Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-07

!: ::
yN H HaMN the canons of val
III A should have been
HNSSNOM canning peaches foI
ID S the family's winter
consumption; but
,bore are conditions of the spirit when
one does not care whether ones famlls
has peaches to eat or not, and as MIS-
Mimms' family-consisting OF one nus
band-had just treated her in notaDis
unfeeling manner, she was suffering from
one of those conditions.
The circumstances were these: MIS-
Nimms ardently desired a new dress ior
the association and, realizing the dini-
culties of the situation, had, Ike pru-
dent general, planned her campaign with
the greatest care and made her request
after Mr., Mimms had just consumed
dinner consisting of all the eataoles ne
most liked But even the most Famous
generals are but slaves to small circuh-
stances Unfortunately, in the lnterVai
after dinner, in which Mrs. Mimms WASH
ed the dishes while her husband tooh
forty winks in his chair on the porch'
WASH had assaulted Mr.. Mirnms. He was
in the act of extracting the weapon VI
the vicious but short-sighted insect I'm.
his hand when she haltingiy Haus les
plea AS a result, she was not only toio
very shortly that the money was not 10
he spared-that she had been prepaTeu
for-but also that the dress was not neeu-
ed, and. moreover, that sne was se..ins
too old and gray to care about sucn TONI
foolery AS her last dress dated back TO
the meeting of the same association -FOUR
years before, the injustice as Wen as the
disparaging nature of this remark hao
cut like a knife, and Mrs. Mimms, con-
70 and to her previous III
tention, had retired from the neid WITHOUT
further ado.
Now she sat and thought it over, and
the more she thought the more 1t became
apparent to her that Syram didn't love
her any more or he would never nave
spoken so cruelty. The disappointment
about the dress was swallowed up In the
pain of that thought.
The sight of a lilac sunbonnet coming
along by the fence, usually harDinger
of pleasure brought no balm to her soul.
She knew that it was Honey Story bring
ing the last number of the Femaie FIRE
side Friend, to which they subscribed III
common and of which Honey. in her ca
pacity of dressmaker, had first glean1ngs.
Mrs Mimms had looked forward to say
ing to her, with open Indifference. Wnlcn
masked hidden pride: BY the way.
Honey, I've decided to buy that gray
alpaca down to the store, an l want you
to come over next week an make 1t up
for me for the association" and to re-
ceiving Homey's envious Congratulations
therefor. Now this pleasant prospect was
ended.
Honey came up the steps. hopping her
plump red face with the strings or her
lilac sunbonnet. She was too not and
hurried to miss the usual enthusiasm or
her friends greeting.
- crno said
breathlessly. 'I thought ma was never
goin' to be through with it. It looks like
the less holt her mind has Of things the
more she seems to cling on to EN-. She
ben goin' over that fashion plate for the
best part of three days, an I'll lay sne
couldn't tell thing that's in it.
Mrs Mimms held out a languid hand
for the paper. TT don't make no differ-
ence." she said, dispiritedly. II wasn't
specially intrusted in 1t nohoW.
Honey looked her surprise. Only one
thing could account for such tone on
such a subject. Bent you a-goin' to
get that gray alpaca for the association
she asked. with interest, The subject mad
been under animated discussion between
then some dozen times before.
mo: I've decided that l don't keer for
it." said the loyal Mrs. Mimns. My
blue nuns yelling is plenty good enough.
People think heap too much about
clothes an sech trifies. anyhow. an j
don't want to set no example OF nne
dressin' to the young folks" she added.
-virtuously.
Eyes, your nuns yelling is good
enough, of course" said Honey. with the
transparent diplomacy of one too polite
to dissent openly from a proposition
We'll, must hurry back an fit Phemie
Stricken. She'll be waitin' when l get
there
..How's she havin' that dress made?'
queried Mrs. Mimms, with a faint snow
of interest.
same old tight way that makes her
loon jest like a minner. Shes ben nav
in her clothes made that $; lie way ever
sence Jake Kite told her It was becomin
to her. when he was a-wa1tin' On ner.
an she was young an mao some Dust
measure He's ben married fifteen years
an got eight children, but it don't seem
TO make no difference to her. Some wom-
en- is sech fools bout men," she added.
with the compassionate scorn OF hope
less maidenhood
tron, and Mrs. Mimms turned her atten-
ton slowly to the Fireside Friend. It's
first page was taken up almost entirely
with the picture Of a pompadoured young
woman in a low-necked gown. with Lady
Teazle curl over one shoulder and a
piece Of black velvet around her throat.
engaged, apparently. in inhaling the per-
fume of a large chrysanthemum and
wearing simperingly pleased expression.
Mrs Mmms gloated over this picture
admlringIy for full minute. 1t seemed
to her TO be the incarnation OF all the
beauty and style that her soul longed for.
After she had thoroughly stepped her
self in 1t she proceeded to go through
the paper, taking a cursory nip, as 1T
were. at each page-pausing apprecfably
longer over the page OF wasp-waisted.
beruffied figures heralded as the --latest
things from Paris
She proceeded in thoroughly consci-
entious manner. taking the pages consec-
utiveiy from cover to cover. Not for
worlds would she have opened the paper
at random or looked over the seventh
page before the fifth. When she care
fully read the advertisement of assorted
candies on the back cover. she turned
back to the front and settled down to
real business on the article accompanying
the pompadoured female. 1t was enti-
tied The Wiles of the French Wife,.
and ran as follows:
Our American women would do well to
take lesson from their French sisters
in the art of managing a husband. The
Frenchwoman Is past mistress In the art
IF ha ipto -