The Ladies' Aid met at the home of Mrs. Ducker. There were seven
present when it started; but more came. Mrs. Burrell doesn't know why
they can't come in time. She told them so. Mrs. Bates said, Lands
sakes, she had a hard enough time getting there at all. She left a
big bag of stockings all in holes. Mrs. Forrest says it's been so hot
the holes are the most comfortable part of the stockings, and if she
was in Mrs. Bates's place she'd let the girls go barefoot. Mrs. Bates
is going to let Mildred go, but she can't let Blanche--she's so
lanky--she'd look all legs, like a sand-hill crane. Burrell says,
Let's open the meeting by singing, "How Firm a Foundation" but Mrs.
Ducker says, Oh, don't take that, it's in sharps; take "Nearer, Still
Nearer"--it's in flats, and Maudie can handle the flats better. Then
they sang, and Mrs. Burrell and Mrs. Ducker prayed. Mrs. Ducker
prayed longest, but Mrs. Burrell prayed loudest, and for most things.
Mrs. Bates read the last report, and they said it was better than
usual, she'd only left out one or two things. Then they collected the
money. Nearly every one paid; only Mrs. Burrell couldn't find hers,
she was sure she had it in her glove when she came in, and she
couldn't see how it ever fell out. Mrs. Ducker will get it when she
sweeps if it's in the house at all. Mrs. Williams had her ten cents
in a tea-cup all ready, but when she went to get it it was gone, and
she's afraid she gave that cup to one of the boarders by mistake.
Mrs. Williams says that's the worst of keeping boarders, your home is
never your own. Mrs. Forrest says if she only knew which one got it,
she should charge it up to him. Mrs. Williams wouldn't ever think of
doing that. Total receipts of evening, $2.20.
Then Mrs. Burrell asked what about the new stairs carpet. She's
ashamed every time she takes any one upstairs, it's going something
awful. Mrs. White hasn't had time to think anything about it, she's
been doing up rhubarb; it's so nice and tender in the spring. None of
Mrs. Bates's folks will eat rhubarb, and so she never does any up,
though she really is very fond of it herself, done with pineapple,
the shredded pineapple--half and half. Mrs. Ducker is doing rhubarb,
too, it's nice in the spring when everything else goes flat on you.
Mrs. Burrell says, What about the stairs carpet, now if you're done
with the rhubarb?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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