Connecticut western news., 1909-06-03
Seven Old Ladies.
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By Nj. QUAD.

lSOpyTlBnI, Dy T. C. mcCiuTe.l
 The village and the country aLuut the old Lester homestead were one day surprised by the announcement that Miss Priscilla Lester had decided to open an old woman's home in the big manor house. She had been a motherless girl for years, and her fa- ther had now been dead for twelve months. To open and conduct such a home had been her dream for years, and she was to have the enthusiastic support of her church pastor.
 It wasn't to be called an old wo- mans home, as such a term would | hurt old women's feelings, but was to be known as the old ladies' rest. While masons ard carpenters were making changes circulars were sent out and answered by thousands of | old ladies throughout the United States. More than 300 of them called in person at once, though told not to-, | and when the rest was finally ready to receive guests over 5000 applica- tiOns were on file. Miss Priscilla and the minister were amazed. They had figured on only about forty old ladies and not taking them all at once either. After a long cOnfab, In which various things came up that had not hitherto been discussed or provided for, it was decided to start off with only seven guests.
 The seven old ladies walked or were carried or hoisted into the rest, and then the institution was considered opened. Each had room, and the at tendants had been instructed to treat them as they would their own moth CTS. Some of them did not obey in structions. They would have wrung their own mothers necks before bed time. As soon as they found them selves "solid" the old ladies broke out. They had game legs; they had stomach troubles; they had lumbago and swim ming of the head; they wanted this and that, and they wanted 1t quick. Next morning, after a night of groans and signs, the seven got togeth- CT in the dining room. The doctor, who had known as many as five old ladies in his life, had made out the bill of fare and looked upon it as a generous one. That was one of his mistakes. The seven agreed that it was the worst meal ever set before a poor old lady. It was already plain that they had been induced to enter the rest un- der false pretenses, and each and ev- cry one mumbIed dark hints about lawsuits to get even. One of the seven had as many as three teeth left in her mouth, the others a tooth or two less, and yet the seven were a unit in want ing to know why beefsteak had not been provided.
 After the dining room had been cleared the old ladies began to draw the lines of caste. When they got through each had her own status and was ready to pitch into that of all others. The doctor recommended that the whole caboodle of them be pitched outdoors, the minister looked thought ful, and Miss Priscilla lowered over all 1 like the angel of peace that she was. l She held to it that as soon as the old ladies had got settled down everything would go smoothly.
 The rooms were fine, but they were found fault with. The beds were good, but there were complaints. The food 1 could scarcely have been bettered, but 1 the seven cried out in chorus that they were being deliberately starved to death. Miss Priscilla listened to all these complaints and soOthed the cOm- plainers, and sometimes she would bring about a peace that lasted all of 1 half an hour. Then Mrs. Hennessey would suddenly say to Mrs. Smith:
 Think of the likes of you to be com- l plaining, an old cat that hasn't had a decent meal in your stomach for yearsr'
 And you-and your' shouted Mrs. 1 Smith in reply. Don't we all know that you were glad to get potato peel 1 ings before you came here!'
 1 It would always require Miss Pris- ! elias presence and sometimes that of 1 the minister and two or three of the attendants to smooth the troubled wa l ters, and after the waves had subsided the good man would be asked:
 "These little things shouldn't dis courage us. should they"
 "N-o-o, not exactly discourage" l It nODle cudIlly, 1sh IL!
 "Y -e-s, very noble."
 And the old ladies will come to love one another in time?"
 eve must hope that they will"
 "Oh, but, bless their dear old hearts, they surely will! l must hurry up and get the place ready for seven more"
 The minister turned pale at the idea. but seven more never came. The rest had been running for month, and the old ladies already installed had bick- cred at every meal and quarreled three times a day, when there arose a dis pute one day as to whether lumbago or consumption entitled the victim to the most respect and consideration. It was not settled on the spot. It has never been settled since. There were angry words, and there was hair pull ing over it, and then the seven old la- dies left the institution by seven diff ferent ways, each one declaring she would never return. By the time Pris- ciIla and the doctor and the minister