The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-10-05
VOLUME 26.Irs

| could manage italian enough for a song;
but what thing did | know we'll enough to
teach it? Not one. And even if had,
there were fifteen applicants for every va
cant situation in the department of instruc-
ton Clearly / must do something besides
teaching.I could not sew fast enough to earn
much in that way. What was | good FORT
My self esteem went rapidly down to zero
when suddenly a new idea took possession
of me- had one endowment that might
make available as capital-taste in dress,
| use the words in the highest sense | not
only knew What was pretty When ! saw II
l knew what would be pretty before
saw it. had original ideas. In the days
when Il had been leader of fashion in my
own set my dresses and my trimmings had
not been serviIe limitations of French models
| had always invented something for my
self, often for my friends. Schneider had
said that my taste would be fortune for
any mantau-maker.- 1t should be a fortune,
then, to me.
matured my plan, and then communities
ted it to my mother. AS had foreseen, il
vexed her sorely at first But when | sci
matters before her in their true light, and
she saw it afforded our only chance of com.
fort and independence, she began to look on
the idea more favorably. She made only
one stipuIation-that should not attempt
to CARRY out my undertakings in New
York. To this | was quite ready to accede
The supercillious patronage Of all my for
mer friends would have been burden quite
to heavy too be borne | should feel more
= I IL 4,
begin elsewhere. My scheme was quite an
ambitious one / ignored the proverbs
about small beginnings, little acorns, and
so on | meant to storm success at the
outset. let the house which we were oc,
cupying for year, and arranged to leave
my mother with the new tenants until
was ready to come for her. Then went
to Boston.
| found vacant rooms in building on
Sumner Street, in which nearly all the up
stairs apartments were used by amilliners
and dress makers. l had no references, but
/ engaged to pay my rent monthly in adj
vance, and having paid the first month, l
arranged my room, aud put my sign-'MIs
MAoaREGoR' ON the door, and down at the
lower entrance. | had hired dressmaker
to go on with me from New York-one
who had been inethe habit of going sout by
the day, and had often sewed for me on
common dresses. She could fit exceeding
well, but she would have been utterly want
ing in the comprehensive ability necessary
to carry on business and she
made no pretentions to taste about trim
mings. She was quite satisfied to be hands
and let me be head, and would be contented
with her weekly wages IN one of my
rooms was wardrobe bed-stead
which she and were to occupy to-
gether till Icould send for my mother
These arrangements made sent to the
Transcript an advertisement setting fortI
the claim to patronage of Miss Macgregol
from New York.
The evening the notice appeared sat
with it alone. in my own room
where until it was time to retire, Miss Gran
ger never iutruded. The die was cast, ano
now l must go forward. For the first time
a kind Of passionate regret, a wild misgiv'
ing, took possession of me, and | cried bit
terly. 1t seemed to me | had given w
| valued in life. If my socia
position, my New York acquaintance, has
been all, l could have borne it without com
planning; but l had resigned much more: =
Two years before had experienced a new
phase of emotion, Not to be romantic, o.
put too fine point upon the matter, hac
fallen heartily, and thought then, irreyo
cably in love. | felt sure, too, that Horace
Weir had loved me- There had been III
between u.s. but when he ven
away in the spring of 1860 to study fo
three years in the hospital of Paris--he wal
to be physician think we had both teI
sure of each others hearts, and looked for
ward to a future together almost as conf
dinghy as if we had been betrothed. =
felt that in giving up all my old asso
Citations and entering upon this new life
was giving him up also. If we had beer
engaged, had faith enough in him to fee
sure that he would have been changed by
40 change of fortune. But, as it was.
had not the shadow of claim upon him. =
We had never correspondent, and when h
came back he would not know where t.
find me. Ishould drop out of his life.
will confess that suffered keeuly at thi
prospect. l would have chung to him if
could. For his sake | would chung, if
could, to position and old associations.
But the simple fact was l could not.
| had been willing to starve genteelly, | wa
not willing that my mother should, am
there was no resource but to go to work
Just then took up bible lying near me
with some vague idea of fiuding in it com
fort or direction, and, curiously enough, nj,
eyes fell upon this passage: 7a
Aud the Lord said unto Moses, Spea1
unto the children of Isreal that they 90 fot
ward
+ ! was just in the state Of mind to receiv
these words in a special direction-a sort c
omen. took them as meant for an ind
cation that had chosen the right path an
must walk on in it. So tried to be brav
to cease to think of Horace Weir-to SUP
press every repining thought, every longini
for the old days of ease and luxury, an
to content myself with the present. | trust
ed that / should succeed. | felt that
should, if could but once make a beginning
| would let the old life go and comnenc
this new one bravely. l had used on IN
sign my middle name, Macgregor, only
| trusted thatif any old friends ever chance
to read my advertisement they would nc
associate Miss Macgregor, dress-maker, wit
Helen Macgregor Bryce, their friend OF th
old time. Perhaps this was weakness; a
any rate it harmed no one, and Macgregc
was more imposing name than Bryc
would have been To be imposing; to
elegant, to become the fashion, was my onI
hope. l had sold two diamond rings of con
siderable value for money enough to star
me fairly; but if, i'll the two months to come
| could not secure paying run of custom
| should have lost my last chance ~
The very next morning a magnifcen
looking dame walked into my room, stated
after the manner of Boston, with a certai
severe majesty appropriate to the hub {
the universe. She was followed by tw
pretty young ladies. had made distir
guisled toilet that morning, and for stated
ness it would go hard if could not mate
her. She bowed loftily. | bowed Ioftity
response, and offered chair. -
Miss Macgregor, suppose
Bow the second on my part.
/ saw your advertisement last evenin,
and came to talk with you about some dres
es. Lubec has disappointed me so man
times, that if could find some one equal