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the dust of society from their feet.
Of course there are some nice old
bachelors who have stood in the same
pasture for twenty years, and sniffed
at each debut of buds, and then waited
with bovine placidity for the next
crop. Why the man who has been nic
est to me since I came out was a beau
of Mama's. There are some nice boys
recently out of knickeibockers, but,
dear me, it is not particularly thrill
ins to have a youth dancing atten
dance, whose hair one remembers to
have pulled during adolescence, or
whose gum one has chewed at recess.
Didn't they manage things differently
in your day, Miss Roxy"
My day! What excruciating thrusts
these babies can give. I wonder when
she thinks my day was? She prob
ably believes I attended continental
.teas, and would not look at all In
credulous if I boasted of. having
stepped off a minuet with the Father
of my country. A woman cannot real
ize what an octogenarian she seems
to the daughter of her friend. She
meant nothing, but my ghosts were
leering at me again, and I said has
tily "Society was different when I was a
girl, Grace; less complicated, simpler
in every way. The candy was never
chosen simply to match the candelabra
shades, and they never excluded God's
sunshine in the afternoon. The wom
en went early, took their work, and
our fathers and brothers and sweet
hearts came to supper; and such a
supper as it was likely to be fried
chicken, wonderful rolls and fragrant
coffee in generous cups not these
thimble affairs one Is in danger of
swallowing, and putting her hostess
to the trouble of obtaining a writ of
replevin. Then afterwards, if it were
summer, we would sit under the great
oaks and sing or tell tales, until Ic
was time to walk home in the sweet
scented twilight with our fathers, or
brothers, or our sweethearts. Winter,
too, had its pleasures; candy pulls,
corn poppings, or bob sled rides, to be
followed by roasted chestnuts and ap
ples in the big raftered kitchens."
'O, lovely! how lovely!" exclaimed
Grace eagerly. "And you had a lover,
I am sure you had, Miss Roxy; tell
me all about him Pshaw! there
corae3 Mama; but you will come again
and tell me everything. I half be
lieve I will go and join Daisy at the
hospital. If Mama does not marry me
off this winter, she may as well give
me up and center her hopes on Belle.
Good-bye, don't forget."
I went slowly down the steps and
turned my face toward the death-bed
of the day. How her words recurred
to me "and you had a lover, I am sure
you did, Miss Roxy." Tears! on my
veil! How ridiculous! Could any
thing be more mirth provoking than
the sniffles of a spinster?
So Grace, pretty, peculiar Grace, is
not satisfied either! Her life, too, is
a series of staccato notes with no
connecting thread of melody! Surely
the Divine Musician never intended
the harmony even of this world should
be so interrupted.
Socrates took his lantern and sought
an honest man. I shall go out with
my spectacles to find a contented per
son. If I should succeed, I will let
you know.
CHANGING BUTCHERS.
Dolly Is your fiance a talented man?
I presume he is.
Puliy Uu, my, yes! Tou should Bee
him lead a cotillion.
My neighbor tells me an interesting
story about his butcher. He was a very
unsatisfactory butcher, and yet, on the
whole, he was obliging, too. Did he not
send an emissary daily to take her order?
But the head of the house frowned at
her regularly at dinner, and she finally
decided to make a daily pilgrimage to
the market herself. Now it happened
that she was not familiar with the loca
tion of the shop from which came the
daily bone of contention, and so sally
ing forth iu search of a new butcher,
the fates directed her footsteps to a shop
having a faultless exterior, all gleaming
with cleanliness and thrift.
There stood the butcher fat, rosy,
smiling a reception committee of one
to welcome her. My neighbor is a re
sponsive woman, and while she selected
a joint for dinner, she confided Her
grievances to him. He looked inter
ested, solicitous and thoroughly shocked
as she unfolded the details proving how
she bad been imposed upon. He sawed
the meat merrily to the tune of con
scious virtue, assuring her it would be
his pleasure to serve her with the beet
meat in the market. His indignation
waxed into bloodthirstiness as she told
him abeut the butcher who bad been
serving her, how he had given her meat
that was all bone, gristle, fat and fibre;
how he had overcharged her for the
meat; how he gave her short weight;
how inferior the meat was in every rt
epect; how he frequently changed her
order to suit himeelf; how he Bent an
impertmet boy to take the order; how
the boy came in without rapping, seat
ed himself familiarly without being in
vited to do so; how he never removed
hi9 hat, and even on one ocrasion had
danced a jig in the kitchen. At this
juncture, the butcher, who had been
listening sympathetically, nearly choked
with rage, and nourished his hatchet
over the meat block like a bloodthirsty
Bluebeard.
Finally the meat was prepared and
the narration of woe concluded.
"Where shall 1 send your order,
madam?" inquired the new butcher in a
bland voice.
She named the address and as she
did so the butcher looked thoughtful,
but he was silent. But the delivery-boy
spoke up and paid he knew where she
lived, because he delivered goods there
every day. "Then J ran home like a
guilty thing, and grinning to myself.
but glad to get away before he ehould
pulverize me with the meat-hammer,"
she concluded. The Bazar.
The Rock Island playing cards are
the slickest you ever handled. One
pack will be sent by mail on receipt of
15 cents in stamps. A money order or
draft for 50 cents or same in stamps will
secure 4 packs. They will be sent by
express, charges prepaid. Address,
Jons Skbastiax, G. P. A.,
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R'y,
Chicago.
THE C01ER II PER YEAR
Qt-4)fc4
HI FRHHKLIH ICE CREAM
J And Dairy 60.
Manufacturers of the finest aual
ity of plain and fancy Ice Cream
Ices, Frozen Puddings, Frappe
and Sherbets. Prompt delivery
and satisfaction guaranteed.
138 SO. 1 2th St. PHONE 205.
2
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