The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-06-17
The Sky Blue Dress.

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the breeze as they escaped from the thraldom
of the schoolroom, and rushed galy out in the
open air.
One remained behind to obtain a caress
and parting kiss from the lips of the little lady
who sat behind her desk with a look of weari-
ness that accorded i'll with the sweet and child
ish face upon which itrested.
Good bye, Miss Ray whispered little
Nelly Foster, stealing close to the side of the
schoolmistress, and laying her hand upon her
arm.
Alice started from brown study into which
she had fallen, with her head leaning upon her
hand.
ooh, Nelly! sit you? good bye my darling.
Stop! I wonder if | have not something in nv
desk for YOU She opened the desk, drew
forth an orange which she placed smiling in
Nelly's little hand.
''Oh, thank you Miss Ray. Brother Charles
came home yesterday from way over the sea,
where he has been SO long, you know, and
brought such heaps of oranges, and-why,
Miss Ray, what is the matter? are you sick?
how white you are! andsnow your cheeks are
red as roses"
'"Yo our brother, did you say, Nelly? has he
returned? When did he come, Nelly?" And
Alice tried to calm the quivering lips, and press
ed her hand tightly on her bosom.
HE came home astnighs, Miss Alice We
did not expect him; he wanted to surprise us
he said. And sister Bell is going to give
large party next Thursday, and you are to be
invited, and ever SO many others. She didn't
know was in the pantry, and heard all about
it," said Nelly laughing, "for heard her tell
mother not to tell Nelly, for it would be all
over the village before night. Charlie don't
look as he used to, at all; he's as tall as-the
Westinghouse, most, and his beard looks just
like my goat BilIys, only it's black. l told
him so too l don't think l shall like him as
we'll as l used to do; he looks too much like
my goat Billy; though when said so, he only
laughed.
well, Nelly, good bye till tomorrow morn
ing" said Alice leading the little one to the
door,
Il am going home now, don't tell Charlie
that you told me he had come" She returned
for moment to place in her retcue precious
little pile of silver, which had that day been
paid her as the price of her toll, and then left
the schoolroom.
Very, very naughty, was that little heart to
throb and Hutter SO, just when she wanted 1t
to be particularly calm and quiet. Only the
flowers that looked up into her face, . she
tripped lightly homeward, knew what vary
ing, tell tale face it was. Pretty too, they
thought it, I am sure, or they never would
have nestled SO lovingly in her face and bosom,
where she loved so much to place them.
"Mother, she exclaimed, springing lightly
into the house, and flinging her bonnet upon a
chair, "who do you think has come home?"
Il know, dear child, our village newspaper,
Miss Charity Grizie has been here this after
noon."
Eyes and precious lot of news she had to
communicate, too,' cried Kate, a lovely black
eyed lass of fifteen; Charity, indeed! [ wish
l might name her, I'd call her spteful.'
kate, my DEAR" said Mrs. Ray, gently.
| Il would mother, and she would deserve it
richly, too; why what do you think she told
US AIice?" and her black eyes snapped at the
bare recollection, all unhecding her mothers
reproving glance ''Shc said that Charlie s
sister Bell was going to give d party, and that
thanks to little Nelly, it was pretty well known
through the village. Then she went on to say
that as she was at work at Mrs. LincoIns to-
day, making pink dress for Rose, they began
to talk about the party, and about Mr.. Charles
Foster, who it seems has grown quite famous,
all at once, and last :-}out you"
"WeIl, what did they say, Kate, said Alice
smiling.
Rose said she thought you an artful, sin
ming little thing, to have cntrapped that Charlie
into paying you SO much attention, as he did,
before he left three years ago; but now that
| he had come home, and found our fortunes so
changed and you only a schoolmistress, he
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began to make fun of the dresses you wear,
which I am pretty sure are AS pretty as any OF
hers. if they don't cost twenty dollars a piece,
and then said she was sure you would appear
at the party, next Thursday, in the same white
muslin you had worn two or three years. The
spitefu thing! l can't bear her. nor Miss Grizio
either; I knew she enjoyed the. telling of it,
Alice stood with flushing check and heaving
heart, while Kate flung about the room in a
voice of Indignation, placing the cups and sau-
GERS upon the table with a vehemence that
threatened to smash them to pieces, though
they were not by any means of the most deli
cate ware.
They were by the death Of their father, and
sudden reverse of fortune, very differently
situated from the bright days of former years,
and the earnings of Alice helped to swall the
slender resources of Mrs. Ray. The mother
of Alice was an invalid, and her daughter Of
ten sighed, as she thought of the many COM
forts which were needed by her, which she
was unable to obtain. But with the money she
had this day received, fifteen dollars in shining
silver, and resolved to purchase what she had
long wished for the ease and comfort of the fee
BILE one heloved so dearly and devotedly, IAN in
valids arm chair.
She had often passed such a one on her way
to school, and sighed to have it in their own lit
tie room, and few hours ago, her heart had
beat ioyfully, at the thought that she had it in
her power to obtain it. But somehow that
speech of Rose Lncoln's troubled her. That
muslin dress it was old and shabby. She
needed a new one, if she went to the party,
and she wouldn't stay away for anything, now
somebody had come home, and her checks
| flushed.
Charlie had been lover of hers in days
oone bv, and her woman's heart still thrilled
at the sound of his name, though he perhaps
had forgotten all about her, as she thought 10
herself with sigh.
She helped set the table with a thoughtful
| cOunteQaUce,