The Lambertville press., 1859-09-08
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RlMENT.

Ma, why don't you ever dress up 7" asked
little Nellie Thornton, as her mother finished
brushing the child's hair, and tying her clean
apron. There was a momentary surprise on
Mrs Thornton's face, but she answered care
less1y !" Oh, no one cares how look"
Don't pa love to see you look pretty 2" per-
sisted the child. The mother did not reply, but
involuntarily she glanced at her slorenly attire,
the faded and worn calico dress and dngy apron,
both bearing an intimate acquaintance with the
dish-pan and stove, the slip-shod shoes and
soiled stockings and she could not help remem-
bering how she had that morning appeared with
uncombed hair and prepared her husbands
breakfast, before he left home for the neghbor-
ing market town. Sure enough p she mur-
INJURED, chow do | look" And then memory
pointed back few years to neatly and taste
fully trimmed maiden, sometimes busy in her fa-
theirs house, again mingling with her young
companions, but never untidy in her appearances,
always fresh and blooming and this she knew
full well, was picture of herself, when Charles
the bride he had taken to his pleasant home; how
had mature life fulfilled prophecy of youth 2"
She was still comely in features, graceful in
form, but few would call her handsome or an
accomplished woman !; for alas all other char
acteristics were overshadowed by this repulsiye
trait. Yet she liked to see others neat, and
house and children did not seem to belongto her,
so well kept and tidy did they always look AS
a housekeeper, she excelled, and her husband
was long in acknowledging to himself the un-
welcome fact thathe had married an incorrigible
s1oVen
When, Eke too many other young wives, she
began to grow negligent in regard to her dress,
he readily excused her in his own mind, and
'ethought she is not WE'LL" or " she has SO much
to do !" and perceiving no abatement in his
kind attentions, she naturally concluded he was
perfectly satisfied AS her family care increased,
and she went less into company, she became still
more carelsss of her personal appearance, and
contcnted herself with seeing that nothing was
lacken which could contribnte to the comfort of
her husband and children, never supposing that
so trivial matter as her her own apparel could
possibly affect their happiness All this chain
circumstances, hitherto unthought of, passed be-
fore her, as the little prattler at her side repea-
ted the query" Don't pa, love to see you
look pretty ?"
/" Yes, my child," she answered, and her re-
solve was taken she would try an experiment,
and prove whether Mr.. Thornton was really in
different on the subject or not Giving Nellie a
picture book with which to amuse herself, she
went to her own room mentally exclaiming, At
any rate, I'll never put on this rig again, not
even washing day"
She proceeded to her clothes press and re-
moved one dress after another; some were rag
ged, others faded, about ofstyle, and some un-
fit to wear at length she found one which had
long ago been laid aside as I" too light to wear
about the house 1t was a nice French print,
rose -colored and white, and she remembered it
had once been faVorite with her husband
The old adage, fashions come round in seven
years. seemed true in this case, for the dress
was made in the then prevailing style.
q This is just the thing" she thought, and
she FASTENED to perform her toilette, saying to
herself, q [ must alter my gingham to wear NOR
nings and get it all ready before Charles comes
home" Then she released her long, dark hair
from its Imprisonment in a most ungraceful twist,
and carefully brushing its still glossy waves she
plated it in the broad braids which Charles used
SO much to admire in the days Of her girlhood.
The unwonted task brought back many re-
minisences, as she thought Of the many changes
time had wrought on those she loved, but she
murmured, What hath sadness ikethe change
that in onrso,ros -. find 2" In that hour she
reaalsed how an apparently trivial fault had
gained the mastery her, and imperceptibly
nau placed barrier between her and the one
sne loved best on earth True, be never chided
ner, never apparently noticed her altered ap-