Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-02-21

From her fluffy muff Mrs. Bill ex-
tracted tiny roll and thrust it into
Mrs. Dodd's hands, which s.,e clasped
In both her own.
Its a small Offering, not at all
what | long TO give you, dear Aunty
Dodd, but such as it is, a vast d al of
love and kindly feeling goes with il"
She beamed down upon her hostess,
kissed her on both cheeks, and with
last pressure on the imprisoned
hands and a final, BEST wishes for
your noble undertaking, Aunt Dodd."
Mrs. Van Dusenbery Bill frou-froued
from the room.
Mrs. Dodd united the blue ribbon
that bound the small Offering" and
tore off the covering. For full min
ute there was silence. Then Mrs. Dodd
groaned.
II was positive twas handkerchiefs,
too! And l kept praying, Lord, Lord,
give me thankful hearth and they're
shoestrings!"
"Why-ee!" calculated Mrs. Wells,
shrilly. "Why-ee, Sereny Dodd! new
er heard the like!"
well, you've heard it now!" re-
torted Mrs. Dodd, wrathfully. Want
to hear it again? Shoestringsl Shoe
strings!" She glared at the offending
objects in her hand.
There. there, Sereny," comforted
Mrs. Wells, II wouldn't feel bad a
mite! There has to be shoestrings,
and like enough Mrs. Bill thinks shoes
grow on bushes! Why, she was
reared in the lap of luxury, as you
might say, and l wouldn't wonder II
her bare toes had never touched cold
cobblestones in all her born days! At
any rate, it counts two more, and my
face-cloths are done, and they make
another two. Why, you've got IS al
ready"
YES" said Mrs. Dodd, grimly, "and
IL I made myself"
1t was o'clock, and again Miss Ly-
dia Barnum had assembled the Tor
bolton Home for INDECENT Females.
my, Aunt Sereny, but your bed
looks packed ready to start. Guess
your members all turned up!"
They did So" affirmed Mrs. Dodd,
happily. Miss Sally Sloane, she hadn't
Joined at all, but she donated well!
Samanthy and me, we felt condemned
when we saw what twas, for we'd
been remarking only last night on how
scant she's made her new print bed
gowns, and there, she'd narrowed the
cores and skinched on the flounces till
she'd squeezed out two of the elegant
est little girls calico petticoats ever
you saw! And Betty Macdonald
fetched in a wadded pumpkin hood
and pair of speckled leggings like
they wear down in Pictou county, and
said she wouldn't wear them on the
street here for money, and could
have them and welcome. Betty's a
good child. And Cousin John from
over Taunton way lugged in bundle
from his wife-I never even asked her,
only sent last years report with my
name written big and black and bold
out on the edge-and there were six
new dish towels and six new hand
towels and two lovely pin-and-spool
worsted lamp mats from dear little
Ethelindy! And Cousin John said If
the society wasn't taking ornaments,
they could tack on tape and use 'em
for chest protectors. And when | saw
him standing up so smiling and pleas
ant, l took my life In my hand, and
said +, Cousin John, I'm all fxed 4or
but my moneyed member and with
that he hauled out a crisp one-dollar
greenback and gave mel"
Don't forget to tell your niece
Lyddy about the nice checked ging-
ham aprons" piped up Mrs. Wells.
"Oh, my, no." said Mrs. Dodd. Miss
Babel fetched them. She's a seam
stress that goes out by the day, lame,
and poorer than Jobs turkeys young
est little picked chicken ever was!
But she's got the giving spirit. She's
been up on Mob Hill sewing all day,
and was white as ghost. And ]
asked straight out, What diS you have
for lunch? and she said, Some nice
graham crackers and glass of good
fresh water Didn't even look criss-
cross! And said, You sit by and have
cup of tea with me- Since I've got
so stout, they send me up my supper,
and I calculated to divide even.
But Samanthy stole down stairs
and told Miss Timpkins all about 1t.
Miss Timpkins makes me madder'n a
wet hen often, but | will say she got
a heart of gold. She sent up an extra
plate and cup and saucer, and two por-
tons of corn-beef hash and biscuit and
Glove gingerbread. and | got out that
glass Of grape jell you brought me
in the other day, and twas a sight to
make angels sing to see how they rel
ished And two cups of good strong
tea. | didn't water IL down an atom.
No, ma'am! Sent back the hot water
pitcher full to the brim. She's gone
now, but what brings you back, Niece
Lyddy?"
From beneath her voluminous cape
Miss Barnum shook forth sweeping
folds Of white. Best English drill
ing!' she proclaimed. Corded with
Turkey red on collar and cuffs, and
warranted tough as sole-leather,"
20. Lyddy, Lyddy!" Mrs. Dodd
laughed outright in her glee. IF
'twan't clever Of you to go and get
the mems apparel after ALL That
makes me So pieces. not counting Bar