Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-10-09
A STORY OF A CAP.


HkG person as she entered fashionable lace shop
me proprietor with polite bow, handed the la
ny chair, and producing the cap alluded to, re-
commended 1t IN the usual SET phrases.
Fray; what is the price" inquired Mrs, Now.
pray with dissatisfied air. after viewing it in eve
~ imaginable position, and scrutinisng its mator-
ais ana workmanship with patient mnuteness
The price is seven shillrngs, madam answered
the shopkeepcr, rubbing his hands.
seven shlngs! exclaimed Mrs Mowbray /;
"hy nave seen them marked up a score of places
ioi SIX and at the bazaars they are cheaper still,
Excuse Inc madam, replied the shopkecper
not such caps as that, think Observe the fine
quality of the materials, and the neatncss of the
workmanship IT is a first rate article
'Oh yes see rcioined Mrs. Mowbray but the
caps TO which allude are quite equal to in
ry respect The fact is, do not particularly want
1t; but if six shillings will do will take it,
The shopkecper hesilatcd. Il suppose You must
have 1t then, madam said he with saddcned coun-
tenancc, 'but really get no profit by ii at that
price,
'Oh,' said Mrs. Mowbray with a bantering air.
'you shopkeepers never get any profit if we are
to believe YOU You mean to say you do not peck
ct quite fifty per cent. by it,
The shopkeoper with faint effort to SMILE
! shook his head as he neatly folded and wrapt up
the delicate article, and Mrs Mowbray having
counted out the six shilIings, he politely ihaut-
cd her, opened tac shop door and babe her good
day.
There, Jane said Mrs. Mowbray as she enter
ed the paror on the arrival at home what do you
think of my purchase 2 holding up her new acaui.
sitlon. is 1t not love Of cap? Guess what
gave for it,.
Jane examined it infinitely, and guessed the price
to be seven or eight shlllings, the materials and
work being as she remarked so very good.
only SIX shillings' said Mrs. Mowbray trium-
phantly 'thc shopkecper asked seven, but | sue
nf'a.ltt ft,N.r 1f...
walking up TO the looking glass II assure you am
not little pleased with my bargain
We'll, SAID Jane 1t is wonder they can afford
to sell such a cap for the money! the materials a.
lone, should think, would cost as much as that
1t is WONDER replied Mrs Mowbray indifier-
emily, as she turned herself round from before the
looking glass, and inquired of her sister how it sui
ted her face, and whether the color of the ribbon
were adapted to her complexion.
A loud double knock at this moment was heard
at the door, and Mrs. Mowbray, taking off the cap
in the greatest trepdation remarked that she would
not for the world that her husband should know of
her purchase, as her last months millinery bill had
been very heavy, and Edward would be dispeased
at what he would term her extravaganza.
The cap was safely deposited before Edward had
entered the room who, throwing himself on the
sofa, declared he was iutigued and should be glad
of cup Of tea.
"You are late, my dear, this evening, are you
not" inquired Mrs Mowbray
Z" am later than usual" answered Mr. Mowbray
" | have been attending committe meeting of our
benevolent Society, which detained Inc some time"
"Your benevolent Society is always OBTAINING
you, think" said Mrs. Mowbray, somewhat re.
proachfully; benevolent Societies are very 90
things doubt, but think you have quite sufi-
cent to do, both with your time aud your money!
without attending to any such things. What can
we do for the poor? 1t is very well for those who
have nothing to do and plenty of money to spare
but cannot see how persons with SO limited an in
come ours have any business with benevolent
societies."
"Well, my DEAR" replied Edward, 81 have thot
on the subject sufficiently to entite me to decd-
ed opinion; am sure if you had been with us to-
day, and had heard the Instances of good we have
already effected, you would not hold so lightly the
eXertons Of such humble individuals as we.
hope | am neither neglecting my business nor my
home in these efforts and am confident you will
rejoice with me when | tell you that we have good
reason to hope that we are making some Impress
ion, however little, upon the wee and ignorance
which have so long made those lanes and alleys
at the back Of our house a nuisance TO the neigh
borhood."
'Of course, my DEAR said Mrs. Mowbray, Il
wish to sympathse with you in any Of your efforts
to do GOOD
I'VE have some funds in hand,' remarked Mr..
Mowbray, and have promised our committee to
visit the poor families myself to morrow, to ascer-
tain their individual circumstances, and the best
means of sewing them. Let me add my DEAR
said he coaXingly, that hope you will accompany
me and share with me the pleasure Of inqulring
into their necessities, and endeayorng to alleviate
their Distress
Mrs. Mowbray would willingly have conceded
to her husband the monopoly of this pleasure: but
after making a host OF objections, and excuses,
which were successfully combatted by him, was at
last brought to acquesce in the WISH and promised
IN bn in ont ~ fol ntt IN .
company him on what she nevertheless deemed
QuiXotc expedition.
The next day Mrs Mowbray was rclucontly
ready on her husbands return from business, and
thoroughly attired for the occasion they started on
their exploratory tour.
Leaving the main thoroughare, with its genteel
dwelling houses and ghttering shops, they turned
down little bye street. at the end Of which they
found themselves IN the midst Of huge nest, us it
were of courts and alleys, which presented sri-
king contrast with the gaudy street they had Just
! left. Mrs Mowbray was so shocked at the sight
of such wretchedness that she hesitaed to proceed
! till treasured by her husband, who well knew the
! locality, and had often visited the poor families be-
/ fore.
The appearance of the spot was indeed deplora-
! ble and not little startling to one whose walks
1 had been confined to the public thoroughfares. 1t
was lovely afternoon, yet even the suns piercing
beams could scarcely penetrate some of these
! cheeress gloomy hooks Here were clusters Of
pestlerous novels, some without doors, crowded
| with human beings, though unfit even for the hab-
! ation of the most vaiueless animal. In MANY the
! old window panes we're broken, while others were
so dirty, and patched with paper or stuffed with
rags, that they but very partially admitted the light
of the day. Ragged aud vicious boys were gam
boiling in groups, and barelooted children were
playing in The Shiny mud, some squalid and puny
in consequence Of bad irand insufficient food and
others whose chubby features displayed, in spite Of
dirt and privation, robustness of health that would
have done credit to the nobleman, Here were
gaunt men, with dull meaningless countenances
sitting on their comiortess thresholds, and bony
haggard women screeching for their strayed child
rem, while the scarcely concealed forms of the
younger females might have served as models for
of human sympathies Of the purost kind. Girls
were nursing their baby sisters with most patient
| IL. 81 g., ~.