The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-01-11
MISS HAWKINS, MATCHMAKER.

Taln't necessary to be so ever
lasting smarter'n other people to see
their shortcomings an it sometimes
seems to me that the reason some
falks is so blind ez to what other folks
is doin' is that they are just hatcher
ly shiftless.
They never get their own work
done an have time to look around a
bit an take perceivance Of their neigh
bors' doin's. Bein' lone woman
an havin' the Hawkins way of doin'
things up smart l have considerable
time for meditation an such.
Now Mis- Jackson over across has
just put out her wash an here it is
mos S O'Clock Monday afternoon. 1
stopped in to see Mis- Jackson after
church yesterday, an l declare, she
was thet dumb about this neighbor-
hood thet she might just ez we'll have
been in Greenland.
Mis- Peet, who keeps the notion
store, told me at church thet Elvira
Davis had bought silk dress at her
store an she had her suspicious thet
some man was sprucin' up to Elvira.
Mis- Peet couldn't calkerlate who it
was.
''I know thet Mis- Jackson was al
ways friendly with the Davises an ez
1 was wearin' my cameo brooch,
which no one need be ashamed of,
an l hadn't called lately on Mis-
Jackson, l just run in to be neighbor-
ly like an such.
" Seen Elvira Davis lately says
1, casual like, for l didn't want to ask
any questions about things thet was
none of my concern.
Yes says Mis- Jackson, short
like.
"I heard she bought a new silk
dress
Shouldn't be surprised, says
Mis- Jackson, ez if it weren' nothin'
unusual.
Some says Elvira's goin' to get
married.
Shouldn't be surprised says
Mis- Jackson.
For the land sakes, says I.
Who's goin' to marry Elvira Davis?'
You'd better ask Elvira, says
Mis- Jackson, an l went home.
81 don't believe Mis- Jackson
knows anything about it, an she so
thick with the Davises. Now what
do you think of that for dense ignor-
ance?
cts gettin' to be thet way all
over this neighborhood, an 1 declare
thet, lone woman ez I am, know
more about what's what than some
of these married women. Didn't 1
first suspicion that old John Bean, the
widower with five children, was like
ly to marry the widow Jones?
"It was denied later, an there was
those who said l had started the Cos
sip. l never said that they was goin'
to marry. 1 just says, mysterious
like:
Would it surprise you if John
Bean did marry the Widow Jones?
Nov if he had a done it couldn' t
have said I told you so, an then
who'd a been right?
"'Tain't thet I'm any smarter n
other folks, but I'm not shiftless. 1
can see their shortcomings, an 1 wish
to goodness l could make New Years S
resolutions for them.
"For Mis- Jackson, now, 1 would
suggest thet she be little smarter in
her house work, an thet she would
bleach her wash occasionally. l de-
clare, it makes me bilious sometimes
to look at her clothesline.
can some says she amt over par
tic'lar in her mendin', but bein' a
near neighbor like an havin' her
clothesline most under my front win
dow 'tain't for me to say. Then
there's Mis- Stebbins, but sakes alive,
she war born Hooper an l don't
know ez any good would come of her
maxim New Years resolutions.
Lizzie Hooper an me never was
very friendly, but tibet wouldn't stand
in my way if 1 thought 1 could break
her of her shiftlessness, cause al
ways pitied Joe Stebbins, who mar
ried her, Cause she was set on it.
"There's others round here, most
ly Methodists, ez it happens, with a
few 'Piscopalians, that I'd like to
plan resolutions for, an if they'd live
up to them this town would be the
better for it if do say SO, who am
only Susan Hawkins. I amt sayin'
thet person can't be Methodist an
4 IL.