The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-04-21
THE PRIDE OF MRS. DoBB1Ns.

In Mrs. Landers' cozy front parlor
score of women sewed and chatter
ed with equal enthusiasm. The clock
on the mantel chimed four. Portly
Mrs. Briggs, the president, arose
stiffly and somewhat reluctantly from
her chair by the fire, tapped the
marble topped table with her thin
bled finger, and called for order.
The chattering voices were hushed
the sewing, after a few last hurried
stitches, was laid aside and the regu-
lar monthly business meeting of the
Ladies Benevolent Society began.
The chaplain offered her usual prayer
for grace; the secretary's minutes of
the last meeting were read and ap-
proved the treasurer furnished en-
lightenment as to the current fnan-
cial status of the society, and the
chairman of the several committees
reported briefly.
1t was the president herself who
finally brought before the meeting
the subject which was uppermost in
every mind. She did it with a great
show of reluctance, after waiting
vainly for someone else to take the
initiative.
perhaps" she suggested, "this
would be a good time to consider the
case of old Mis- Dobbins.'
There was instant, if unparliamen-
tary, assent from all quarters of the
room. An informal discussion of the
merits and demerits of Mrs. Dobbins'
claim on their sympathies sprang up
and waxed vociferous. The presi-
dent pounded the table vigorously
with her thimb1e.
"Order, order, if you please !" she
said. "Now," she went on when
the momentary chaos of the meeting
had been succeeded by>a semblance
of order, 1--WE will listen to the opin-
ion of the members on this matter
one at time, please remember. Mrs.
Vose, as a neighbor of Mis- Dob
bins, your views will certainly have
weight"
Mrs. Vose rose and stood awk-
wardly by her chair.
II confess I can't make her out, "
she said. 1--WE all know well enough
that she's poorer'n Jobs turkey, an
yet she seems to be just as proud as
she is poor. I've spoke with the
storekeeper an the butcher, an they
both tell me she buys next to nothin'. !.
To the store she only gets little
oatmeal an graham flour, an to the
butchers she only buys the cheapest
meat, an that but seldom. That
house of hers amt no ways fit to live
in. There's lots of the clapboards
loose, an more'n half the shingles
are off. don't know where she gets
her wood to keep fire goin'. This
fall 1 saw her carryin in what looked
like pieces of the horse stalls out of
the old barn. 1t seemed too bad for
a woman old as she is to have to be
doin' that, so I got Cyrus-that is,
Mr.. Vose, I mean-to put in an ap-
p1ication to the selectmen for a
half cord of wood for her. Three
days later Shubae1 Williams came
cartin' down that wood an what do
you think? Mis- Dobbins came out
just as he was goin' to unload it, mad
as hops.
'Shube Williams, what you goin'
to do with that wood p says she.
"'I'm goin' to leave it here for
you, he answers.
"'I amt ordered no wood, says
she. 'Where'd it come from?'
""The selectmen, says he.
"With that she bristles up. Take
it back to the selectmen, ther,' says
she, stompin' her foot, an don't you
never dare bring another load till I
say so 7
"That's how proud she is. But
all the same / think somethin' ought
to be done for her, whether she likes
it or not. It's shame to let her live
there alone without proper victuals
or fuel"
Mrs. Vose sat down amidst vigor-
Gus shaking of heads and many whisp-
cred exclamations. In far corner
Mrs. Carter arose and cleared her
throat.
"Speakin' of PRIDE" she said, "you
all remember that basket of victuals
we put up for Mis- Dobbins the time
we had the last meetin' at Mrs. Jones.
You remember I left it on Mis- Dob
bins doorstep on my way home. Did
you ever know what she did with the
chicken an the cookies an that pie
on, the co,1r,1,i11x cake 7D