Mrs. Wilson Woodrow

“ Nitschkan noticed these signs of consternation, she had reasons of her own for ignoring them, and it was not until she was well out of sight that her companions permitted themselves a free expression of opinion.
"She's a-goin' a-gipsyin' again!" said Mrs. Thomas in a tense, sibilant whisper. "You all know there ain't nothin' else on earth or heaven that can ever make her clean house. Yes, she's a-fixin' to go gipsyin'. Effie," turning appealingly to Mrs. Evans, "can't you stop her?"
"I ain't never been able to before," replied Mrs. Evans shortly, with a tightening of the lips. ”

“ Evans that her awed friends could almost see the eagle's wings with which she soared above all mundane difficulties.
"We ain't all got your wits, Effie," Mrs. Thomas gently reminded her, "but in our poor weak way we done the best we could. I had a kind of a scare that the burden might fall on Missioner, an' I knew if it did, all the half-saved souls in this camp would jus' fall back into the pit, 'cause she'd have time for nothin' but that devil child."
"That's true as you're alive!" agreed Mrs. Nitschkan, rising and buttoning her man's coat about her burly figure. ”

“ Evans contemptuously, "I make no doubt you're willin' to waste your time on a dozen of 'em. Seth not six months in his grave, an' you a-entertainin' callers every evenin'. No wonder you're the talk of the camp."
Mrs. Thomas stirred rebelliously. "I don't care, I don't care," she cried; "they're bound to talk about somebody. It ain't so long since they was clatterin' their tongues over you, Effie Evans."
Mrs. Evans winced, but nevertheless maintained her habitual attitude of superior and slightly contemptuous aloofness. "They ain't never spoke light of me with any man," she said with meaning. ”

“ Every woman in this camp ought to be right down on her marrow-bones praisin' the Lord that Walt didn't ask none of us to keep that child while he was gone. He told several of my gentlemen friends that he was going away, an' one of 'em mentioned it the other evenin' while I was entertainin' callers, just spoke of it casual-like, you know, the way men do. ”

“ It's worse most than havin' to take care of Angel, for it means her four kids, the worst here or anywheres else, turned loose on this camp."
But to explain in a measure this seemingly imminent catastrophe with which Mrs. Nitschkan's friends felt themselves unable to cope: For some reason, perhaps the call of her gipsy blood, at intervals of two or three years, the mountain woman became beset with longing for a life more thoroughly in the open than the one she enjoyed. ”

“ Landvetter soothingly, "this ain't a-decidin' vat ve goin' to do about Mis' Nitschkan."
"I don't see nothin' to do at the present time," said Mrs. Evans, "unless we lay the matter before Missioner; she might have some influence with Sadie."
"That's so," assented Mrs. Thomas, with restored cheerfulness; "it's her business to be always ready with spiritual advice an' to bear our burdens for us ”

“ Nitschkan happily.
"I wasted no time in layin' out a strip of red flannel," remarked Mrs. Evans decisively, "pinned it round my arm, so as to have it handy to tie my face up in if Walt come a-knockin' at the door. There's nothin' like an ulcerated tooth in such emergencies. It stands for itself. It don't need no explanations, an' it's known to last a week or more, an' take your mind off everything else."
Her companions hastened to pay her their accustomed tribute of admiration. No matter what the perplexities of the situation, they were so easily dominated by Mrs. ”