The Morning Glory Club Part 3

"I'm sure it is very good of you to say so, but I really could not allow--"

"Please, Mrs. Flint."

"No, in fact _I_ insist upon withdrawing in your favour. There, now please let us not say anything more about it."

"That's right, give in, Miss Sawyer, we ain't gettin' ahead fast enough to suit me," said Mrs. Stout. Miss Sawyer succ.u.mbed with a sigh. "Now,"

Mrs. Stout continued, "I'd like to ask why n.o.body's made a motion."

"Motions are necessary," replied Mrs. Tweedie, "when action on any question is contemplated. The chair awaits a motion."

"Mis' President, I--" said Mrs. Stout.

"Mrs. Stout," gravely acknowledged Mrs. Tweedie.

"I motion," continued Mrs. Stout, "that we have a committee to get up some rules."

"It is MOVED" (Mrs. Tweedie said "moved" in capitals, hoping that Mrs.

Stout would profit by it) "that a committee on rules be appointed. Are you ready for the question?"

"There ain't any question about it as I can see," said Mrs. Stout, indignantly. Mrs. Tweedie patiently explained. Then the motion was "seconded," "put" (real man-fas.h.i.+on), and carried unanimously, and Mrs.

Stout, Mrs. Flint, and Miss Sawyer were appointed on the committee.

"Good land!" exclaimed Mrs. Stout when the announcement was made, "I don't know anything about makin' rules 'cept for boys. Can I ask my husband to help?"

"Certainly not," replied Mrs. Tweedie, firmly. "He would only laugh at you and us; besides, we need no a.s.sistance from the _other s.e.x_."

"Madam President," said Mrs. Flint as she arose and smoothed down her dress. (Where she got the "Madam President" idea no one knew, but it pleased the ladies immensely.) "I have read that in Congress they have a committee on ways and means. Will it be necessary for us to have a similar one?"

"Well, I declare!" unceremoniously interrupted the uncontrollable Mrs.

Stout. "The idea, and three of us married women with children. I say that when our first baby was born we was each of us appointed a committee on ways and means by the Lord."

The laughter that followed was suddenly terminated upon the second entrance of Tommy Tweedie.

"Ma," he bellowed, "Dora slapped my face and made my nose bleed, and pa laughed at me, and said it served me right."

"My poor, dear, little son!" exclaimed Mrs. Tweedie as she rushed to him. "Tell mother how it happened," she added anxiously as she wiped the blood from the little villain's face. Tommy evaded the question by asking another.

"Can I have some cake now, ma?"

"Certainly you may. Ladies, if you will excuse me for a moment," said Mrs. Tweedie as she and Tommy left the room in quest of revenge and cake.

"Did you ever!" exclaimed Mrs. Stout after the ladies had exchanged knowing glances for a moment.

"I should say so!" piped Mrs. Flint. "I knew that he behaved badly in Sabbath school--"

"Is Mrs. Tweedie's method the wisest?" asked Miss Sawyer.

"Well," whispered Mrs. Flint, "Mrs. Tweedie is a _lovely_ woman, but--"

"My experience is," interrupted Mrs. Stout, "that all boys have got just so much bad and noise in 'em, and if it don't come out one way 'twill another."

This interesting chatter was cut short by the return of Mrs. Tweedie.

"Ladies," she said, "I must again apologize for an irritating interruption. As I suspected, Dora was wholly to blame. She had the audacity to tell me that Thomas attempted to steal cake. The idea, my son steal, and with such blood in his veins."

"Folks that have boys must expect 'em to make some trouble," said Mrs.

Stout, and then turning to Mrs. Flint, added, "I hear that your Willie's come home from college."

"Yes," replied Mrs. Flint, as a pink flush spread over her face, "William has returned, and is soon to enter upon a mercantile career."

"Drivin' a wagon, or a job in the factory?" asked Mrs. Stout, innocently. Mrs. Flint became red with rage, Miss Sawyer was disgusted, and Mrs. Tweedie mentally vowed that Mrs. Stout should be gotten rid of, because if she continued saying things there was no telling at what moment the club would fly to pieces.

"It don't make much difference what a boy works at," Mrs. Stout continued, wholly unaware of the pa.s.sion that she had aroused, "so long's he don't do anything mean. I saw Willie Flint goin' by my house this mornin'--he was walkin' with Miss Wallace, too, if anybody'd like to know, they made a nice lookin' couple--and I must say that he's a fine lookin' feller, too fine lookin' to follow in his father's footprints. But there, we're 'way off the track, ain't we?"

"We have digressed _slightly_," replied Mrs. Tweedie, with icy sarcasm.

"Our next business will be the selection of a name for our organization.

Suppose that each of us suggest a name, beginning with you, Miss Sawyer."

"Our meetings are to held in the morning--Wednesdays, I suppose?" asked Miss Sawyer.

"Yes; that was my intention," Mrs. Tweedie replied. "It's a new idea, but if any of the ladies object--"

"I don't object," interrupted Mrs. Stout, "only it's a time of day when most of us ought to be doin' somethin' else."

"I had thought," continued Miss Sawyer, completely ignoring Mrs. Stout, "that 'The Wednesday Morning a.s.sociation' would be appropriate."

"Very good," said Mrs. Tweedie. "And what do you suggest, Mrs. Flint?"

"My choice," replied Mrs. Flint, with her eyes find on the ceiling, "would be 'The Manville Anti-Male Club.'"

Mrs. Stout snickered, whereupon the others glared at her contemptuously.

"I feel that it is my duty to object, Mrs. Flint, to your suggestion,"

Mrs. Tweedie began. "We are all married--excepting one," she added, with an apologizing smile for the benefit of Miss Sawyer, who was blus.h.i.+ng with embarra.s.sment. "Would the name be appropriate when we consider that our life companions are of the _other s.e.x_? Would it not reflect on our judgment in choosing a career in married life?"

"Perhaps we didn't choose," said Mrs. Stout, quickly. "Perhaps--" there is no telling what Mrs. Stout would have said if she had not been interrupted by the entrance of a plump, pink-faced young woman.

"Why, Mrs. Thornton!" exclaimed Mrs. Tweedie, as she advanced to greet the newcomer. "I am _so_ glad that you came. Ladies: Mrs. Thornton. You are just in time to a.s.sist us in the naming of our club. How is that dear baby?"

"Teething," replied Mrs. Thornton, sadly, as she sat down.

"Oh, that's too bad," said Mrs. Tweedie, sympathetically.

"Yes, I'm all worn out, and I can't find a thing for the poor child to eat that agrees with him."

"What have you tried?" Miss Sawyer asked, wis.h.i.+ng to show some interest, though she knew nothing of babies or their food.

"Everything," replied the perplexed mother. "Last week my husband brought home from town a dozen samples of prepared foods; we have tried them all, but baby's stomach is still in a wretched condition."