Year: 1878

around the strawberries that had
just arrived. [ took possession of a
whole crate of these, sending the
young and pretty haidens ONE to
recruit for the evening.


There were a few faint, polite re.
monstrances when l declined to
take any active part in the even
ing's entertainments. 'We must
leave that part to the young and
attractive l said, and there was
general buzz ofacquiescence. L had
the consolation of hearing several
remarks upon my extraordinary
good sense and practical capability.
| was graciously allowed, after l
had huIled a whole crate OF straw
berries, to hold a step ladder and
some nails for Mrs. Smith, the
apothecary's wife, while she hung
some gorgeous drapery, and other.
wise defo:med the cool gray Walls
of our little chapel, so that | was
pretty we'll tired when | went home
at night-fall. Mamma met me at
the gate, and looked at me so dole
fully that I burst out laughing.


sNever mind, mamma,' | said Il
won't look Sc cadaverous after I'm
rested and dressed for the evening.


But I'm afraid | was rather a
painful object for the gaze of do
ting and once ambitious mother
even when | had donned my black
silk. and was ready for the evening.
My hair was neither crimped not
curled. You see, [ had depended
upon the switch, which was bought
for purposes of that kind, and fail
ed me ignominiously at the last
moment. My head ached, and |
could not bear many hairpins
thrust into my scalp in no other
way would the obstinat5 thing be
induced to stay on. Mamma was
heart broken, and 1 was disappoin-
ted but even inanimate articles
becomes perverse at times. l
thought PERHAPS the switch was
grieving over IL beloved and lost
head of which it was once part and
parcel, and | for9ave it, and left it
to its perverseuess from that time
onward.


When I reached the church I
was Immediately seized upon for
sornethit.g they called 'lEe grocery
counter'-an innovation brought
about by the advent Of we'll to-do
grocer in our midst, widower, a
stock-raiser, and man afflicted
with many maladies, of which he
loved to talk. He had generously
sent down from the city, IN pound
packages and tin cans, samples of
his valuable goods, and had pro-
posed this grocery counter to the
young ladies, which they despised
and would have none of. The gro
Ger himself found favor in their
sight. They fitted about him,
filled his button.holes with bou-
quete, his pocket With bonbon; they
looked up 10 his face, and tried to
talk to him, poor children ! as best
they could. But they appealed to
me TO take the ugly counter, with
its sordid pound packages for home
necessity, and | took it with an Ill
concealed avidity. The truth was:
a kind of Inconsistencies seized me
when L thought that the evening
must be passed in making myself
generally disagreeable, and l felt
that to wander about this Place
distorted out of its sweet SAVIOR OF
godliness and quiet Sabbath rest sc
dear to a weary soul---to wander
about among the flags and wreaths
and tents and arbor, with smile
for one, q nod for another-was
like the protracted and agonizine
pilgrimage of lost soul beyono


the borders of the Styxs


So I speedily put myself behint
the counter, which comfortably hie
more than half my tall, gauut fig
, ure, and was so glad ofehc shelte
that found myself becoming in
, teres,ed in these despised parcels
piled up before me. determined
il [ corll, to make my mission i;


succession, so that I and other poo
weary women might have this ref


uge to fly to in these gala season
of misery:


The successful grocer, who hat
I. not been very well pleased with th
open ingratitude for his bequest
I took heart and frightened up whel
I he saw me giving an air of smart
3 ness to his goods: He extricate'
! himself from bevS of young AM
l fair ones, and camo generously owe
e to help me. In sheer gratitude | be
] gan to praise bis young colt that wa
1 pasturing in a field adjoining on
/, garden, and he remained with me
n Shortly after, when he found
o queer feeling in his head agree'
|. with the same discomfort in nj
: own poor Uranium; he brought
: chair behind the counter, and in
! low tender voice he detailed to m
. the interesting diagnosis of his pc
maladY.


On the other side of me the mir