The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-04-30
WHERE THE SPOONS CAME FROM
Weird Experience With Scotch Fore
handedneSS--Whcn Coffee First
Came Into Usc-Other Items of In
tCPeSt.

Maybe I'm squeamish,'' said the wo
man in russet brown effects, but | had
weird experience with canny Scotch
fOrehandedneSS last Sunmer.that made
my blood run cold. The person in
question was a widow, twice removed
or bereaved, OR reprieyed, however it
may strike your point of view, and
she still wore mourning. However,
she was quite cheerful with it all, and
when | took supper with her .Cne eve-
ming | found her Unexpectedly de-
lightful. Her silver spoons, though ev-
identity of recent origin, were pattern
ed after antique designs, and l could
see they were very bonny in her eyes,
and so fell to admiring them eXtrava-
gantly.
well, yes, l am proud of my sill
ver,' she said, and then with sigl
and lapsing into her Scottish brogue,
'Jeems and Tammus we're both guid
men, guild men, and when | came to
lay them away 1 said, 'Nought is
too guild for them,' and SO / had cOf-
fin plates of solid silver made for each
of them
Il nodded sympathetically at this
somewhat material expression OF
wifely appreciation, but what in the
world was she saying?
"'But. of course, 'tWould have been
reckless to bury SO much guild silver
with the dead and gone, and So
"Yes. that is where those spoons
came from, and / had to sit up and
sup tea for half an hour afterward,
and look the picture Of calf enjoy
ment..
There is a woman in this town who
flattered herself that she had solV-
ed the eternal servant problem. THIS
woman has socialistic leanings, small
dab of philosophy just big enough to
misapply, and wOnderous sense Ct
humor respecting other peoples trials
and besetments Of course, as you cali
see, she is a particular friend of mine,
and I wouldn't tell soul in the world,
but the truth of the matter is that no
real credit was due her for her phe
nomenal success with her maid. and
when it came to an end, like all the
other fairy tales, I could see plainly
that it was but the workings of provi-
dence.
The servant was a wholesome look
ing Irish girl, with a very natural ca
pacity for enjoyment and with string
of suitors that would have reached
from Cork to DuDlin. That is where
the lady plumed herself on her sagac-
ity Instead Of discouraging the even
ing calls of Marys 8 followers she en-
tered into the spirit of the thing, gave
the maid some pretty Swiss curtains
for the kitchen windows. bought one
or two scarlet geraniums for the win
dow silIs, and recklessly expended
S29S for a rocking chair with gayty
colored cushions. Of course. Mary
was tickled to death. and kept the
kitchen neat as wax, with pots and
kettles shining. Her mistress was
wise enough to bring about a serious
Irritation with the butcher and the
grocer, with the canny result that
when she sent Mary to the store to
market Mary brought home six lamb
chops for a quarter and the pick CT
the vegetables.
But human nature is the same, or,
in other words, liary, obeying the
mandates of her maiden heart, eloped
one joyous evening with the policeman
en- the beat, and that. too right wheE
madame was entertaining family re-
union sort of an affair. Madame .las
recalled her forthcoming publication