National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-06-23

A year OF 1rultless efforts had passed, an
not whisper OF proposal OF marriage
What bad luck Soon her friend Bicb
followed the same delightful road as Mar
ghelide and espouscd the farmer Mcnicho,
Clarette became despondent. She ha
lost fifteen months in displaying her re-
petticoat, and she could not imagine tn
cause of her failure. Was Biebc, then, tn
more charming? ? Nobody would dar
maintain that falsehood. 1t was sutlcen
to see them alongside Of each other at
dance. Clairette always had thirty part
ners more than her rival. Was she NOR,
entertaining? Bisbe could not put to
gether two consecutive ideas, and whel
her beaux spoke to her, she answered onl,
with downcast eyes.
81 have IL - said Claiivtte, meOitatlng
and eager TO know the cause of her dis
grace. "Biebe wears a distaF at her sid,
constantly, even with the water-lar on hel
head and when carrying the basket witt
=, the workmens meals"
The distail, it must be admitted, hac
about it a certain matrimonial virtue which
| enticed young men anxious to marry, the
same As IA mirror attracts looks Clalrettt
was determined to have one of these mag.
ical utensils If plain willow distall
proved 50 highly advantageous TO the
housekecper Biebe. what would not be the
effect OF handsome distatf of hazel, exquis-
itely carved by the best workman of the
village, decked with the finest white wool
! instead Of coarse flax, and entwined with
red ribbons instead Of p1ck-thread
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-
tlonless distail at her belt always displayed
the same flock of wool.
Nov what happened Cairette's ele-
CANT instr ment proved to be less eiica-
cious than the rude willow stick of the in
dustrious Biebe The year passed away.
Cli'rette. at every testivity, 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 FRANCHISE, her
friend Lixandrine-
"Lixandrne, the most ungainly creature
in the whole village, a girl that lmps I"
reported those cIairvoyant people who are
called backbters. eyes, indeed, Lixan-
draue that red headed black face with
wry hips What witch did she 20 to to
get a charm for that miserable Jean Pier
rond What secret did she turn up in
her grandmother's workbag N Clairette
patiently sought a solution of these diff
culties. She thought finally, that she
had found one in the presence OF little
white lambkm which constantly followed
the shepherdess's footsteps.
After making this important discovery
il may be imagined whether Clairette was
prompt in procuring lamb as closely re-
semblng as possible that Of the dark k-com-
plexioned LiAandrine From that day
forth she was never seen without this
pretty little creature bleating and skipping
around her, and always coming to her to
eat bread out Of her hand.
Did suitor follow in tie footsteps of
the lamb No more than he came at the
signal of the red petticoat, or at that of the
cross-ribboned distaiE Day followed day,
month followed month poor Clairette
looked in vain.
To regrets and modification succeeded
despair. Old Aunt Migueline, wise in the
ways of the world, overheard her means
and administered consolation. Where is |
the Young girl who has not some good old |
fairy near at hand to give her counsel if |
she will only take pains enough to listen
to it
"You are weeping, CIairette,' said Aunt
Migueline, addressing her.
Il am crying over my twenty-one years
gone without, without--stoppng," she re-
,ponded.
without fetching you husband, you
mean to say"
"One need not be witch to guess that,
Mlgueline."
"l our red petticoat and gay distatf are
worn out in useless service; your lamb
Kin bleating and frsking around you has
proved equally useless"
"Why do you throw those things up to
me, Migueline p
III say what think, Clairette. Do you
suppose that my eyes, half closed by age,
TO not see clearly into the tolls and snarcs
set by you and those like you on the path
to matrimony Every young girl is an
bird, of the parrot or magpie
order, who, since the world began, is ever
Husband husband and it is
lot necessary to teach her anything in this
irectisn, my dear neice Clairctte."
"'Tls true, Miguelinc. But thought |
night be as fortunate as my friends, and in
their mode of display make
And you are obliged to confess that you
lave had all your trouble for nothing
Poor children, always relying upon color
instead of form. and never finding ont the
rue state of things Yes, the habit of
'our companions appearing in public asso
lated with certain suitable and useful
,blects, has contributed not little towards
,etting them husbands But do you know
he redson2 1t is because the red petticsat
vas woven and made up by the persevering ,
'oung girl who wore it; such an example ,
# her skill and activity in using her needle
admirable proof of her knowing ,
what TO do in the situation in which she is s
'laceG. The distaif likewise proved as ,
to Biebe because she was fear ,
ess spinner, and did not rest satisfied, as ,
ou did, with carrying the implement q
round with her motionless at her belt /; {
he kept the spindle below it and her fin /,
ers always busy, so that the flock Of wool /
r fax had to be renewed ten times day. I
f the lamb did not prove unserviceablc to !
.ixandrine, it was because it was the lead /
r of fine drove of fifty which that careful I
title shepherdess led out daily to pasture, c
arlv in the morning IN summer, and dur i
no the afternoon in winter, avoiding wet n