to wear on m,
head, them" queried Mrs MARBLE anx.
ioasly. II amt got nothin' else, cent
a pink and blue fascinator all covered
over with yalier beads"
Let me see," unused Samantha
This bonnet 1t awful Bad off. but W.
might patch 1t up just for this trio. Il
we had some new trimmin'. Ain't va,
got sonre old velvet and feathers and
fiowers?"
mo. n-o-o." and Mrs, warh,s
shook her head dolefully. mot the
fust thing"
"aaintl Then you'll have to star,
Henry Clay this instant. Tell him Re
ask Aunt Sally TO send me nv bos
OF artficials. I've got an kinds and
descriptions. and he will have 10 bs
spry about II II you expect 10 ketch
this afternoons train"
Henry Ciayi Henry Clay. Hen-e-ry
Clay War-eem-1ew Mrs. Lily's voice
arose 10 a shrill scream. "Step here
this Instant"
''wh-at-wh-at IL II. Liily?'