The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-05


The blue sea lacks not anything,
That men can say or maiden sing:
But what it says itself, or sings,
Is but the thought the hearer brings
The maiden hears wedding glee,
The sailor what the wind will be.
|
MISPLACED CONFIDENCE
"Take my advice, now, and don't hav'
up city folks-what do they want o. yol
at the grand ball they be goin, to giveW
Amy Lewis parted her red lips ant
pucKGred up her forehead into the mos
savage form she could conjure; then BIZ
off new thread of cotton, and sewed
faster than ever, while the flush deep
ened in her cheeks, and her grandmother
as she peeled applesfor the sauce, talked
more vehemently in proportion to Amy's
| determination.
"You can't afford it, in the first place,
child, no ways. You amt got clothes
fit to wear to sech aplace-"
81 have enough money to buy me a
dress, grandma-a white tarletane, ruff
fled to the waist in the back, and an
apron in front. l have ten dollars of my
owns"
Amy's face was very pretty as she
lifted it to her grandmothers; a round,
happy face, that the sun had kissed to an
ardent blushing brown, that mate tched the
tint of her eyes, and wood-brown hair.
A very girlish, innocent face, that Mr..
Neal Conway had discovered in this out
of-the-way farmhouse, on one of his ram
bles one day, when he and the party
from Squire Cline's were out picnic
ing.
"But you can't afford to spend your
money on no sech nonsense, Amy, child.
Here's fall a-comin and you'll be wantin'
some fannels, and like enough new
bonnit, an pair O stout shoes, and you
know hain't got nothin' to give you,
dear; what with the short crops, am the
old man a-layin' helpless, and"
Amy interrupted the garrulous kind
ness.
~ know that, granny, and don't ex-
pect any thing except what earn. L am
doing very well this summer with my
dress making, since the ladies came to
Squire Cline's, and-Im goin' to the
party next Tuesday"
She nodded her pretty head decidedly
as she uttered the worus.
The old lady sighed.
"Well, hey your own way. Only don't
see how you can think sech great folks rs
them up at Squire Cline's Ken want you
TO their party, when they hire you to
make their fancy rigs"
81 guess am as good as they are"
Amy flared up, hotly. ''There isn't one
of them that has a better figure ora pret-
Tier face than l have-Mr. Conway says
so, now"
'.Child, child has it got to that already
with you and that city fellow, that he
tells you oil your lace bein' pretty? Amy,
Pm afraid there's trouble brewiTw
Her old eyes filled with tears that
dropped one by one over the wrinkled
cheeks.
"Oh, dear! can't 1 ever have q mo-
mant's enjoyment unless you begrudge
it? And as to Mr.. Conway, he's per-
feet gentleman, l can tell YOU"
Amy's voice rose in petulant anger,
and the light in her eyes giowed red, and
the fires on her cheeks burned in hot
sympathy.
You don't know the way OF the world,
child, or you'd see what see, and what
Miles White see$ that it was sorry day
when young Mr.. Conway came huntiP
for fresh milk for them picnicin' ladies
over i'll the woods; with his shinin' shirt
studs, and his sleeve-buttons as big as
silver haIf-dollar. l tell ye L didn't like
him from the minnlt see him raisin'
his hat to you. like us if you was a queen,
and swingin his cane jest SO free and
familiar-like. He's no lover for you, Amy
Lewis.o
"Who said he was my loverY the girl
retorted, anglily. "And do you think l
care what Miles White says or thinks !?
A gawky, country clod-hopper, who
wears No. u boots, with his pants tuck
ed insidew
Old Mrs. Lewis gathered up her pan of
peeled and quartered.apple in one hand
and the basket of cores and skins in the
other, and started for the kitchen, pass
ing by Amy's chair on her way.
"You'd better give it up, dear. Its not
a reg'lar invite, anyhow, you know; none
o. them big pinkish printed letters they
we sent to the rest o. the folks. Miss
Leah Cline only asked you kind o. jokin'
like, if you wouldn't like TO come up.
DON'T go, dear."
The earnest, tremulous tones smote
ears that were sealed to the loving en-
treaty. Amy shook her head detiantly.
IL said was going, and 1 shall 90 over
to the village, and Guy my tarletane to-
night. Ii Miss Leah hadn't wanted me
she shouldn't have asked me-" Then
she added, in a slightly lower tone,
with certain caressing tenderness i'll
her voice:
"Anyhow, Mr.. Conway will be de-
lighted. He says look like an angel in
white"
Then, with delicious sparkle of an
ticipation in her pretty brown eyes, this
foolish little village dressmaker sat and
sewed, and dreamed sweetest dreams OF
Neal Conway's admiring eyes, OF the
pressure of his aristocratic hand when
he took her own, of the low-spoken COM
pliments on her personal appearance.
Sat and sewed and hummed a low, soft
love-song, and dreamed-as women will.
The little glass that swung between
the standards OH the cherrywood bureau
in Amy Eewis' attic bedroom, returned
a very pretty reflection to Amy's eager
brown eyes as she noted every detail OF
her toilet, prepared by her own hands
for the grandest event of her quiet life
the grand party at the Cline mansion.
She certainly was very fair to see, in
her diaphanic white dress, made accord
ing to the style of the village custom,
that, six months before, had been la
mode in the city.
Her dress fitted her to perfection, only,
it seemed to her, her hands never seemed
SO brown as in contrast to the imitation
Valenciennes ruffies at her wrists; and
it had not occurred to her, until this mo-
ment, that the tips of ner shoes looked
oddly as they peeped out, like black
mice, under the snOw-white skirts. She
would have had white shoes if she had