The Cairo bulletin., 1911-11-18

When first settled down at
Cnmagen Woods thought | had a
breathing space ahead OF me. Every
woman and girl there said things like
this: Isn't 1t perfectly heavenly to
get out of doors and be close 10 ma,
ture and drop all the rush and worry
and social doings that one has to sui.
fer in town.? Then some one would
answer: Perfectly grand. am
5000 tired of 1t all,
"'Aha!' said to myself 7 have
found the placed have long been seek
ing And ! was innocent enough to
believe that had
Then in about a week observed
that Mrs, Fink next door was moody
and restless Finally she burst out
with her troubles, She said she had
decided that she ought to give a
party because she hadn't done so for
two seasons, and was indebted to all
thc old residents She said it was
such hot weather that she just dread
ed 1t, but 1t had to be done and she
might as we'll get 1t over.
so she walked two miles up and
down the lake front inviting people
and 1t was so hot that when she got
home the family had to put her to
bed and keep Ice on her head all
night and the Doctors bill WIS about
ten dollars. Mrs. Fink then used up
two days in driving about cajoling
farmers into promising to deliver let
tuce and parsley and chickens and
things for her salad and another
whole day in making the salad.
She nearly had nervous prostration
over the lettuce because, as she said,
the farmers didn't care whether they
did as they said they would. They
regarded the desire for lettuce
merely as one of the silly vagarles
Of the summer residents and she
knew II the lettuce farmer took II
into his head to go on picnic or
drive to town that day he'd do It,
and then what should she do with
forty women coming?
I'VE were all so worried over Mrs
Fink's lettuce that we distractedly
walked the porch the morning of the
party, and when we saw the lettuce
farmer really drive up We Just cheercd
out loud in our relief He didn't
bring the nice, crimpy, curly kind
that she had ordered.
1T was about ITO degrees in the
shade that afternoon, and If you
walked by any house in the place you
could hear mutterings and grumblngs
from the unhappy women within who
were trying to curl their hair and get
into their party clothes All of them
were wondering what Mrs. Fink want
ed to give a party for, anyway, and
wasn't 1t horrid having to go? The
perspiration rolled off Mrs. Flnks
face as she told her guests how glad
she was to see them and then every.
body sat and crocheted and mopped
her face and ate three times more
than was digestihle and said what a
beautiful time she had had and then
to feel thankful that It was over
Then Sally Casey arrived one day
and asked me to an afternoon bridge
party. The weather was perfectly
ideal, the kind that makes you want
to run hareheaded through the woods
and shout because you're alive. But
We sat all that glorious afternoon in.
doors quarreling over cards and
was sick two days from the stuff !
ate, and woman who didn't get the
prize said that the woman who did
cheated
by that time every woman in the
There we're invitations out for nearly
every afternoon and evening, because
every one was afraid that II she didn't
give a party she wouldn't be asked
to the others, and, Of course, no mat.
ter how much you hate to go you
nearly die II you don't get the chance
to go. Nobody had any time to do
anything but whitewash her shoes
and press out her dress-up dresses
and shampoo her hair.
There were sewing parties and
card parties and luncheon parties and
corn roasts and watermelon parties
and teas, and people got thin and bag
gard and dyspeptic and cross and
quarrelsome, and above IL all rose the
wall at each party: why did she
take II into her head to give a party
and make me climb out Of the ham.
mock and get into tight clothes and
sacrifice myself Yet we were all
scared to death for fear there would
be party that we would not be
asked to.
But a great and bitter rebellion
was seething within me and one day
] found soul who could understand.
Catherine Smith and l fairly wept
as we both talked Mt once and con.
fessed how we hated summer parties
when we wanted to rest from the eff
fects Of the winter parties.
AS we were discussing possible
methods of escape Catherine grabbed
me with shrek. I have I'll! she
cried. I know how we can escape all
the rest Of the partiesl Just say :.
mo, thank you" instead Of Yes,
thank YOU" when we are askedv
ut really was simple. wasn't itr
So that was what we did and we be-
came known as the social outcasts oe
Cnnagen Woods because Il You dnn,t