SEPT. 5 
MOOSE’S SURAL NEW-YORKER. 
4SI 
BUSYBODIES. 
It In a fact, ns I've been told, 
That people, In the days of old, 
Got rich In silver and In gold, 
No matter what they bought or sold, 
Uy minding Ihtdr own business. 
They did nut try to wound one’s fame, 
Or slander anybody’s name; 
They cared not whon you went or cninn; 
They pleased thomsdlvo* you did the same, 
If it was your own business. 
And if a man did i/hnt was right 
In his own mind and In the sight 
Of God and (.aw, by day and night, 
lie. wont ahead and fought the light, 
Determined on Ills business. 
[tut In degenerate, modern days, 
There’s quite tv ObaUgO In people’s ways, 
And what i person does or says 
Must be hold ttp unto tho gaze 
Of every busybody. 
Ami If you do not tell them, too. 
Whore you ft' - o going, and what to do, 
They got In such an awful stew, 
They’ll even watch and follow you— 
These very busybodlos. 
And then they surely think they know 
.Inst when you come itnd when you go, 
And they will whisper, »o and so. 
To every friend and every foe— 
ThoBe very busybodios. 
(tut If you take the pains to seo 
Who these same busybodlos bo, 
We find there's not a bo or she 
Who has a decent history, 
Among these busybodios. 
Out let us uo more ootloo tako 
Of evil tongues ; but, for their sake, 
We’ll hope and pray they soon may wake 
Prom wickedness and money make 
By minding tbolrowil business. 
<©ur $torg-$f^r. 
MR. PLUNKETT’S MISTAKE: 
OR, A MALE GOSSIP’S MISCHIEF. 
UY EDEN E. HKXYOUD, 
It has come to be a popular belief among 
most people “ of this day and age ot the world,” 
to quote Deacon Snodgrass of “our town,” 
that all the mischief In l be neighborhood is set. 
atloat by tbo women. Now / don't boliovo this. 
I know better. I’m one of the stronger sex, but 
I dou't like to see my brothers priding 
themselves on a superiority which they 
don’t possess. U anybody likes gossip, 
the men do, and I have hoard as much 
scandal retailed among a group of four or , 
live of them, of an evening, as at y dozen 
women could have disposed of in thesamo 
length of time. And because I’ve grown 
tired of hearing the blame all laid to the 
women, where enough really does not be- 
long, I'm going to toll you about the inis- <■ 
take Mr. Plunkett mtulo, and show you 
that men can get up a disturbance if they 
only seo lit, to do so. And If you lived in V 
“ our town," you'tl And that they sec lit to \ , 
quite often. v 
"There goes John Marsh and his wife," 
said Mr. Plunkett ono Saturday morning. 
" She’s got her little girl with her. I guess M 
she’s going over to her mother’s to stay 
over Sunday.” 
"Like enough,” answered .Mrs. Pi.un- . aijn 
ki,tt from the kitchen, where she was eu- , P' 
gaged in the laudable business of scrubbing Lii 
tho face of one of thu young Plunk KTTft. 
That afternoon, when Mr. Plunkett’ w as .jflfir 
going down to the post-ollloo, he saw a Jp \ 
man and a woman In the garden back of tbjjt 
Mr. Marsh's house. Of course, ho felt It :’JM 
his duty to know who they were. Mrs. NS 
Marsh was gone. It wasn't, just the thing Jjn 
lor Mr. Marsh to bo quite so attentive to vH” 
other women, especially In his wife’s ab- Jw 
sence, as he seemed to be to tbWone; they 'y| 
pretended to lie picking currants, but Mr. nJ 
Plunkett hardly felt prepared to state 
that pulling a woman’s Bun bonnet over 
her fuco and holding It together while she | 
was trying to get away, was the best 
method of pursuing that branch of domes- ' 1 
Uo business, anil that was what Mr. Marsh 
was doing, Tor Mr. Plunkett saw hint, and 
what Mr. Plunkett saw must be so- 
Ann that wasn't all Mr. PLUNKETT saw. 
Just as he got directly opposite the house 
Mr, Marsh slipped his arm around tho 
woman's waist, and then—Mr. Plunkett 
wouldn’t have believed It If anybody had 
told him of It, but ho had to believe his 
own oyes—gave her a good, rousing klip, 
for which he got his oars boxed; “but,” 
said Mr. Plunkett to his worthy holpmeet 
that ntght, when he related the shocking 
story of Mr. Marsh's disgraceful conduct, 
" but she didn't act as If she meant It." 
" No, of course not," *uld Mri. Plunkett 
Indignantly. "Thegood-for-nothing crea¬ 
ture 1 I'll warrant she'd catch it If Mrs. 
Marsh were so hear about her carrying 
on when she’s out of sight. Somebody 
ought to tell hor of it.” 
In less than a week there wasn’t a dozen 
persons In Grantly Corners who hadn’t 
heard about the scandalous affair of Mr. 
Marsh's malting love to their hired girl In Ills 
wife's absence. 
“I alius thought ho wasn’t jest what he'd 
orter bo," said Mrs. Thompson, taking a pinch 
of snuff by way of emphasis. “ I do pity Miss 
Marsh. Poor innocent critter! It ’d nigh about 
kill her if she was to And out about her hus- 
ban's actions." 
“An’ 1 never did like tho looks o’ that Mary 
Ann Brown, neither,"stilcl Mrs. Jones; “slio’a 
got an i m pi dent, sassy way with her. But Miss 
Marsh needn't a had a hired girl thou. She 
might, a don© her own work, as yott an’ I do, 
Miss Thompson." 
“That's wind. / say," responded Mrs. Thomp¬ 
son. " She ain’t no hotter to work. But then 
Miss M arsh, whim she was a girl, always felt 
her importance considerable, and she’s gottln’ 
to bo kind o’ stuck up in my opinion. She don't 
associate with us common folks much, I don’t 
remember as she’s boon in the house in aix 
months." 
“I wonder of slic’d leave him, if she were to 
find It out?" said Mrs. JONES. “ I wouldn't 
live with him another mtnnlt, I declare." 
“Nor I nuthur," responded Mrs. Thompson. 
“She’ll probably gn back to her folks. 1 wonder 
wlmt'd bo done with the baby? She'd keep it, 
most likely, though bo might set up to be con¬ 
trary, an' take It out o’ her bands. It's in them 
Marshes to he awful mean, ef they sot about 
it." 
“ You're right there, Mis i Thompson," said 
Mrs. Jones, feelingly. “ My man, ho borrowed 
some emu <>’ Mr. M arsh, an’ It run along and 
run along quite a spell after he’d promised tu 
pay It, an’ one day lie up an’ dunned Josi’ 
right afore a hull lot o’ men, an' bad the impl- 
denoo to say that he'd soul word to him half a 
dozen times by the boys that he wanted It. 
What of bo had? Just’ said lie didn’t remem¬ 
ber heerln’ anything nb3Ut It, an' It made him 
hoppln’ mad, I tell you, to hov him take him 
right there In public an’ afore folks. He’d a 
paid him when ho got round to It." 
"Should a thought it would ha' made him 
mad,” said Mrs. Thompson, 
In a week the whole neighborhood was In a 
fever of excitement. You could have heard a 
dozen different stories. One would have told 
you that Mr. and Mrs. Marsh were going to 
part.” Another, that she had applied for a 
divorce. And you would have hoard fearful 
tales of his cruelty to his poor wife, and of her 
wasteful extravagance; and some would have 
told you that they had Hoenthlu affair approach¬ 
ing Its present crisis for a long time, but " hail 
n't said anything about, It,” 
One day Mrs. Thompson had a quilting, and 
all the gossips In the neighborhood wore there, 
and a*kJ.olly good time” tlioy had over the new 
scandal. In the evening tho men carno to tea, 
and then the gossip waxed hotter than ever. 
Mrs. Jones was debating with Mrs. Plunkett 
as to whether Mrs. Marsh ought to accept his 
support of the child after they separated or not. 
Mrs. Jones bold that she ought to be too Inde¬ 
pendent to do that, and was laying down her 
argument In u very convincing and logical way. 
Mr. PLUNKETT was relat ing to a knot of men, 
who "thought women might he in bettor busi¬ 
ness than talkin' about their neighbors," the 
circumstance which lia^ given rise to thissean- 
dalous state of affairs, and felt himself to bo 
quite a hero whon till at once came a knock 
ul the door and, on Mr. Thompson's opening 
it, in came Mr. and Mrs. Marsh and Mary Ann 
Brown 1 
A bomb-shell the simile Isn't original— 
would have caused no greater excitement and 
dismay If It had dropped among them. Mr. 
Thompson's efforts to be polite and ask after 
their health wero signal failures. Mr. Marsh 
couldn't help laughing at the panio-*trlckoii 
faces before him. 
" No, thank you," lie said, doclining the prof¬ 
fered chair. " Wo won’t stop to sit down. I 
know that most of tho gossips and scandal¬ 
mongers Of tho neighborhood would be boro, 
[great sensation | and so 1 took tho opportunity 
of calling to make a little explanation, which 
never would have boon made If it had not been 
fur Miss Brown, whoso inline has been mixed 
up with soino disgraceful reports wnich you 
worthy people have circulated in an eminently 
Christian way. [More sensation.') It has-been 
told all over town that Mr. Plunkett saw me 
kissing our hired girl. Mr. Plunkett, like the 
low-principled, Insignificant person that he In, 
[tremendous sensation,1 Instead of waiting to 
find out whether there Was any foundation for 
such a belief or not, at once told It for an ac¬ 
tual fact-” 
"An* I did see you kiss her tbo!" said Mr. 
Plunkett, fnlntly, with a very red face. 
“No you didn't, neither," exclaimed MLs 
Mary Ann Brown. “ You never see any such 
thing. I went home that very mornlu,’ an’ 
took Miss MARSH'S little girl with me, an’I 
didn’t come back till Monday, an’ boenuso 
you'd got to hov some scandal an’ battle again, 
or bust, you told Lhat you see him a kissln me, 
when 'twiiH his own wlfo lie kissed. It's a 
purty piece o' bigness if a man can't kiss his 
own wlfo 'tbout the bull neighborhood's 
inukln' a fuss over It. I should think you'd 
be ashamed o’ yorsolvos, the hull moss of ye," 
“ But I thought 'twits you, anyway," said Mr. 
Plunkett, looking as If he could crawl through 
a very small hole. 
"Thought 'twas me,” exclaimed Miss Brown, 
scornfully. “ What blsness had you to tell that 
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EPTEMBER. 
it wax mo If you didn’t Know ? I wish to 
gracious 1 could have you took up for slander, 
everyone of ye. It’d learn you to mind your 
own blsness next time. You’ve told lies 
enough in the last week to sink a hull neigh¬ 
borhood. Everyone that’s been to Mr. Marsh’s 
has told some now story you’d got started. I 
never was so mad In my life never! I'd jest 
like to Intv Mr. Plunkett or any other man 
say he Bee a man a kissin' mo that hadn't 
any buness to.” 
“ I was mistaken,’’ said Mr. Plunkett, mook- 
ly, “ I thought, —" 
"Don’t make any difference what you 
thought," retorted the Irate damsel, “S’ long's 
you didn't Know 'tvvus me you'd no blsness to 
say anything about. It. If the folks in this 
neighborhood could mind their blsness It'd bo 
a blossln’ to ’em ; but they couldn't. They’ve 
got til meddle, an' poke, an’pry, an’they jest 
as lleves stretch the truth as not, If they bo 
church members. If the devil don’t fool tick¬ 
led over some o' yor work. I miss my guess. 
But 1 jest want y< u, I don't care who, to say 
he seo Miss Marsh's man a kissin'me! Jest 
try it., if you think's best. I'll make you prove 
It, or smart for It, one or t’other.” 
“I think you wlU do well to take Miss 
Brown’s advice," said Mr. Marsh. "Think 
whether you can prove wliat you tell, before 
you Bill it, And now, good evening," and tho 
trio bowed themselves out of as dlscomlltcd a 
group iii one usually comes aorose. 
Poor Plunkett I lie u more careful about 
making such mistakes now, but be has’nt got 
over his love for gossip. He's as bad as other 
men in that respect. 
THE WIFE’S ALLOWANCE. 
There were people enough to envy Mllllcent 
Itaugliton whon she was married to Radcllffe 
Gates. She was only a district school teacher, 
at so much a month, without home r r parents. 
Ho was u wealthy banker, who seemed to have 
nothing on earth to do but to indulge his 
whittle and caprices to their uttermost bent, 
and the world In general announced its diction 
that Milly llaughton “had dOQO uncommonly 
well for herself." 
But Milly did not look happy upon that gold¬ 
en July morning, with tho sunshine streaming 
through the oriel window of tho groat break¬ 
fast room at. Gatos' Place, and scattering littlo 
drops of gold and crimson, and glowing purple 
on tho mossy ground of tho stone-colored 
carpet. 
She wua dressed in a loose white cambric 
wrapper, looped and buttoned with blue, and a 
single pearl arrow Uphold Lhe shining massos 
of her lovely auburn hair. Her eyes were 
deep, liquid, hazel: her complexion as 
soft and radiant as the dimpled side of an 
early poach ; and the little kid-slippered 
foot that patted the velvet ottoman be¬ 
neath was as perfect and tapering as a 
A sculptor could have wished It. 
PI Mr. Gates, from Ids side of the durnask- 
draped table, eyed her with tho complacent 
gazo of proprietorship. She was his wife, 
lie liked her to look well just as he wanted 
) his horses properly groomed and Ids con- 
w servatorics kept, in order : and ho troubled 
himself very llttleabout. thoshudow on her 
X brow. 
u'J “I’m In earnest, Radcllffe 1" she said, 
X with emphasis. 
"So I supposed, Mrs. Gates," said tho 
'/J> husband, leisurely folding Ids paper —a 
/ sign that the news within was thoroughly 
■' exhausted—“ao I supposed. But it Isn’t 
at all worth while to allow yourself to get 
^ excited. When I say a thing, Mrs. Gates, 
${ I generally mean It. And f repeat if you 
&tl need money for any sensible and necessary 
^ purpose, I shall be most willing and happy 
to accommodate you." 
Mllllcent bit her full red lower lip, and 
drummed Impatiently on the table with 
her ten restless fingers. “And I am to 
come meekly Imploring you for every live 
^ cent ploco I happen to want ?” 
"Yes, Mrs. Gates—If you prefer to put 
the matter in that light." 
i “ Radcllffe,"she coaxed, suddenly chang¬ 
ing her tone, " do give mo an allowance—I 
don’t care how little! Don’t subject me 
to tho humiliation of pleading for a little 
money half a dozen times a day. You aro 
rich." 
“Exactly, my doar," nodded this Bene¬ 
dict ; " and that's the way I rnudo my for¬ 
tune, by looking personally after every 
penny, and l mean to keep it up." 
" But think how I was mortified yester¬ 
day, when Mrs. Armour came to ask me If 
I could subscribe fifty cents towards buy¬ 
ing a hand carriage for our washerwoman’s 
lame child—only fifty oeule—and I hail to 
say, ‘ I must ask my husband to give me 
money when he returns from the city!'— 
for I had not even fifty cents of my own." 
“ All vory right—all very proper!" said 
Mr. Gates, playing with the huge rope of 
gold that hung across his chest fnthegulse 
of a watch chain. 
“ Other ladies ore not kept penniless !" 
“ That rests entirely between them and 
their husbands, Mrs. Gates." 
“ L will not endure It, cried Milly, start¬ 
ing to her feet with cheeks dyed scarlet 
and Indignantly glittering eyes. 
Mr. Gates leaned buck In his chair with 
provoking complacency. 
m 
