The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-04-08

X YrH Y Polly, depositing a huge
y OH the table and laying her
|TCFS muff and stole on pile
Df grocery boxes. 'The carnations and
smilaX and evergreens are coming
down in the carriage with the japanese
lanterns and the funny little tissue
paper caps
We were getting ready for the char
ity dinner at the mission chapel, and,
OF course, Polly was doing the trim
Mings. Polly always does the trim
mings.
But where" said I, gazing on the
great masses of green and pink, twill
they find room for-the potatoes, for
instance?"
Potatoes" said Polly, scornfully, as
she took mass of blue forget me-nots.
which she calls that" off her pompa-
dour, and laid it on another grocery
box. Those, Mr. Heavyfeather, will
be Observation-Disclosures, of course"
Like matrimony, after courtship, I
suppose" sighed, picking up a long
stemmed rose and holding it gingerly
by the tip end.
Yes" said Polly, cor housekeeping
after the honeymoon"
"Op the bill after the dinner"
a--@"Thege won't be any bill after this
dinner" said Polly, because the dea-
con donated the potatoes and things.
and a kind lady donated the roses and
lent us nef teacups.
= How thoughtful of her, re
marked, i am sure those starving
little slum Youngsters are just yearh-
ing for-roses served in china teacups.
Who was the lady, Polly? A Delsarte
pupil with fluffy hair and a pink tea
|inanner?"
son the contrary" said Polly, pull
ing the thorns off a long green stem
with the dexterity of an expert 'she
was nice, commonsense little thing
with a turned up nose and violent
interest in her meals. 1 distinctly saw
her take three helpings of chicken
salad at the ladies' aid meeting"
"The kind" suggested, "who would
spend ten minutes before breakfast
curling her hair and two minutes MAX
ing sloppy coffee"
YES" said Polly, "and who would
spend the whole afternoon planning an
evening bonnet for herself instead Of
planning aTp evening lecture for her
husband; and the whole evening say
ing pretty things and flirting with you
instead of going over the grocery book /;
and her whole life making things inter
esting and pleasant instead of cutting
down the expenses"
"And her declining years" I added,
Gin the divorce court instead of ---''
"Darning socksr' broke in Polly.
''Not half so many divorces" she went
on, care caused by cold coffee as by
cold dispositions. Whoever heard of a
man seeking a separation because his
wife let the biscuits burn while she
kissed him in the morning? Nobody
But there are dozens of good cooks
signing for the husbands they forgot
to kiss while they were busy making
batter cakes. 1t is never the woman
who makes good biscuits who lures a
man away from his freside and his
bachelor comforts, but the one who
wears rose in her hair Potatoesr'
and Polly damned a rose down into the
epergne with a scornful shove. "You
keep potatoes in your kitchen, don't
you-on the shelf? Potatoes are cheap
You can get them and hire Mary Anne
to cook them for 81 a week. But you
don't want them hanging round YOU
drawing room, nor your dressing room
nor your den. Now, roses are accept
able anywhere; you like them at the
breakfast table in the morning. at your
desk at noon, and in your button
hole"
81 didn't know" said I, ''that the
. modern woman liked to be carried
around in a mans buttonhole-like al
adjunct"
''She doesn't" said Polly, s'care to b.
done brown and digested or left on {
plate-to be forgotten the moment sht
ceases to be useful"
"And," I went on, ignoring Polly'i
outburst. "if she wants to be orna
mental as we'll as useful-even potato
has a blossom. you know"
"a sproutr' interrupted Polly.
(which" l continued, "a kirg once