The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-02
".
oossIPING HUMBUGs AND THE
QUILTIN BEE.
Continued

Then says. "Jane, you ought to be
more careful. IL you do that many times
you'n have to cut out the whole block and
begin over agin"
"Well." says she. as she put the needle
IN again and gave II another jerk. 'its
enough 20 make anybody excited so they'll
DO something that they ought not 10. this
talking about allowing a husband to die
tate how many hats woman shall wear!
Anybody that's got any stamina can havn
a new hat whenever they want one. Dea-
con Thompson's rich as can be, and It's
a disgrace TO his name and family 10 be
debating TO his wife about wearing one
hat a year He's just such a man that
should expect would backside and swear.
and anybody else who NEEDLES with his
wffe's wardrobe or millinery ought 10 be
compelled 10 give his wife separate main
tenance. Deacon Thompson has always
had the, reputation OF being so stingy he'd
feed his sheep on the Westinghouse
grounds 10 save the grass over In
his pasture No wonder such n man would
try and tell his wife what to wear. He's
Just fitted for It,"
Ann whipple got kinder touched by
what Jane had said about separate main
tenance, and so she spoke up and says,
ness what somebody's else husband does.
jf the husbands wife knows that she
wears a small amount OF millinery for the
sake OF saving a little more money TO
help give the children n better education.
Every family wasn't blessed with an In
heritance OF hundred thousand dollars
or more that was made two or three gen
Arations back. like the Bateses. I don't
want 10 be rude nor personal, but I'd
like 10 know, Miss Bates what you've got
No boast about? or all the hats you wear
livery year. how many OF them did you
earn with your own hapds2 You know
your grandfather. John, paid for every
one or them I'm advance by money that he
got by making New England rumr'
, ! saw right away there'd got 10 be a
stop put to that kind OF talk sooner or la
ter. but didn't say anything then, for 1
Thought II might do Miss Bates some good
TO be reminded OF her dependence on the
money that somebody else besides herself
had earned for her, and so the talk went
on
"I guess says Jane, that pure rum
isn't any worse than cider and money
made from 10 isn't any worse than money
mhde through cider mill. Resides.
: Grandfather Bates never had the reputa-
tion OF -adulteripg his rum What money
he took was for pure article: wish [
could say much for the product that
IF you told the TRUTH says Ann. ''you
could say as much. and more If you
chosev' -
"'wby, everybody in the nelghborhood
says that cider from whipple's Is more or
less watered,' says Jane Everybody
knows that's common talk"
What liei' says Ann. 'Mr. Whipple
never put any water into the. cider from
his mill I'm his itel Neverl It's an abom-
Unable shame for folks To talk that way"
And she looked around TO the others who
were working on the quilt, for an express
'kion OF sympathy but they all pretended
20 be dreadful busy and half conscious OF
what was being said. although they didn't
miss n word any more did. How inno-
cent women folks will pretend to be
sometimes when they're really raving
distracted to know what's coming next.
well" says Jane. '"Tbey do say he
never puts any water directly into the
cider tub, but after each pressing he
pours a pail OF water on TO the straw so
as TO rinse of tho cider that Il Is saturat-
ed with. That brings up tho old story
about straws showing which way the
wind blows OF course ne doesn't water
the ciderl The poor, innocent man wouldn't
do such thing. How could he and then
go TO church and say amen TO what the
preacher says. He's too good a Methodist
I suppose to water his cider but the
same trough into the cider tub, and that's
what made his reputation III
'If all old maids" Gays Ann. ARE as In.
ferested I'm other women's husbands as
you are 7 can tell them now that they'll
get reputation that's worse than water
ed cider"
That's an easy way 90 shift the con-
versation." says Jane. What do you sup
pose I care for your husband or his wat
oil nt the,- QN "A
! just spoke OF 1t 10 show what kind OF
folks part OF our community is composed
or. and 10 make II plain that II his wife
bad separate maintenance she wouldn't
be losing much"
We'll" says Ann. you've evidently
been maintained separately without any
partner. for quite n number OF years in
your old maidhood and the probability
Is you will be for n number OF years
70 come. And If you are a good example
OF the fruits OF that state OF living; if
YOU are an example OF the long-suffering
that IL engenders and the peacemaking
qualities II engrafts, may the Lord de.
, liver me from itl'
Well. they kept on for about five
minutes longer talkin' back and forth
across the quilt. gittin' more and more
excited. until finally had 90 interfere.
and / says:
Girls! Girls. Don't for goodness sake
say any moro about Il. Let Il all drop.
why. you'll work such an influence into
shat Quilt. n Il should he sent 20 rngy
I'm afraid II would create an Oriental
war Conscience. you must stop itl"
And then some OF the others began 20
pour oil on 60 the troubled waters. after
they'd been ruffed up long enough TO
satisfy their curiosity and things got
quieted down so that I could tell them
that tho report OF the Elders about
Deacon Thompson was going 10 be read
next Sunday, and that the report would
exonerate him. for r thought ! had al
lowed them 90 talk about long enough
on that subject. seeing as I knew how
n was coming out. While some OF the
church folks couldn't understand how
they could have arrived 10 such n con-
clusion. they finally decided that the
Elders had probably done the best thing