Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1893 — Checkmated. [ARTICLE]

Checkmated.

People who resort to roundabout means to gratify their curiosity sometimes meet with unexpected rebuffs. Mrs. Simmons was possessed of an overwhelming desire to know all about her neighbors’ affairs, but she seldom asked a straightforward question. It was her way to say, “Mis’ Spencer is jest eat up with wantin to know” this or that, or “I heard Mis’ Hallet remarkin’ that she should admire to be told how you managed to do” so and so. Usually her neighbors gave her the information she wanted, though they were often irritated into calling her a “meddlin’, interferin’ old piece.” When the new minister came to Cyrusville, his young wife was forewarned by the ladies of the parish to be “a leetle close-mouthed with Mis’ Simmons, my dear, if you can compass it, fer her tongue is as long a*, her ears. ”

“I shall try to.” said the little woman, calmly. She succeeded, even though the Simmons house was next to the parsonage, which was certainly a trying circumstance. For a week or two Mrs. Simmons contented herself with asking slightly impertinent questions in a comparatively direct way, hut one day she unfortunately reverted to her timeworn habit. “Mis’ Gregg said she’d give a good deal to know what that trimmin’ cost on your Sunday dress,” she remarked, peeringatthe minister’s wife with her cold little eyes. “You didn’t tell her, did you, Mrs. Simmons?” inquired the lady, pleasantly. “Why, no!” gasped old lady Simmons, quite taken off her guard by this inexpected rejoinder. “Thank you,” said the little minister’s wife, sweetly. “I felt confident you would know that I shouldn’t care to .have everything of that sort discussed in the parish.” And between this tribute to her discretion and a confused feeling that evidently the minister's wife credited her with secret sources of information, old lady Simmont’ aaouth was closed, and her mind employed in speculation for the r«at «»f that afternoon.

Tiie senior surviving officer cf the confederacy is James Longstreet, for whom a New York firm is now publishing a book. Beauregard was the last of the full generals, Longstreet heading the list of lieutenant generals. He is a very old man now, gray and deaf. He lives quiefy and simply at his home in Gainesville, Ga. General U. S. Grant and Longstreet were army friends before’6l. Longstreet accepted office from Grant when the latter was President, and has since taken no part whatever even in local politics.