Year: 1872

For thirty years Miss Higgins had
looked under her bed every night, and
had never found a man there yet still
she looked. Whether it was fear that
impelled that deathless research or a
fatality that was beckoning her to her
fate, know not. 1t wouli seem, how.
ever, to be the former, for she had often
been heard to observe: That of all the
denominations on earth a man is the most
abominable "


! Indeed at the informal tea drinkings
Of the allied forces of Chesterfield the
three Misses Wheeler and two Misses
Jones she had excelled them all in the
whitening tone with which she would re.
peat: MAN man !" and no one could
breathe greater defiance at this foeman
than she. 1t was at one of these tea
parties that they had entered solemn
compact that, in event of Women's Rights
giving either of these allies sovereign
power of the nation, an Eastern law was
to be by them imported aud improved,
and husbands buried with the dead bod
les of their wives


As Euuice Higgins well remarked /:


That would be an end to widowers
pretty lively" And with this remark
the Hyeon flowed. and the wassail went
on-with such spirit. that Aurelia Viii,
der, the most radical, added another
clause: That the children of widowers
should be throwed in too, and not be a
botherin other women This was
also well received.


Now if one thinks Miss Eunice Hig-
gins was woman devoid of virtues and
womanly grace. | pity them; they are
utterly mistaken. She had assisted a
drunken father through the world till he
made his exit, sustained and supported
feeble mother, and three or four chill
dren older but more helpless than she,
till the mother went home to her reward,
and the children had found houlishing
homes for themselves, with the exception
of the oldest son, who had followed his
fathers footsteps, literally. Indeed,
when one comtemplates the specimens of
manhood she had been most familiar
with, her aversion to the sex docs not
seem 60 wonderful. She va. NOT
rhrewd-eyed, but good and kindly look
ing. No home was brighter than hers
no farm better managed.


The night on which commences my
humble history. Miss Higgins went to
her room in unusually good humor
She had had tea-party. The allies had
all been present, and admitted unani-
mously that such fragrant tea. such
snowy biscuits and honey. such golden
butter, such cakes and sweet-meats had
not been partaken of that season. The
scene of her benign victory rose before
her as she took off the little switch of
hair at the backside Of her head, and
pensively rolled it up ere she put it in
the top bureau drawer.


She raw again the sinking sun shin
ing in through the house plants in the
window. upon the crimson dru-get of
the dining room; the snowy tea table
with its silver and pink sprigged china !:
the admiring faces of her friends as they
partook of her delicious food. But one
memory disquieted her: ''She almost
mistruste6 her lemon extract was losing
its etrength-the frosting on the fruit
cake didn't seem to be favored quite
high enough" But this haunting mat
ter was softcned by the thought that
"she could get new bottle tomorrow.


BY this time she was arrayed in her
long white night dress and night cap.
She folded up every article of clothing
and laid it down at right angles she
locked up her breast pin and then i'm
PEELED by fate, she calmly advanced to
the side of the bed and raised the snowy
valances-gave one shrek and fell back.
ward on the carpet, hitting her head
badly as she did so on a chair rocker.
There was her man under her bed


Miss Higgins had often fancied how
she would awe such . robber. such
burglar. with her fearless and search
ing glances, how she would defend her