Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-02-17
Roses and Potatoes.
M HERE are the roses.' said Polly,


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GH HERE are the roses" said Polly,
depositing n huge load of Amer
lean Beauties on the table ard
laying her muff and stole on pile of
grocery boxes. "The carnations and
smllax and evergreens are coming
down in the carriage with the Japa-
nese lanterns and the funny little It's
sue paper caps.
We were getting ready for the char
lily dinner Mt the mission chapel, and,
OF course, Polly was doing the trim
mtngs. Polly always does the trim
mings.
But where" said l, gazing on the
great masses of green and pink. twill
they find room for--the potatoes, for
instance"
Potatoes" said Polly. scornfully, MS
she took mass of blue forget-me- nots,
which she calls hat" off her pompa-
dour, and laid it on another grocery
box. Those. Mr.. Heavyfeather, will
be Observation-Disclosures of course
Like matrimony, after courtship, l
suppose" / sighed. picking up long
stemmed rose and holding 1t gingerly
by the tip end.
Yes" said Polly, "or housekeeping
after the honeymoon"
"Or the bill after the dinner"
There won't be any bill after this
dinner" said Polly, because the daa-
con donated the potatoes and-things,
and kind lady donated the roses and
lent us her teacups."
How thoughtful of her." / remark
ed. II am sure those starving little
slum youngsters are just yearning for
roses served in china teacups. Who
was the lady, Polly? a Delsarte pu-
Pill with fluffy hair and pink tea man
ner?"
"On the contrary" said Polly, pull
Ing the thorns off long green stem
with the dexterity of an expert, ..she
was nice, commonsense little thing
with turned-up nose, and violent in.
terest In her meals. l distinctly saw
her take three helpings of chicken sal
DE Kind 'da'is sa ss asst \ Who wound
md ten minutes; before breakfast
stirling 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 an evening lecture for her
husband; and the whole evening say
ing pretty things and flirting with you
instead of going over the grocery books,
and her whole life making things inter
esting and pleasant instead of cutting
down the expenses"
"And her declining years." added,
sin the divorce court instead Of"
"Darning sock" broke in Polly.
Not half so many divorces" she went
on, "are caused by cold coffee as by
cold dispositions. Whoever heard of n
man seeking 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 We're busy making
batter cakes. 1t is never the woman
who makes good biscuits who lures n
man away from his tireside and his
bachelor comforts, but the one who
wears n rose in her hair. Potatoes,w
and Polly jammed 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 week. But Won
don't want them hanging around your
drawing room. nor your dressing room.
nor your den. Now, roses are accent.
able anywhere; you like them at tho
breakfast table in the morning, at your
desk at noon. and in your button
hole"
II didn't know" said l. "that the
modern woman liked to be carried
around in mans buttonhole-like an
adjunct"
''she DOESN'T" said Polly. "care to
be done brown and digested or left on
n plate-to be forgotten the moment
she ceases to be useful"
And" l went on, ignoring Polly's
outburst, "if she does want to be orna.
mental as well as useful-even n po-
tato has blossom, You know"
"a sprout! interrupted Polly.
(which" l continued, "A king once
thought lovely enough to wear in his
buttonhole."
Polly picked up full-blown rose
with jerk that sent hundred leaves
fiuttering about us like pink snow
storm.
Roses" said 1. looking at the empty
stalks insigniticantly. .'are so apt to
fade and wither."
"And potatoes" replied Polly, "get
hard and old and knotty and develop
eyes,"
THAT'S so." said 1, "and it isn't well
for woman to have too many eyes"
Besides" said Polly. gathering up
the fallen leaves and putting them and
the stalks in little pile, "a rose has
heart"
$50 has potato" remarked.
But you have to dig through so
much exterior to find it." declared Pol
~. "And the average man is too lazy
TO dig. He wants the good things in
life's rcpast set out on his plate, not
hidden under it."
"And yet" said 1, discovering the
heart in woman who doesn't wear
hers on the surface. and who seems
cold and unfathomablc. is like discov-
erlng birthday gift under your plate
in the morning. The surprise is very
sweet"
Perhaps" said Polly, meditatively,
holding rose against her cheek, SO
that you couldn't tell which was which,
i"but how many men are going to hunt
for the surprise9 Nine times out of ten