Page 194

192 The Cottage, con.

Margaret G. T. Moore told of the pearl industry
in China where the finest are found. The annual
catch is 2,000,000 oysters any one of which may contain
a gem, but of course there are many blanks
to one prize. Eliza N. Moore had seen
these immense shells, with pearls in them, displayed
in a jewelers window.

Hallie J. Bentley brought two of James
Whitcomb Riley’s quaint poems upon, “The
Weather”, and the desirability of “Going Back to
Grigsby Station” where we used to be so happy
and so “pore”.

India Downey’s asters are being eaten up
by a small beetle, and she wished to know
how to conquer the pest. Ellen Farquhar suggested
arsenate of lead as a spray.

Mary E. Gilpin read a sympathetic appreciation
of the lately deceased poet, Riley,
who was said to have had so tender a
heart as a youth, that he could not read of
the death of “Little Nell” without shedding tears.

Eliza H. Miller introduced us to a lady
who loves Calculus and is one of the Gov.
Astronomical Calculators for the Nautical Almanac.

Rebecca T. Miller first read of the little
boy who said he had asked the Heavenly Father
last night to make him a good boy, and ended
the confession with, “Well, He ain’t done it”!

R. T. M. answered several questions about
Gay Head, Mass., which she had visited, and
found it a beautiful and interesting shore
with the most vivid coloring imaginable
for earth and rocks.

Mary Scott had an acct. of a celebrated
old army horse, “Foxall” by his name, who after giving
24 yrs. of service to his country was well
taken care of till he was gathered to his father’s
at 38. He was so intelligent he went out alone
with a wagon to gather the daily supplies of vegetables
for a garrison, and would make the round
and return to the camp kitchen safely.

Helen Lea exhibited a scrap of wall-paper
upon the wrong side of which, a southern newspaper
was printed in July, 1863.