The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-12
The Return
Visit

II understand that you have some
visitors from the country at your
house." said Mrs. Wilson, cheerily,
when she met Mrs. Warburton waiting
for the car on the corner. That
makes a pleasant CHARGE"
Mrs. Warburton coughed-one of
those noncommittal coughs that may
mean almost anything.
YES" she said. they are relatives
of my husband from down in the
| country where we stayed part of last
summer. They came up to do some
iall shopping and. Of course. camped
down on u.s."
| "Of course" chirruped Mrs Wilson.
Its case of turn about. Now you
have chance to repay them for your
delightful stay on the farm. l think
it's so nice to have big house and"
"You just try having a big house
some time and see how you like It,"
suggested Mrs. Warburton, grimly.
Not that these aren't the incest peo-
pie in the world" she said, hastily, re-
calling Mrs. Wilson's prediction for
retailing gossip, but it was rather I'M
expected, if the truth must be told.
When invited them last summer in a
general sort of way l certainly never
expected five of them to come piling
in on me after telephoning from down
town.
"Five?" said Mrs. Wilson, elevating
her eyebrows.
Five" repeated Mrs. Warburton.
my husbands brother and his wife
and the three girls. What do you think
OF that? And me just breaking in an
immigrant maid that never saw q gas
range until last week!
you can talk all you like" went on
Mrs. Warburton, about paying up for
visiting on the farm by entertaining
your country relatives in town, but let
me tell you they get the best of It,"
why, l don't see" began Mrs.
Wilson.
"Of course, you don't" retorted Mrs.
Warburton, decisively, because you've
never been through it. When James
and l went down to the country in
June with little Bobbie these people
never had to do hands turn for us.
At least, they didn't seem to feel
called upon to do anything to enter
tain us and we were satisfied to be let
alone to wander around in the woods
or sit in the shade while they went
on with their work as though we
weren't on earth. The only time they
: put themselves out was when they
|. got up a picnic, and 1t would have
been better If they had never thought
of 1t. We went trailing off to some
creek in a wagon without springs and
sat down to a cold lunch in the damp
i woods, eating stuff overrun with ants
" and fighting mosquitoes, and little
l. Bobbie fell into the creek and was
l. dried out behind blackberry bush "
1.-THE ideal" said Mrs. Wilson, peer.
ing anxiously up the street for the
Kissing trolley car
Iuct Yes, but when they come up here
ed ID pile in on top of us we have to
urn everything upside down to enter
tain them," went on Mrs. Warburton
bitterly. "Oh, yes. bless YOU Like
most women from the country, the
girls want to go trailing about gaping
in at the windows of the big stores
So have to pilot them around You
know how l detest shopping-I dom
go down town once a month. Honest
!. ly, I've been In some of those stores
:, so often in the last few days that
believe the house detectives are keep
ing an eye on me. expecting to see me
pick up waist or pair of Shoes"
why, you poor thing!" said Mrs
Wilson, sympathetically
But that isn't the worst" continued
the indignant hostess. ."Oh,a dear, no
. James has to- come In for his. share O
: it.. After dragging me all over tow
every day until I'm tired out, the,
have to haul us both out to a theate
nearly every night. Why. need res
? cure"
- you can hardly blame them
though" argued Mrs. Wilson. THE,
= don't have big stores or theaters a
= home, you know"
That's not my fault" snapped Mrs
Warburton. why should be mad
to suffer for the shortcomings of tn
- rural districts? Country people thin
that city people live in a whirl of e1
element and have nothing on thei
= minds except racing down town t
shop in the daytime. tearing home o.
crowded elevated trains to eat
picked-up dinner and dashing BAG
downtown again to the theater d.
= clare, as James says, I'm all in"
why, you poor dear!" exclaime
Mrs. Wilson. You must be reall
n tagged Quit"
Al "Well | am" admittede Mrs Wa