Year: 1878

dignifed way, from those able and willing to aid
our worthy object, present you with pride, as
the result of our honorable efforts The other un-
known, and fear much larger, portion which we
have won through disobedience to both physical
and moral laws, present you with shame, as the
result of our dishOnorable labors. 1 pray you,
gentlemen, to praise no more! We are vet your
superOrs if you truthfully commend us for acts
we ourselves despise."


Well, tell you, never heard SO still silence
as there was in that hall while that brave woman
was speaking. Even the boys who had crowded
In because we put the admission down so low the
last night, kept as quiet as could be.


You may imagine there was sensation though
Some OF the women were crying, and some were
just as angry with Mrs. Lesley as they could be.
Mrs. Gray had on her mOsthaughty and disgusted
look. believe she would have left the hall is il
had not been her own brothers wife, and she knew
he would never forgive her if she did.


But I'll tell you how felt about it. thought
we were all real mean to sit still and let our presi
dent take on her own shoulders what she consider
ed SO wrong, when she wasn't responsible for it
in the least and had tried in every way to prevent
1t. -


And, If you will believe it, /, who never made a
speech in my life, and could not if my life depend
ed on it'll just rushed forward in the dead. awful
pause that followed Mrs. Lesleys last words. and
didn't stop to say "Ladies and Gentlemen" or
"Mr. President" or anything, but broke out just
as if had been ali alone in our parloT with John
and the canary bird, and said @I'm not going to
let our president blame herself in public for what
int her fault. She has done every thing she could
all the way along TO make the rest of us do right
! know she would have resigned her Office when
she saw how things were going if it had not SEEM
cd unkiad 10 leave us to do what we had planned
for her share. l believe just as she does about
the gambling part, and don't know but do all
the rest. But was more anxious to make money
than to make it in the most just and honest way
And that's the way with all Of us except MFs
Lesley. Now we are all through, am a. much
ashamed of some things she is, But nobody
need blame her for anything that has gone wrongP


You ought to have heard the cheering as ] sat
down. was frightened almost in Mysteries af-
tfG louhd out that really had spoken in pub
lie. John whispered "You'er brave little
catw


didn't care to look at him, for I was Just as
near crying could be. And l couldn't help
thinking what spectacle should make of myself
sobbing on the platform till my eyes and nose were
red and swollen, and with nothing but nv host
lace pocket-handkerchef! Inever could cry as the
heroines in novels do and look Interesting all the
while. My tears always @aks me resemble boil
ed lobster,


Well, ths end of II was Mr.. Lesley, whose place
1t was to respond, and who hadn't known, it seems
what his wife was going to say, couldn't get up
any kind of speech. He just said he could not
help agreeing with the president of the Ladies
Auxiliary in most of her estimate of the ipRGsnce
of the fair, but he hoped the ladies waaldnt blame
themselves too severely fer fault which they were
led into by their seal iOr the cause; and which had
been so frankly confessed.


Then we had kind of stiff breaking up. Mrs.
Gray left the very first one, she couldn't trust her
self to speak to cher dear sister," know.


Going home, John said "What magnificent
woman that Mrs. Lesley is, Kitty Rat should
think it would be great deal like climbing up
Mount Washington all the time to have her for a
wife. I'd rather have little Kitty like you for a
steady dist'


eyes" said. "John, know you would, and
am very glad Of that. But feel like very in
significant valley beside her."


"Never mind, Puss Love " Of the valley"
quoted John.


Tired as was had to laugh at that. For John
is SO matter-Of-fac and prOsy that have never
been able to make him remember any poem but
Tennysons princess" !" and the only reason that
he has kept that in mind enough to quote from it
is because read it to him that summer when he,
well, the year before We were married.