Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-08-23
From Chambers, Journal.
ON ola r,-.s.mnlSer.

fully, she pondered over long account Just come
in being the sum expended in the making OF my first
evening dressa Sixteen shilngs IN addition to
the materials These London dressmakers are ruin
ous We must find some one to work IN the house,
as did Lydia Jones'" And my poor aunt, newly I'M
ported from the country sighed while she fastened
nv pretty dress-called frock now no more for 1T
marked my passing into the charmed regions OF
Young lad yhood loved it, the pretty pale silk of
simple yet graceful fashion, which did duty as
u: best dressn for more time than richer maidens
would care to confess. The poor old thlng 1ouno
a fragment of it the other day. and sighed. remem-
bering the scenes where it had been and the grlish
bosom which beneath its folds had learned to throb
with deeper pulses than those of pleasure at new
silk dress
NV aunts lamentations that night brought forth
their fruits Lefty, said she, on our next linen
drapery investment, g have found dressmaker to
work as Lydia did, for eighteenpence day You
can help her, my dear, as you used to help LYDIA
Women can never learn too much regarding the use
of their fingers"
"Who is she, and when does she come, aunt @
"Her name is Miss Hilton, and she comes to-mor-
row. Now. my dear, go to your praetlSlng =,
1t was, remember, one of the wettest of all wet
September DAYS STILL at alf past eight A. NJ, there
faithfully appeared our dressmaker" Little cause
had to be alarmed at her-a poor, pale thing, who
when she had taken off her damp shawl recoliect
inwardy wandering at her folly in putting on such
thin one-sat down very quiet and demure' ana
ate her breakfast in silent respect.
was shy girl, Gerry shy girl but believe my
good feelings so far conquered my tmdity as to make
me inquire of Miss Hilton would not take Oft her wet
shoes, and have pair of slippers; and then meeting
my aunts eye, subsidized in fearful bushes, lest
had taken too much notice of {" the dressmaker."
We got on very well together, Miss Hilton and l.
when the work began She took the patterns skill
fully, and yielded to all my little pecuarities about
grace and beauty in costume. Moreover, she did not
treat me as child: but as young lady" and
when, with great dignity, sat down to assist her in
making the skirt of my aunts new dress, Miss Hill
ton still kept respectful silence which soothed my
pride and won my favor amazingly
Now was most romantic young damsel, and
knew nothing of the world except from books, of
which had read an infinity, good, bad and inder-
ent So regarding my companion-with her SMALL
neat figure her face of that sort not properly term
ed good-looking, but yet decidedly looking good
began to take liking for her very soon, and yentur
ed few questions.
- Had she come far that wet morning 2;
Only about two miles,
tShe must have risen early then q
e Yes, about FIVE she had to finish dress before
she came'
What life! Torise at five work till eight, walk
two miles through those muddy lanes, Eve lived
short distance out of London,) e"d then begin the
work again! l said nothing, but thought much
and remember the next time Miss Hilton stood cut
ting out had the sense to place a chair for her
This she acknowledged with faint blush, which
made me think of the sweetest ideal OF all young
dressmakers-Miss Mitford's {" Olive Hathaway"
My dressmaker was IDEAL do not mean to
set her up She was merely gentle modest
quiet young woman who worked slowly, though
carefully, and who for the first day did not to
have idea beyond her needle and thread. The
next, | found she had.
l. always odd sort of girl happened just then to
be wild about new hobby phrenoogy. Now Miss
Hilton had remarkably shaped forehead, and nev-
er rested until I brought the plaster mapped-out
head, and compared her bumps Herewith; upon
which she smiled, and becoming conversational,
seemed to wish to learn something about the new
science So l. forgetting my shyness, and my pride
of caste, began seriously to inform the mind of
new dresSmaker.
| found she had mind, and some graceful taste
withal whereupon l variously undertook my mis-
sion,' I INDUCED her with my juvenile notions on
art and literature and while she developed the skill
of my fingers, I tried to expand her dormant intel
lect. Poor, simple soul! I do believe she enjoyed
it all sitting working at my open window, with the
vineleaves peeping in, dilating the while upon in
Vulnerable subjects, which doubtless had never be-
fore entered her mind. Among these were the com-
try and its beauties. One day some fortunate chance
had brought nosegay of fox gloves, and showing
them to her, found to my intense pity, that my
young Londoner did not even know their name!
:What! Had she never seen wild flowers? Had
she never been in the country o.
40 yes, she had once lived for six months in a
guard-ship off Woodwich, where she had seen the
country the river banks and her little sisters had
sometimes brought home handfuls of daisies from
/
since she could remember and except the six months
in the ship, had never lived anywhere but at Chel-
| sea -
| To me. how dreary seemed such an existence! Tt
stitchstitch ones days away never to read
q book, or walk in country field, even to know
the name of wild flower! Perhaps, in my deer
pity, overlooked the fact, that rarely misses
pleasures never known; yet still my feelings were
strongly excited for poor Mary Hilton. | did no
like her the less for learning that her Christian name
was that sweet one-Nary. And when all the worl
was done, and began to wear the new dresses we
had together fabricated, often thought OF the pale
quiet little thing and hoped that wherever she wa
working OUT it with no harder task-mistres
than my good aunt and l.
i When sent for Miss Hilton again it sud
den call-tO make mourning. The lost relative wa
one too aged and too distant to occasion me mucl
grief, yet remember the very fact of our sitting
sewing black dresses caused our talk to be rathe
t grave; and then the dressmaker told of broth
er-the only one she ever had-who died of consump
ton, and how she used to sit by him at night, an
go out working In the day-towards the last hurry
ing home fast lest anything might have happen
ed Chat painful gloss shrinkingly cast tn
8 cold word death) while she was away. How, at tn
n end, it was she feared. She working with
1 lady, who kept her late to fnish-just to sew on
: few trimmings and hooks and eyes-a mere hal
e hours work. But she was that one half hour to
: late, and never again saw her living brother
e =" 1t was chance-a mere chance" she said, eth
: lady was not to blame" And signing, though with
e out tears-she seemed too quiet for that-the lttl
d dressmaker went on with her work again
d We could not finish the mourning in time; it wa
d my fault fear, inasmuch as had invented far
Is tastc trimming which cost a world of trouble
make, to which poor Miss Hilton submitted with il
Q finite patience. She only asked if she might brin
h assented But always shy of strangers--foun
great discontinue in the pan. Moreover. the sister