Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-07-16
Lou's Balloon.

NuN uhts n liitN MNtl
Lou's Balloon.
| was sitting quietly in my room one
morning, when a note from my old friend,
Lou Livermore, was brought in. am
very fond Of Lou, as indeed all her friends
are; though she still remains like Holmes
aunt,
The sole ungathered rose
On her ancestral tTee.n
She lives far up in tho country, but oc-
casiOnally comes TO Boston on a visit
Her note was as follows:
DEAR lIEPsEr; Here am in the Hub, at
the west end Of il is that the hubbiest part,
wonder2 am coming over 10 see You on
Thursday meant 70 % to-day but can't
Il IN all used up" clear tucked out" as
aunt Polly used to say. What has done it2"
Why my new dress and such dress Il
would give you fits to see how my back is
hutched up and pulled out. I'm a regular
balloon; a fashion plate a anything that is
huge and hdeOus--a camel or dromedary, for
example only they, poor things, were born
with humps on their backs, and ! wasn't
" How came ] 50 deiormed2n lnaneyil hour
listened to the voice Of the tempter, and put
myself into the hands Of a city dressmaker
" She's very stylish quoted the teinpter.
Little wrecked !, in my ignorance, what that
meant and | went 10 her rooms in sweet, con
iding simplicity, bearing an innocent-looking
dress pattern under my arm. ! had three
seances with Mrs. Cuttit, a most imposing
parsonage, of whom stood in mortal terror /;
and at length emerged, transformed. | went
in slim ! came out stout ! went in erect /;
Lcame oat hump-backed | went in with for
ty dollars in my purse came out th just
enough to pay NY fare home on the street
car-the collapse having been Transformed
from my person 10 my purse with incredible
celerity and ease
Verify, fashion doth make towards Of us
all - yea, and puff-balls also wish had
the coumge to 60 through the world in a gored
gown without pinch or puff or pucker in it :
but haven't; 80 am a balloon, that by some
incomprehensbo machinery is raised into
mountainous ridges. Surmounting these ridges,
at right angles 70 my body-if there be a body
inside this corrugated globe, Of which am in
serious doubt, 70 say nothing Of an immortal
sOul--prQjects lan-shaped, be-tringed, be
pucsered basque, looking, for all the world
like a spread turkey-tai On top of this pro-
lection n good sized trunk could be comfortably
seated only it might fall in wonder if a
pappoose couldn't be inserted somewhere |
do 50 long to blend the useful with the orna-
mental
Now, Hepsibah, you are sensible married
woman, competent to give good advice and |
ask you, what am | to do Go round the
world in this harlequin guise, or give the
whole thing q great smash p ! should be glad
to preserve a modicum Of self respect but how
can inside Of u balloon?
| shall appear in full spread on Thursday to
spend the day. can't sitd0wn but should
/ like the loan Of bed post and cord | might
90 up, you know. Till then, in every fibre Of
my stiiening,
IHH orEAI Ear@SDED.
l sat laughing over this, when in walked
Hester Graywood, another old friend. AZ
ter the first salutation, she slowly twirled
herself round, and sank into chair, ex-
claiming;
Behold the woman who dares !"
All | saw; she, too, had on a new
dress. 1t was of silvery grey silk, made
with one skirt, without a particle of trim
ming on it, and a sacque Just bound with q
bias fold of the same Yes, she had dared
1t was really refreshing sight; and she
looked perfectly bewitching in her Quaker
| like costume. But then, Hester Graywood
is such pretty little creature, she can't
help looking lovely in anything and she
knows it; so it does not require so great
courage in her to dare. Yes, she looked
charming. Yet, on a second glance, there
seemed kind of baroness about her, as il
something were wanting. Was this be-
cause | had looked so long on mountains o.
frippery that my eye and taste had both be-
come corrupt ? Ten years ago we all wore
such plain, single skirts, and considered
ourselves elegantly dressed why should
they look mean and skimpy now
read LOUIS note to Hester, and sh'
promised to join US at dinner on Thursday
" Extremes should meet" she said.
She staid while and we had little
talk on dress, and the bondage fashior
imposes or how the taste of the com
munity is corrupted by the overloaded, un
graceful styles in vogue now, aud on many
other things, such as sensible women Dc
talk about when they get together,
"0ne of the greatest evils Of this absurC
overlooking" said Hester, is that it 81
fearfuly overworks women. We hear
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