The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-15
PEGGY ESSAYS THE PART OF
THE WORM THAT TURNS
Reading That Clever Play The Nest Egg She Decides With
That Nice Spnster Hetty Candy That "Its Most Worth
While Being Worm, Just For the Exquisite
Pleasure of Turning Tomorrow
However, She Turns Back
BY DOLLY DALRYMpLE

, all; I merely think its time for you and
the rest to begin doing something. It's
the principle of the thing and Lucy
looked way away as il she didn't care
fig for principle and walked but of the
room, and 1 felt perfectly miserable
That afternoon" Peggy continued.
Aunt Letitia arrived to pay visit to the
lamily. It's always been by lot to smooth
over the rough places, when this inquiring
splnster has delved too deeply into the
family affairs, and in consequence was
summoned as soon as she arrived. Habit
was so strong upon me that before knew
II 1 was listening and helping to unraYel
the tangles | saw coming. when suddenly
| said L will not say one word or do one
thing that do not wish. ii matters not
what happens, and so Aunt Letitia be-
gan. She was full of news and fairly
oozed disapproval of Lucy whom she
had heard criticised severely at the Coun-
try club last Saturday evening for the
manner in which she danced the surkey
trot I didn't say word, and the fight
waxed fast and furious. She then pro-
ceeded to rake up our Cousin Annes in
| tention of opening a little school in the
! fail, explaining that she had to do some
thing to support herself since her hus-
band died this winter Aunt Letitia said:
| OF course she's either got to go to work
or marry, SO not falling in with any sen
| sible plan for the latter, she is getting
ready for the other alternative She hoped
Peggy would help her out, in the first
weeks of her work At this point |
fairly bristled. Where's she going to ger
her training? Aunt Letitia spoke up
quickly. oh, she won't need much, as SHE
Is not going to take any child over
years old. Besides, If she won't marry
that good looking rich Mr.. Anderson from
the west, it's her own fault If she finds
other things difficult [ spurred up
oTnD har "A
lrather scrub than marry man that |
didn't love, just to keep from working
wish you might have seen the family.
Nobody had ever dared to contradict Aunt
Letitia or take issue with her ON any
subject because she has lot of money
and nearly all the family silver and fur
niture, but | cared not. The worm was
turning. Aunt Letitia arose, and with Il
swish of her skirts and a sweep of her
head she said peremptorily Peggy.
think you are losing your senses. The
very idea of you or anybody else disput-
ing my viewpoint. You are certainly not
we'll, and / will bid You good day. With
this she fairly flew out of the ROOM
''rhat afternoon Peggy resumed, Il
was downtown and met Hazel Sanderson,
of whom | am very fond, but whose taste
in clothes has always been a great trial
to me- L have only one opinion of her
gowns equally applicable to the four sea-
sons of the year; they are always inn
possible. She asked me to go to the Dress
makers with her and see her new frock.
The particular shade of brown that she
had selected was something fierce. Hazel
explained that she had picked up the ma
terial in New York at a sale, and she
thought it would be lovely for a spring
gown. You haven't any more color
sense than a rabbit | told her, and she
turned on me and said: why, Peggy, you
have been telling me for years that my
gowns were beautiful every color [
selected was becoming / swered quick
ly: l lied. 1t was my of hurting
your feelings and my ma ally amiable
disposition. No one else | warrant told
you they were pretty She retorted: No,
come to think offt. they haven't, but what
can't get over is that that has been your
opinion, too all along. Why. tell me
now, l answered briefly: I'm a worm
and I'm turning And then we parted
constrainedly.'
Il went back home and at the end OF the
day. Peggy was saying, Il sat down ant
took an inventory of myself. After all
found that I'd been born with nature
that shrank from saying unpleasant
things, and capacity for work that other
people imposed upon me, but having been
born so, and not minding it. perhaps it
wasn't time yet for me to be a worm and
turn. So tomorrow I'm just a measley,
Gravity, fuzzy, round little, fat little
worm. that will just turn back again.
How funny" remarked
Not at ALL Peggy defended. anybody
will try anything once. Hetty Candy may
be right. She had a great deal more ex-
perience than / have had,- but to live
peaceabe. as the darkey says, a born
worm had better keep on doing what is
expected of it. It's more satisfactory
to every one. In the meantime my fam
lily all regard me somewhat coldly, and
Aunt Letitia 1 feel sure can never will me
that mahogany sewing table that's been
in the family over 100 years, and foriwhich
my soul longs and 1 feel sure that not
one of my blood relatives will be on speak
ing terms with me in the future"