THE COURIER
I
14
stooped and klesed his little daughter,
saying, "Wc will have to make a mu
sician out of this young lady some day,
so wc might as well begin to think
about It."
Mrs. Brown just made the work fly
and rushed over to Mrs. Holland's to
tell her that they were going to have
n new piano and the musical could be
held at her house. The piano came
and the musical became an accom
plished fact, and was a grand success.
The house was beautifully decorated
and every woman brought her husband
or escort besides a friend or two. Mr.
Iirown enjoyed the evening most of
all. After the program was finished
a supper was served on small tables.
For the women of Willowton were
good cooks and did not as yet spell
culture with a very large C and serve
their husbands and guests with a very
small wafer and a spoonful of sherbet.
Mr. Brown discovered that Mcllrath,
the banker, on the south side of the
square, whom he had known for years
In a business way, but had never met
socially before, was pitcher for the
Princeton team at the same time he
was pitching for the Yale baseball
nine. They had .actually played a
matched game In which Brown's
curved balls won th"e day for Yale, and
that they belonged to the same Greek
society. For the amusement of the
company as well as for old time's sake
Mcllrath sat down before the piano
and "You must be a Beta Theta Pi
or you won't go to heaven when you
die" was rolled out in Mcllrath's clear
tenor and Brown's sonorous bass.
"What a glorious evening it has been,"
declared Mr. Brown when all had left.
"I never dreamed thire were so many
nice people in Willowton. I tell you,
little wife, I am glad we started that
society. It seems like old times and it
makes the town worth living in."
While Mrs. Brown was straightening
round so she could get breakfast in
the morning her delighted husband sat
down to the piano and picked out
Greenville with one finger.
A week or two afterwards, Mrs. Hol
land came over and said: "I have In
vited Mrs. Johnson to Join the club.
She lives over on the west side and I
was calling on her the other day and
she said she had not met many of the
ladies of Willowton, although she has
been here for three years. She lives so
far out only a few have called. She is
a graduate of Vassar, too, and when I
told her about our club and asked her
to join she seemed so pleased. But
sho said you had never called on her
and she understood the club met with
you next time." "I'll go right over,
this afternoon," said Mrs. Brown, and
she went and found a very sweet,
homesick little woman and made her
promise to be with the June Club at
its next meeting.
So the winter wore away and the
Brown family seemed to grow happier
every day. The piano was a never
failing source of pleasure. Mrs. Brown
soon picked up her music again, and
what glorious family concerts they
held Mr. Brown of course leading the
choir. The interest in the Woman's
June Club was increasing all the time,
and every week brought new members
into the circle, and now it was May
and the club was preparing to give its
annual banquet on the first day of
June. "Well," said Mr. Brown, at sup
per one night, "It is just as I expected,
the plague has struck the town."
"What plague, papa?" asked Willie.
"What plague, papa?" echoed Mrs.
Brown and the other children. "The
clubonlc plague," replied Brown. "The
clubonlc plague," said his wife, "what
do you mean?" "Well, It is something
like the bubonic plague," replied
Brown, "only it's worse, for the bu
bonic plague can be controlled and this
can't It's the club plague." "Why,
papa," said his wife, "what are you
talking about?" "We were in at
Wood's cigar store today," said Brown,
"a whole crowd of us, and somehow
we got to talking about our wives and
Johnson said 3lnce his wife had joined
the club she seemed like another wom
an and appeared happier than she had
sitice they moved west" "What then?"
asked his wife. "I told him I had a
thorn bush at the south end of my lot
and he could have what thorns he
wanted to pin up with when his but
tons were off." "What did he say?"
inquired Mrs. Brown. "He asked if I
thought I'd have any to spare and I
tcld him my wife knew her place and
kept it, that she took care of her home
and children and had not gone insane
after a fool fad." "Why, George
Brown, how could you talk so; wasn't
he mad?" "O, no," said Brown. "He
just laughed and said he was glad to
hear that you and the children were
all right I never liked that Johnson
fellow very much, anyway. He's a sort
of smart Alecky chap, who thinks he
Is just as good as any one. Confound
a man who will let his wife run him.
I've no use for such cattle. I wouldn't
let the children go there any more if
I were you, if she Is that kind of a
woman. Her children must run hap
hazzard while she Is off to her club.
They are no fit associates for our lit
tle folks, and no knowing what our
children may catch from the poor lit
tle neglected things." "Why, papa,"
said Nellie, "Mamie Johnson is one of
the nicest girls in our school and I
like her awfully well." "Mamie may be
a nice girl," said her father," but her
mother Is not a lady, for no lady will
so forget her womanhood and the
place God has designed her to fill as to
join a club." When Mr. Brown said
God he looked very solemn and pro
nounced It Gawd. Although he had
not a particle of religion himself, he
thought it a good thing for women
and children and worked it on them
occasionally. "Now, mamma," said he,
as he arose from the table, "if any of
that outfit come around to ask you to
join that club, just send them to me.
I will attend to the matter, you are not
used to dealing with people and I am.
I'll send them about their business in
a hurry." After delivering himself of
this manifesto, Mr. Brown put on his
hat and started for the lodge with his
hands rammed down to the bottom of
his pockets. Mr. Brown always stuffed
his hands in his pockets when he was
out of humor, and when he was on
good terms with himself he wore his
thumbs in the armholes of his vest.
Shortly after dinner one day Mrs.
Holland came running in. "O!" cried
she, "I thought I'd catch you, Mr.
Brown, before you got away. I've
come a-begging." "I'm dead broke,"
said Brown; not a cent to my name."
"I'm not soliciting filthy lucre, it is
talent I'm after.and you can't plead the
bankrupt law in that case. You see the
June cl society " "The what?" said
Mr. Brown. "The June cluck society
did you say?" "Yes, sir, I did," em
phatically assented that lady, seeing
at once her danger. "Hens cluck,"
said Brown. "Well," she replied,
"when we women have anything that
you men are not invited to, don't you
call it a hen party? And if we are
hens, can't we cluck if we want to?"
And Mrs. Holland assumed a deter
mined air that virtually said she was
one woman who would cluck or die
"AH right," laughed Brown. "Cluck
away. What do you want?"
"We are going to give a banquet on
our anniversary and we are going to
make a James Whitcomb Riley even
ing of it and we want you to tell us
all you know about him, for your wife
says you used to go to school together
and you know ever so many funny
things about his boyhood and when he
travelled as a fakir. We want to put
you down on our program for a bun
dle of anecdotes about him, and we
also want you to reply to the toast.
ik.lilili.iSli-i.li. iliSli-li-?4i.Uii.
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 7.
Chocolates, Birds, Chicks, Eggs, Brownies
all sorts of Candy Eggs.
and
SPECIAL DESSERTS OP CREAM ICE.
Eggs, natural size, containing yolk dozen $1 00
Ktrd's Nests dozen 1 00
Small Chickens dozen 1 00
Larger Nestu each 1 00
Setting Hen, 0 egg. 12 portions each 2 00
Wish Bonee, tied with ribbons dozen 3 00
Large Rabbit, 15 portions each 2 00
Wine Jelly quart 2 00
St. Honore, 12 to 10 portions 3 00
Jardiniere en Bellevue dozen 1 00
Doves 3 00
Ind. Wine Jelley dozen 1 00
Hiscuit Glaces, plain dozen 3 00
Iced Puddings quart 1 00
Punches per quart, 7.1c to 3 00
Mousse Glace quart 1 00
Delivered to all parts of the city. To insure prompt delivery, orders
must be seat in before Saturday, April 14. Orders from out of town will
be shipped on Saturday.
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Hi Hi
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' Teleplione7II. 1520 Farnam, OMAHA
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'The Junes. You helped us start the
society, you know, and we want you to
tell about it" "All right," said Brown,
"I'm yours to command, and if you
women will get your program ready I
will print them for you with my com
pliments." "O, will you?" cried both
women at once. "I think Mrs. Brown
has a very nice husband," said Mrs.
Holland. "I believe we will have to
give you the title of Godfather of the
Junes." Mr. Brown laughed, bid the
ladies good afternoon, and with his
thumbs in the armholes of his vest
started for his office, with the mental
remark that women were nice little
things. As he passed a small artificial
pond that he had made for the chil
dren In the corner of his garden he
stooped a moment to watch a brood of
fluffy goslings swim round and round
in the little circle and with the same
feeling in his breast that he had had
towards his wife and her friend, he
thought "Goslings are nice little
things" and went on.
The banquet was an event in the his
tory of Willowton. The Opera house
was beautifully decorated. The long
tables were elegant with snowy linen,
silver and flowers.
Well groomed men and prettily
gowned women laughed and chatted
in the large room. The menu was just
what hearty, healthy, active inhabi
tants of Nebraska with wholesome
lives and good digestion required.
When the program began, Mrs.
Brown, as president, made a short,
beautifully worded speech of welcome
and when she sat down Brown glowed
with pride that she was his wife. He
never realized how bright she was be
fore. Mrs. Holland was toastmistress
and introduced Mr. Brown as God
father to "The Junes." to which toast
he would respond. When Mr. Brown
arose to his feet and looked over the
long tables, the feeling that he used
to have at his old alumni banquets
came over him, and seeing all were
provided with water, he caught up his
own glass and holding It up to the
light, said: "Let us drink In this clear
element, typical in its purity of my
subject, success and prosperity to 'The
Junes,'" the crowd caught the spirit
of the occasion and glasses were
clinked and drained. Then Mr. Brown
launched forth. He never did any
thing by halves; he told how he drew
the constitution to start this society,
how he had watched its growth with
interest and love; how successful it
had become, how it had brought the
college to the home. It was the busy
housewife's post-graduate course. It
was the common school to that woman
whose early education had been neg
lected. It was the place for bright
women who have something to say to
come and say it, and for women who
have nothing to say to come and learn
something to say and how to say it
It was purely educational and to that
woman whose life had been one con
stant doing for others it was a change,
a rest, a place to gather new thoughts'
a place to take her mental offering,
feeling, however small it might be,
it would be appreciated. "She feels
her individuality, that she is some
thing besides a household fixture like
the cookstove or pump-handle, always
in place and working well for the ben
efit of the family. When she conies
home from the society the memory of
the music, the literary quotations, the
papers, and, above all, the current
events which she discusses with her
family at tea-time is to her a mental
feast and 'New light on home-seen na
ture beams, new glory over woman,
and daily life and duty seems no long
er poor and common.' " How he
wished a society like thi? could be in
every town o'er which waves our glor
ious heaven-born stars and stripes and
he was going to add counteract the
baleful influences of women's clubs,
but he happened to see the Johnsons
almost in front of him and he knew
she had joined the Woman's club and
he did not wish to hurt her feelings,
so he said: "And bring to other homes
the happiness it has brought to mine."
After many other laudatory remarks,
he wound up poetically by saying:
"Their homes are more cultured they
now are above the gossip and scandal
that ignorance loves; their aim is the
knowledge that elevates lives, and they
make better sweethearts and mothers
and wives." Mr. Brown sat down
amidst a storm of applause, and put
in the time congratulating himself
while other speakers had the floor, un
til he was called on for his Whitcomb
Riley anecdotes.
The next morning when Brown went
down-town he stopped on the corner to
chat a moment with Holland and Clark
when Mcllrath and Johnson came
along. "Fine time we had last night
at the club," said Johnson. "What
club?" asked Brown. "The Woman's
club," replied Johnson. "I don't know
anything about the Woman's club,"
said Brown. "O, no," said Holland.
"It wasn't Brown, boys, who covered
himself all over with glory last night.
It was another fellow that looked like
him." "I tell you," said Brown. "I
don't know anything about the Wom
an's club." "Then," said Holland,
"who was it that toasted 'The Junes'
last night at the banquet, your dou
ble?" "I responded to the toast 'The
Junes,' last night at the banquet of
the Ladies' June Society. A society
that was organized at my house and
for which I drew the constitution.
But I know nothing whatever of the
Woman's club. I heard there was one
in town, but that is all I know about
it" "Great Caesar's ghost!" cried Mc
llrath. "Why, Brown, you great clam,
you haven't brains enough to start a
headache if you don't know It was the
Woman's club that you eulogized so
to the skies last night. What did you
think you were addressing? An un
dertakers' convention or a drovers'
meeting." "I was addressing the Wil
lowton Ladles' June Society," replied
Brown, with great dignity. "Well,
I (
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