Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-05-27
Sesccten Gales.
From the Lady's Book for May.
THE MILLINER'S APPRENTICE,
OR THE FALSE TEETH.
a Story that has more Truth than Fiction in 1t,
BY PROFESSOR ]. H. INGRAHAM.

Caroline Archer was the most beautiful MILL
ners apprentice that tripped along the streets of
Philadelphia. She was Just seventeen; with the
softest brown hair, that acould burst into thous-
and ringlets over her neck and shoulders, all she
could do to teach it to lay demurely on her cheek,
as a milner's apprentice should do. Her eyes
were of the deepest blue of the June sky after a
shower, not that showers often visited her bril-
liant orbs, for she was as happy hearted as a child
and to sing all day long was natural to her as
to the robin red-breast-at least it was until she
became milliners apprentice, when she was for
bid to sing by her austere mistress, if maid
en- s fingers would not move nimbly with a
cheerful carol on her tongue. Her smile was
like light, it was so beaming; and then it was SO
full of sweetness, and tle-heartedness 1t
was delightful to watch her fine face, with a
smile nantling It's classical features, and her CO.
raj lips just parted showing the most beautiful
teeth in the world. One could not but fall in
love with her outright at sght-yet there was
certain elevated purity and dignity about her that
checked lghtness thought of evil in relation to
her.
Caroline Archer was the daughter of the widow
of highly respectable merchant, who died dur
ing the cholera season. After his death he was
found to be insolvent, and from afhuence and
comfort, Mrs. Archer became poor and dependent
upon her own exertons. Possessing native en-
ergy of character and inspired to exertion by the
necessltyof for four hidren, the eldest
| of whom, our heroine, was but nine years of age,
she collected a remnant of furniture, and
tenanted u small but neat house in an obscure
street in the rear of Arch street Here she eked
out little pttance which she had saved from
the sale of her jewelry, by taking in sewing from
mantau makers and milliners, and by needle and
worsted- work, which she disposed of when COM
pleted at the usual repositories for such articles.
Thus by great care, prudence and industry, she
was enabled to clothe and educate Caroline and
the three boys, and even to save up four hundred
dollars, which she placed at interest in the Saw
ing's Bank. Caroline at length reached her ff-
teenth year, and at that age gave promise of the
loneliness that we have described her possess
ing. Her mother now looked forward to the time
when she should become governorness, for, for
that station had she been educating her and be-
tween hope and fear was now about to draw up
on the little means she had husbanded for this
very purpose, and place her under music and
French master 1t was at this period that the
pecuniary tornado burst upon the land; and the
very morning she would have gone to the bank
in which she had deposited her little earnings, she
learned that the institution had become bankrupt
and worthless She had lost her ALL Without a
murmur, for she was Christian, and Christiani-
ty had taught her to school her heart to the teach
ings of adversely, she banished her ambitious
hopes for her child forever from her breast, and
placed her, the very day on which she had learn
ed her adversely, as an apprentice to mlliner
and mantua- maker IN Walnut street
At the period of our story Caroline had been
nearly two years an apprentice, during which
time sorrow and maternal anxiety had undermin-
ed her mothers health so far that she was unable
to contribute longer to the support of her family
the care of which now devolved on this noble girl
| All day she labored at her needle in the little
back parlor of the shop. Her task done, she has.
tened home through The twilight to attend to the