Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-03-17
Three Calico Gowns.


Although it may be very pleasant
thing to see ones own name in print" it is
not allowable to print names, especially when
writing out true story. For this reason
we shall have recourse to fictitious addresses,
and introduce our young lady acquaintance
as Miss Clara Clinton, and her father as
Judge Clinton, of Clintonylle.
Ihcy--that is the people-called the
Judge the oldest mau that ever lived If
oddity consists in having a way of his own,
Judge Clinton was a very odd man He
would insist upon living in a little brown,
old-iashioued house, without carpets upon
the floors and, what was more vexatious, he
would not allow sofa or lounge or rocking
chair Inside the four brown walls. As he
had an idea that the whole country was 60
ing to rack and ruin, because the men wore
broadcoth, and the women wore silks, he de-
clarcd he would wear homcspun as long as he
lived and his women folks should be restrict
cd 20 calico.
As we have nothing to DO with Mrs. Judge
Clinton, we shall not allude to the hearty
yexation with which She carried out the
whimsical old judges domestic relations As
She could DO nothing wiser than to gulp down
ber eb,gr;p .be dif gnln il 1own and va.
mar, lilo rrotended n balieve Min ber bus.
b,nd that tbev could reform the world bv
making Themselves eonspieuou.lv mean and
nncomIortablo
Judpe Clinton was slill in ipdiro.colored
bo,,..sItn and NIrs Jpdge Clinton in p;no.
,.,,,y r,lico ,yben Ms Clor, Clinton bav.
h., re,.Ls3 ,bo ,cc ~ oi,,l,eor and h,y;,,
viii of her ov1 (which ber mother WAS
e-o,, bor G,bcr ,rpo1nced her. desire and
determination To on to n boardino school
Tbo n,J,s bin,5elf h,a l,.on e MOOR boy
scleD5ucated h,rougb bis own cvertions III
wa. nrcof of bis 6umhl, Lirtb and tbe dic.
Gcplt;es ho had overcona ,t Rrpn3erv he
had read Virgl bg tbe ala of a nine knot
and Greek Inv Inc hid of y nennv candle and
solyod tbo ,.-olIers. If FnJ;5 Ly noouIigbt
/ o.rosnec,d5 hut one 1e.irs In ,6e World 9nd
,bot yss tb;rst for Lnovlodgo 81 when
/ NJ Cl.r, rrotostcd tb,, sbe.,nnst and conld
and would 90 10 a boar,lipg sebool Jrdoe
/ Clinton cbeerfnllv acopiesced and svrressed
Ibimsalr rca1v 10 u cash oycrn
IA soorcr was MS ipterestip, suhiect
broaebed. however. than. to Miss Clara's sur.
prise her father selected the most EXPENSIVE
thorough. and ariroeratic institution in the
country. paid the YEARLY expenses in advance
and sent her at once to complete her eduea.
tiop with twenty.fve cents for spendina
money. and three calico aowns for her ward.
robe.
II was b,d epough. Mis-, Clara said. sobbino
an the while as If her beautiful eyes had
really been iouid fountains. 10 be obliged ia
drcat i'm calico but 10 have three calica
GOWNS an alike. from The self.same piece. So
/ nat her compapions would think she had but
one--tbat was Is the hardest to bear Of all"
But the old Judge was incorrigible. He
had saved two shiIlings and sixpence by hav.
inc them all alike. and he was satisfied, if his
da1obter was not
II was a brioht clear Nav morning when
Miss Clara bade alden 10 the uply brown
homestead. and her mother who wiped her
fears on her calico anron, and the sheen that
bore the feeces from which her fathers home.
snun was made She loved every thing about
tbe dnn dyellino now tbat She looked back
mon il from the coocb.window. But soon
/ ,be novelty of her condition overeame her
prief and She forgot all petty vexations in
tbo now scenes and STRANGE neople around
lber
Very weary and trayel-soiled. she alighted
at the end of her Journey. and was shown
into the reeeption room. where were seated
several stvlisb Young ladies. evidently newly
arrived p1pils like herself
There was Miss June with her cxauisitely
fitting crav trayellinc.dress. who looked her
over with n ouizzical look in her dark ewes
and Miss Clara felt sure that the peculiar
smile that linoered unon those sarcastic lin,
owed its existence to the fact that she wore
" calieo.n
Blushinp to her very temples, poor Glars
looked away. only to encounter the gaze O.
Miss Cav who. reclining upon the sofa il
the most faultless attire. seemed absorbed il
studying the pattern of the print.
Miss Cav and Miss June exchanged glancos
and smiles. Tears weled up from Clara's full
heart, but she was too proud to wipe then
away one fell, then another, when soft
voice said
n Yon are very tired | am sure so arc
we all but we shall be attended to soon"
Clara looked her thanks to the gent,
speaker--a Girl yery plainly dressed, and o.
\ sweet winsome countenance, who, bringing
her chair nearer. asked her some trivial ques
tions. and related some amusing experiences
Of her own in reaching the institution.
Clara felt more at case, and, being naturally