The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1912-08-08

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When first settled down at
Cumagen Woods ! thought | had a
breathing space ahead of me. Every
woman and girl there said things like
this: Isn't it perfectly heavenly to
get out of doors and be close TO ma
ture and drop all the rush and worry
and social doings that one has to suf-
fer in town. Then some one would
answer Perfectly grand am
5000 tired of it ALL
Ahai' | said to myself. I have
found the place 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
the old residents She said it was
such hot weather that she just dread
ed it, but It had to be done and she
might as well get it over.
so she walked two miles UP and
down the lake front inviting people,
and it 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 Coctors bill w. 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 sne 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 yagaries
of the summer residents and she
knew if the lettuce farmer took it
into his head to go on a 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.
walked the porch the morning of the
party. and when we saw the lettuce
farmer really drive up we just cheered
out loud in our relief He didn't
bring the nice. crimpy. curly kind
that she had ordered
1T was about 10 degrees in the
shade that afternoon, and if you
walked by any house in the place you
could hear mutterings and gruri oiings
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 it horrid having to go? The
perspiration rolled off Mrs. Finks
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 digestible and said what a
beautiful time she had had and then
rushed home to get into a kimono and
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 I
was sick two days from the stuff I {
ate. and a woman who didn't get the I
prize said that the woman who did {
cheated
by that time every woman in the
place caught the entertaining fever
There were invitations out for nearly
every afternoon and evening because
every one was afraid that if she didn't
give a party she wouldn't be asked
10 the others. and. of course. no mat
.er how much you hate to go you
nearly die if you don't get the chance
70 go Nobody had any time to do
anything but whitewash her shoes
md press out her dress-up dresses
md shampoo her hair.
There were sewing parties and
ard parties and luncheon parties and
ind teas, and people got thin and bag
,ard and dyspeptic and cross and
and above it all rose the
vail at each party: Why did she
axe 1t into her head to give a party
md make me climb out of the ham
mock and get into tight clothes and
acrifice myself, Yet we were all
cared to death for fear there would
'e a party that we would not be
sked to.
But a great and bitter rebellion
vas seethng within me and one day
found a soul who could understands
catherine Smith and fairly wept
s we both talked at once and con-
essed how we hated summer parties
hen we wanted to rest from the eff. {
acts of the winter parties
LAS we were discussing possible
lethods of escape Catherine grabbed /
IL with shrek have IT., she J
ried. I know how we can escape all
le rest of the parties! Just say: {.
No, thank you" instead of Yes. 6
lank you" when we are asked' |
1T really was simple, wasn't it.?