The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-28

that the great big. God understands the womenfolk that he makes even if they don't understand themselves.
 Most parties are just punches of self 1sh people who go off in the corners and have good times all by themselves, but in Hillsboro, Tenn, it is not that way Everybody that is not invited helps the hostess get ready and have nice things for the others, and sometimes I think they really have the best time of all.
 This morning Aunt Bettie came up my front steps before breakfast with large basketfuI of things for my din ner, and I wondered what I would have collected to be served to those people by the time all my neighbors had made their prize contributions. It took Aunt Bettte and Judy a half hour to unpack their things and set them in the refrigerator and on the pantry shelves. One was a plump fruit cake that had been keeping company in a tight box with a sponge soaked in sherry for ever since New Years It was ripe, or smelled so. It made me gnaw under my belt.
 A little later Judy was exclaiming over a two-year-o1d ham that had been S1A41ACTSO HI port an0 1aIO0Q W1Ia egg dressing, when Mrs. Johnson came in and began to unpack her basket, which was mostly bottles of things she said she used to stick food The ginger colored barber got the run of them be- fore the dinner was over and got bad ly stuck, so Judy says. That's what made him make the mistake.
 I had planned to have a lot of strange food and had ordered some things up from a caterer in the city, but tele- phoned the expressman not to de liver them until the next day, even if they did spoil. How could use soft shel1ed crabs when Mrs. Wade had sent me word that she was going to bake some brook trout by a recipe of the judges grandmother? Mrs. Hamp- ton Buford had let me know about two fat little summer turkeys she was go- ing to stuff with corn pone and green sage, and 1I1et mignon seemed foolish eating beside them. But when the lit tie bit of a baby pig, roasted whole with an apple in its mouth, looking too frisky and innocent for worlds with his little baked tail curled up in the air, arrived from Mrs. Caruthers Cain went out into the garden and laugh ed out loud at the idea of having spent money for Holsters, to be shipped alive and to be served broiled in their own shells.
 When got back in the kitchen things were well under way, every thing smelling grand and Aunt Bettie in full swing matching up my dinner guests.
 Nobody in this town could suit me better than Pet Buford for daughter in-law, and believe I'll have all the east rooms done over in blue chintz for her. think that would be the best thing to set off her blue eyes and corn silk hair,'' she was saying as she cut orange peel into strips.
 ''You've planned the refurnishing of that east wing to suit the style of nearly every girl in HiIlsboro since Tom put on long trousers, Bettie Pol lard, and they are just as they have been for fifteen years since you did over the whole house, said Mrs. John son as she poured winegIass half full from one bottle and added table spoonful from another.
 ''WeIl. think he is really interested now from the way he danced most of , Sn1S time with her down at the hotel the other ntght,t and I have hopes I never had before. Now, Molly, do put him between you and her, sort of eornered, 50 he can't even see Ruth Chester She is too old for hin.'' And Tom's mother looked at me over the orange peel as to confederate,
 "Humph, I'd like to see yeu or Molly or any woman 'eorner' Tom PeI1aPd,' 9 said Mrs. Johnson with a wry smile as she tasted the connection in the wine glasE.
 'I have put him at the end of the table because he is my kinsman and the only host I've got at present, Aunt Bette," said respectfully. I always take every chance to rub in Toms and my relationship on Aunt Bettie, so she won't notice our irritation.
 'I'd put John Moore at the head of the table if I were you, Molly Garter, because he's about the only man you've invited that has got any sense left since you and that Chester girl took to visiting Hillsboro, He's hest of steadiness in himself, and the way he ignores all you women who would run after him if he would let you shows what he is, He has my full conf dence,' and as she delivered herself of this judgment of Dr. John, Mrs. Johnson drove in all the eorks tight and began to pound spice.
 fHe's not out of the wfdower woods yet, Caroline" said Aunt Bettie with her most speculative smile. f'I have about decided on him for Ruth since the judge has tai ken to following Nelly about aa bad as Billy MoeFe does. But don't you all say a word, for Johns mighty tinaid, and I don't believe, in spite of all these years, he's had a sin gle notion yet. If he had had he'd have tried a set-te with you, Molly, like all the rest of the shy birds in town, He doesn't see a woman as anything but a patient at the end of a spoon. and mighty kind and gentle