The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-05-06
How a Young Lady Goes to
Bed: SO

Fanny Downing, writing fo1
the Land We Love, thus explains
the mysterious process by which {
young lady prepares for bed. W.
rather like it:
Dismissing Mandy, her foste,
sister and maid, Miss Preston per
! formed the task of disrobing TO,
the night, without other assis
J.; tance than that Of her own MIN.
bic fingers.
! FIRST the little lace collar and
ribbon were removed from the
neck, and the bright merino dress
laid aside; next the snowy skirts
were lifted over the head, then a
spring touched in front of the
rounded waist, when with a click.
ing and metallic sound, down came
| the wide expanse3 Of crinoline,
while Miss Charleyzsteppe out OF
its steel circle, considerably col
lapsed, brt all the prettier. A
somewhat. similar mechanical op.
Grafton was repeated, and numer-
Gus springs and curls were set in a
lively motion, and then with a
stretch upward of the plump
white arms and & a long drawn
|csigh of relief, off came the little
French railroad" eorsets, and the
dimpled shoulders Of the wearer
rose in unrestricted freedom.
The snowy night gown vas
now slipped over the head and it's
delicate frills 'daintily adjusted to
the throat and wrists. Next the
mirror was visited, and the charm
ing little. moues made at the bright
face it reflected, and then seizing
the brush, the girl proeeeded to
apply tito her glossy curls until
they .shpne ikezsatial. -. -. 80. -
-. =
!. Thence. to the wash-st tand,
where teeth, white as cocoa-nut
meat, were rubbed until they
cleaned still whittier, and the rosy
face dipped in the gilded basin of
pure, cold water until it glowed
with renewed crimson. And then
drawing a low seat close to the
ire, thecyoung girl laid one pretty
foot lightly on her knee and be-
gan. to .unlace the tiny boot which
encased it; in few moments both
little feet were bare in their child
ish beauty, and pressed down on
the hot bricks Of the hearth, =:
while careful measurement was
lhade as to the relative lengt hs of
the big toe and the one next to it,
ior in this important difference
depends the momentous question
as to which of the two : Shallrule in
the future married life of the
measurer. 1t. having been de-.
creed by mysterious and :immuta-
ole signs, that should the great
toe be the longer. the forthcom-
ing lord Of the: lady will be her
master as well, while If the sec
ond has the pre-eminence, a SINH |
Jar fate in store for herself, and
her only master will be her own
sweet will. .
In the present instance, both of
the soft pink toes were Of such
sameness Of length that the. inter-
ference was sufficiently clear that
destiny decreed the married life
of Miss Charley Preston should
be a state of equal rights.
The young lady sat still and
amused herself by doing a little
prospecting in the way of gazing
down into the Goals glowing be-
fore her, and then taking her
Bible from it's stand, she read the
lesson appointed for the evening,
then knelt and said her simple
prayers. A puff Of fragrant
breath from a pair of rosy lips,
and out went the candle, leaving
he room lightened only by the
'ich fire light. The unbolting
he door, that Mandy, who slept
n her young mistress room,
night gain access, when it should
please her TO; leave the delights
# the kitchen, the young girl
urned back the soft blankets
md snowy sheets of her bed. |