The social column of the daily papers stated that young Mr. and Mrs.
George Benedict were spending their honeymoon in an extended tour of the
West, and Grandmother Brady so read it aloud at the breakfast table to the
admiring family. Only Lizzie looked discontented: "She just wore a dark blue tricotine one-piece dress and a little plain
dark hat. She ain't got a bit of taste. Oh Boy! If I just had her pocket
book wouldn't I show the world? But anyhow I'm glad she went in a private
car. There was a little class to her, though if t'had been mine I'd uv
preferred ridin' in the parlor coach an' havin' folks see me and my fine
husband. He's some looker, George Benedict is! Everybody turns to watch
'em as they go by, and they just sail along and never seem to notice. It's
all perfectly throwed away on 'em. Gosh! I'd hate to be such a nut!"
"Now, Lizzie, you know you hadn't oughtta talk like that!" reproved her
grandmother, "After her giving you all that money fer your own wedding. A
thousand dollars just to spend as you please on your cloes and a blow out,
and house linens. Jest because she don't care for gewgaws like you do, you
think she's a fool. But she's no fool. She's got a good head on her, and
she'll get more in the long run out of life than you will. She's been real
loving and kind to us all, and she didn't have any reason to neither. We
never did much fer her. And look at how nice and common she's been with us
all, not a bit high headed. I declare, Lizzie, I should think you'd be
ashamed!"
"Oh, well," said Lizzie shrugging her shoulders indifferently, "She's all
right in her way, only 'taint my way. And I'm thankful t'goodness that I
had the nerve to speak up when she offered to give me my trousseau. She
askt me would I druther hav her buy it for me, or have the money and pick
it out m'self, and I spoke up right quick and says, 'Oh, cousin Bessie, I
wouldn't think of givin' ya all that trouble. I'd take the money ef
it's all the same t'you,' and she jest smiled and said all right, she
expected I knew what I wanted better'n she did. So yes'teddy when I went
down to the station to see her off she handed me a bank book. And--Oh,
say, I fergot! She said there was a good-bye note inside. I ain't had time
to look at it since. I went right to the movies on the dead run to get
there 'fore the first show begun, and it's in my coat pocket. Wait 'till I
get it. I spose it's some of her old religion! She's always preaching at
me. It ain't that she says so much as that she's always meanin' it
underneath, everything, that gets my goat! It's sorta like having a piece
of God round with you all the time watching you. You kinda hate to be
enjoyin' yerself fer fear she won't think yer doin' it accordin' to the
Bible."