The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-06-17
w HITE HANDS

n nne manu- Is one Oh the nrSC points
of beauty.
Thus read Kate Palmer as she sat at
the parlor window on bright winter
morning Letting fall the magazine in
which she had been reading, she lock-
ed complacenily at the delicate, tapered
fingers that lay among the crimson folds
of her dress. Her other hand, adorned
with snowy cuff and simple bracelet of
jet, crushed the brown curls that fell
ever her brow.
1t was pretty scene for those who
passed through the frozen street on
that clear cold morning-a radiant,
lovely picture The lace curtains
drawn aside, the arm chair of blue
plush, and the graceful form that filled
it, the merino dress looking warm and
feecy in the sunshine, the young head
pensively bowed, the down-cast eyes
and delicate profile, the shining curls
and the lovely hand carelessly pressing
them. II looked beautiful, and Kate
knew it, So she sat still, gazing re-
fiectively at the snowy hand on her
knee. les
oh, dear p she sighed, L wish l
had ring! ia give all the world for
solitaire like Madge Marsden's! How
artfully she put up her little fat hand,
and pretended to be biting her finger
nails, so that 1 might see her diamond
Engaged to be married---the ideal She
is as plain as pipestem, and not much
longer, engaged! And L, well, every
body knows that I'm pretty, and
where's the harm of Knowing it myself?
TO face the truth, I've never had an
offer! Of course Madge is fool. l
wouldn't have Dick Jaylf he was hung
with jewels from his nose to his toes
not | /! But there is one would have,
and oh wouldn { 1 have diamonds too?
Well. it takes two rings to get married,
and haven't either of them. To be
sure, there's time enough yet. I'm
just eighteen, and prettier than any
girl I know, if 1 do say it. Shan't L
feel old when get to te twenty, though
Kate was interrupted by the entrance
of her mother, faded woman OF fifty,
whose whole appearance indicatd life
of labor. III lsz. i--f ST.
kate said Mrs. Palmer, with some
severity, you must do something I'm
so tired that 1 can hardly stand, and
here you sit, hour after hour, idling
away your time. You mast change
your course. L cannot do all the work
any longer. Change your dress imme-
diately and come down stairs.
There, mother cried Kate; you'll
spoil that plush! the idea of sitting down
in the parlor with such looking dress!,
p Those words, 'the idea,' conveyed
Kate's strongest contempt. Mrs Pal
mer's face wore an expression ot,des
pair IN
my daughter,' she said quietly, but
in a voice that shook with feeling, Il.
am growing old. have labored hard
to bring you up according to my theo-
ry of right. Too late l see that was
wrong. 1 have denied myself a thou
sand things, that you might be denied
nothing. From your infancy i have
dressed you elegantly, and always atthe
expense of my own comfort. Year in
and year out, have toiled like slave
that you might enjoy the advantages
What reward bave L? l was content
to live in four pleasant rooms, but you
wanted more style; and since 1 had ncv
er learned to deny you, l came here. /
was content with three-ply carpet and
furniture of mahogany and hair cloth,
You must need have brussels, and
plush, with rosewood, and marble. You
were ever gratiGed, but at tefriblesao-
rifcei Then ] never kept servant;
now | certainly cannot. Yet the work
is four times what it was, and Ina: III
rally thoug hti that you would assist me,
but l mistook. You must be dressed
in elegance at all times-anythiug is