The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-13

The newest portion Of the book Is '"The
Minister'S Vacation which has never
been published before. In that is told, by
Susan, of course, how the sewing society
carries out a plan to give the minister's
wife, and incidentally the congregational
rest, by giving the minister vacation.
The minister's family Of twelve children
is factor that has to be reckoned with.
1t is decided that the various members of
the society shall take care of the chill
dren. The question of which member
shall take which child almost precipitates
a, society riot That, however, is averted
by the lot. The names Of the children
are written on slips and put into sugar
bowl, and the drawing begins. The first
to draw gets Henry Ward Beecher. Back
goes the slip into the bowl, with the
declaration on the part of the drawee that
she won't have Henry. It takes still
more diplomacy to prevent hostilities. But
the minister gets away on his vacation
and then the trouble begins. 1t Is the
main topic Of gossip for the entire town.
Altogether the author has drawn, with
a sure hand tho with some exaggeration,
a picture which, while amusing, is not
untrue to certain phases Of life; the
more's the pity for their narrowness.
thing. = - 90 = .- ~....''-''
!. Pauline--What was it? e.>. -, 49,
Penelope = Oh-a slot ma chine; you
think of a. .Word-put in a penny-and
out drops the correct pronunciation
Puck. ',' > =. ~" .
The zstepmother has been much abused.
There. are stepnaotiaers and .stepmothers,
and because some have failed to measure
up to the requirements of their difficult
positions, the whole genus has been made
the :. butt Of unlkind Joking The same
might be said of the mother-in law and
the preachers son, only we are coming
to a word about The Second Mrs. Jim,
which is the story of a stepmother, later
indeed, mother n-law, but never a
preachers son. The second Mrs. Jim was
the kind of woman that makes a good
stepmOther She had clear head, a
| big heart and the will to use both fo1
| those who were brought under; her care
| The result was altogether. satisfactory
for all concerned, and is also very salts
| factory for the reader of her story She
is not a stylist in the use Of English, but
she wins the readers interest atrthe out.
set by the way in which she conveys to Mr.
Jin-of course, in answer to proposal
the information that she is not lonely
old maid, and does not care to have any
offers Of. marriage based upon such {
! theory. Her discourse enlightening Mr.
Jim is too long to give here, but he1
definition Of an old maid is sufficient t.
show that she is capable Of handling thu
subject-and Mr.. Jim-with authority
Here is the definition: r+
/ An old maid is any livin' thing, male or fe
male, human or horse, cat pig chicken that:
so finicky p'tieular about some little thing
that don't really amount to much, that he don
pay no attention to some of the really importan
things of life. 49, e.. Il
! At the end Of her wedding journey sh
I gives a reason for WEAKNESS thus:
| It's no small days work for woman of III!
age to ride twenty-five miles, get married an
:, go to the circus all in one day. -5Tsi
"The Second Mrs. Jim,' it is seen, /
somewhat original. 49, \
The Macmillan company has in prepare
ton new edition in ten volumes Of tn
writings of Benjamin Franklin. This
being prepared by Professor Albert H
Smyth of the University of Pennsylvania
who will include in his work about so
new letters and manuscripts unknown