The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-06-12

woman is naturally disposed to reporl
her toilet as sort Of talisman and no
alone the city dame, but the simplest
young girl OF the fields. ItsuiFices to wea,
Petueoat to posess an instinct for color
and callcoes. Clairette had it in the bigb
est degree; she was sure that She had dis
covered Marghelide's secret; she ran off t.
sell SIX Of her sheep, and bought the dcep,
est scarlet petticoat she could find in tbs
market. 'N ''- '"'
From that day forth Clairette never
went to the spring, to church, to a ball, OF
70 ialr without wearing the attractive
garment in which the lucky AIargbelide
mad captured the tailor Latane.
In, vain, however, did she glide through
the crowd and thus display herself The
women found her tawdry, the young girls
looked envious, while the young men I no
lltely invited her to dance but no mother
ever dreamt of selecting her as wife for
her son, and no son ever uttered word
about taking her for housekeeper.
A year of fruitless efforts had passed and
not whisper of proposal of marriage.
What bad luck Soon her friend Biebe
followed the same delightful road as Mar.
ghellde and espoused the farmer Menichot.
Clalrette became despondent. She had
lost fifteen months in displaying her red
petticoat, and she could not imagine the
cause Of her failure. Was Biebe, then, the
more charming? Nobody would dare
maintain that falsehoOd. 1t was sufficient
to see them alongside of each other at a
dance. Clairette always had thirty part
ners more than her rival. Was she more
entertaining? Biebe could not put to-
gether two consecutive ideas, and when
her beaux spoke to her, she answered only
with downcast eyes.
Il have it." said Clairette, meditating,
and eager to know the cause of her dis
grace. "Biehe wears distaff at her side
constantly, even with the water-jar on her
head and when carrying the basket with
the workmen's meals"
The distatf, it must be admitted, had
about it certain matrimonial virtue which
enticed young men anxious to marry, the
same as mirror attracts looks. Clalrette
was determined to have one of these mag
ical utensils. If a plain willow distai'
proved so highly advantageous to the
housekeeper Biebe, what would not be the
effect Of handsome distaff of hazel, exQuis-
itely carved by the best workman of the
village, decked with the finest white wool
instead of coarse fax, and entwined with
rcd ribbons instead of psck-threadl
The young girl fits herself out; she buys
the choicest spinning apparatus in the
country, covers it with wool as white as
snow, adorns it with ribbons artist!cally
arranged in bows, and never shows herself
outside her door, in the street, or in the
village, without this elegant implement Of
all good and industrious maidens.
One point only had been forgotten, and
that was to twirl the spindle. The mo-
tIonless distaff at her belt always displayed
the same flock Of wool.
Now what happened7 Clairette's ele-
CANT instrument proved to be less eilica-
cious than the rude willow stick Of the in
dustrious Biebe. The year passed away.
Clairette. at every testiyity, found dancers
eager enough to clasp her waist and to
press her hand, but never beau disposed
to talk of marriage. She was now twenty,
and she saw her cousin Francoise, her
friend Lixandrine-
"Lixandrine, the most ungainly creature
in the whole village, girl that limpS"
reported those clairyoyant people who are
called backbiters. ayes, indeed, Lixan-
drane, that rcd.headed black face with
wry hips! What witch did she 90 to to
Get charm for that miserable Jean Pier
rond! What secret did she turn up IN
her grandmother's workbagP Clalrette
patieptly sought a solution of these ditf-
culties. She thought, finally, that she
had found one in the presence Of little
white lambkin which constantly followed
the shepherdess's footsteps.
After making this important discovery
Il NAV be imagined whether Clairette was
prompt in procuring lamb as closely re-
sembiing as possible that Of the darkroom
nIeyioned Li1andrine From that day
forth she was never seen without this
nrettv little creature bleating and skipping
around her, and always coming to her to
eat bread out Of her hand.
Did a suitor follow in the footsteps oil
the lamb? No more than he came at the
SIGNAL of the red petticoat, or at that Of the
cross crSoss-ribboncd distaE. Day followed day,
month followed month poor Clalre''e
looked in vain.
To regrets and modification succeeded
despair, Old Aunt Migueline, wise IN the
w,rs Of the world, overheard her moans
and md administered consolation. Where !;
the the Young girl who has not some good 0Id !!
f,i[v r near at hand to give her counsel 4
she will only take pains enough to lS'el
aYou are weeping Clairette,' y said Aun'
Migueline, addressing her. ,,o,,.
II am crying over my twenty-Cne year
oone without, without-stOpplng' sue IT,
sponded. , , husband. YOU
inta1 .0ne y. need not be witch to guess that