The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-02-28
WIZ

o o was honest anu MS ieilo"
4 i r men respected him. Mrs.
Mow Bum was woman of
much common sense. and other women
admired her for that sterling quality.
The Bunns occupied place of no
mean Importance in what society the
town Afforded but it would have re-
1uired a stretch of the Imagination to
look upon them as fashionable people.
Eleanor, the only daughter, had been
perfectly satisfied with her unassum-
ing family until the Cunninghams
moved TO town: but when she began
to compare hel own relatives with
those of Gladys Cunningham. whom
she admired more than any other girl
she knew, she at once discovered glar-
ing faults.
There was not she decided, q particle
of style about her father His over
coat was shiny along the seams. his
trousers bagged at the knees. he was
careless in his speech, and he wore
spectacles.
Mr. Cunningham, in eyeglasses, and
with his trousers properly creased,
looked far more distinguished. the girl
thought. She was certain. too, that
Mr.. Cunningham never used words of
one syllable when he could express
the same idea in polysyllables.
Her own mother seemed shockingly
indifferent to the changing fashions.
TO be sure, her garments were always
neat. and she wore fresh white collars,
whether they were in style or not; but
Eleanor could not remember time
when her hair was not parted in the
middle and brushed back smoothly at
the sides.
On the other hand some of Mrs.
Cunningham's gowns had been i'm
ported from Paris. Her hair was ar
ranged in different fashion every
time Eleanor saw her
Eleanor's brother Stephen loved the
woods. He liked nothing better than
to live for days at time in some de-
serted lumber camp. His old clothes
were infinitely dearer TO him than was
his Sunday suit, and he had been
known to grieve for days because his
mother had given away a disreputable
hat, Her friends brother, Harold
was always well dressed. Even his
hunting clothes were new.
AS for her grandmother, Gladys had
pointed with pride at an exquisite min
iature of a slender, lovely creature In
point lace and pink satin Eleanor's
grandmother weighed two hundred
pounds. and was hopelessly addicted
to black and white sprlgged calico.
Then, in addition to all this, there
was the family name-Bunn. Was
name ever more plebeian? Eleanor
compared it with Cunningham, and de-
father to change it.
People will think grumbled
Eleanor, that we had a baker for an
ancestor and that our coat of arms was
a plate of mullins"
''Let 'em," said Mr.. Bum. not at all
dismayed, provided they think lie was
good baker and that the mullins
were properly Drowned
Eleanor, bllssfully obllyous to her
own shortcomings. felt that it de-
volved upon her TO improve the. family.
She selected her father for the first
victim. She had the glasses from a
pair of his questionable spectacles
transferred to other frames, and pre-
sented them to her father one Sunday
morning.
why, bless you, my dear" said Mr.
Bum, perchlng the filmsy eyeglasses
on the end of his nose, and looking
comically over them at his daughter
my thick nose was never built for
this sort of thing. However I'll wear
them to church if you say so. They
won't affect my hearing. at any rate
Don't your mother look pretty to-dayT
Doesn't" corrected Eleanor, impa
tlently.
Mr.. Bum looked surprised and hurt
He realized suddenly that his daugh
ter had corrected him a great many
times during the week Il suppose
I've grown careless" said he, apollo
getically.
How horribly red your hands arer
SAID Eleanor, turning TO her mother
why don't you put on your glovesr
Because" said Mrs. Bum, II hav,
TWO. burns on my right hand and
cut on my left. My gloves go on hard
but l suppose shall have to wea
tnem II my hands look coarse"
wisb,' grumbled Eleanor, still ben
on improving the family, "that yo,
wouidnt wear such an unbecomin,
oohhet. You look positively dowdy."
Mrs. Bum flushed. She had not sus
pected tnat her bonnet was notIceabI,
oE OF date. She felt suddenly that sh
was shabbily dressed.
stephen and Eleanor walked Ia
gether. BY the time they reached th
cnurch door the boy, too, thanks to hi
SISTER was red with modification. con
scious OF his collar, and more thal
oouDtful about his tie. sensltiv
nrandmcther Bum had decided to sta,
at home. Early that morning Eleano,
suggesting that black ana white sprig
were not quite suitable for sunda
ear, had advised the stout old lad
keep them concealed under a shaw