The house is not any tidier, but at least she stays in
it occasionally. In the privacy of my own mind I have been ascribing
this slight reformation to the most ordinary cause,--namely, a
Particular Man. It would never have occurred to me in her case had
not Edith received confidential advices from Mrs. Sylvester.
'"We're going to lose her, I feel it!" said Mrs. Sylvester. "I feel
it, and she alludes to it herself. There ain't but two ways of her
classes losing her, death and marriage; and as she looks too healthy
to die, it must be the other one. She's never accepted any special
attentions till about a month ago, when the Improved Order of Red Men
held their Great Council here. You see she used to be Worthy Wenonah
of Pocahontas Lodge years ago, when my husband was Great Keeper of
the Wampum, but she hasn't attended regularly; a woman is so
handicapped, when it comes to any kind of public work, by her home
and her children.--I do hope I shall live long enough to see all
those kind of harassing duties performed in public, co-operative
institutions.--She went to the Council to keep me company, mostly,
but the very first evening I could see that William Burkhardt, of
Bald Eagle No. 62, was struck with her; she lights up splendidly,
Mrs.
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