The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-06
A Girls Good Sense and What Came of It.

| 1t was scrupul0usly neat and dainty
in all its appointments, the little parlor
where Mrs. Breie hton sat, although the
| carpet was tissue of darns, the ,iurni-
ture iaded, and the hearth rug skilllully
eked out by a piece of quite another
A few flowers, in slender-throated
vase, stood on the antique, claw-legged
table, the tender-irons gllttered like gold,
and the thin muslin curtains, artistically
mended here and there, were white as
snow; and Mrs. Brighton herself look
ed like Cinderella's god-mother,'in her
dress of ancient broGade, best yellow
thread lace, and the rings glittering on
her small, shYiyeled hands.
Eighty years old, and lady to the last!
That was something to be proud OF.
What though paralysis had robbed her of
all use OF those daintily sllppered feet
what though the grand house she had
entered as bride was now narrowed
down to this one room in second rate
building, where two other families also
set up their household altars--she was
lady still, and she could boast that she
never had degraded herself to common
place toll.
"Our means are limited" said old Mrs.
Brighton, with the lofty air OF duch-
ess; ''but the pension OF my son, the
Colonel-who, as you probably may re-
member, was killed on the Florida fron-
tier-is sufficient to maintain myself and
my two granddaughters-and we are la
dies"
Minnie Brighton presently came in
with her little chocoataire on napkin
covered tray, and two slices OF toast, eX-
quistely Drowned and cut as thin as
twafer.
IL hope you haven't been kept waiting
grandma ?'' she said.
"My dear'-with an air of mild resig-
nation-''I am accustomed to wait"
son, Pm So sorry! But our fire is out,
a.. and had to run in and borrow the use
of Mrs. fuckers stove to boil the choco-
late, and"
Mrs. Brighton contracted her silvery
brow.
"The Breightons are not borrowing
race, Minnie"
"shall l get you an egg, grandmam-
map" s'7s ss.,s,s4...
"No, if the fire is out, my .dear.D
And grandmamma Breighthii went on
with her breakfast, wearing an injured
air, while Minnie went back to the other
room, where she SAT with her twin Sis
ter, c0gitating.
Anna Brighton was as pretty as
Minnie, but in different style. She was
and olive skin, and lips like Il pome-
| granate flower, SO perfectly shapeu, so
richly red; while Minnie was tall and
slender and iair as u daisy.
Anna laid down slip OF greasy paper
as NJ innie entered.
"Ips the grocer's bill again, sister.
| What shall we dow
| Minnie sank into chair. ,......
.sAnd the gas yesterday, and the land
lord not paid, and the purse is empty as,
Mother Hubbard's cupboard, What
| shall we doT
"That's the question:" said Minnie, re-
| fectiyely archlng her jetty brows. "If
we can only keep it from grandmammaW
"We must" restored Minnie, with a
decisive nod. 'sIt would kill her." "If
we were men now, Nanny, we could 60
out and get job OF woodsawing, or
house painting, Or"
"And why can't we now?"
| "Why? Because Pat O'Neil has got
all Mrs. Barker's wood to saw, and be-
cause we can't climb ladders, with paint
pots over our shoulders"
"But we can do something else, [ sup
pose. Listen, Minnie-mOney we must
nave"
s'If we go out Oh the highways and ask
it at the point of the bayonet," interject-
ed Minnie grayely.
''There's no poverty like genteel pow
erty," her sister sighed. But you
haven't heard my plan. Mrs. Baker,
the Iaundress in our top story, is SICK"
"What then? We have neither wine
nor jelly, nor yet crisp bank notes to be-
stow upon her."
"Anl she can't keep up to her engage.
ments. There are two Swiss muslin
ball dresses, fluted and puffed beautiful
| ~, hn,. ho lY vGo tn ha inN 10
up, ut this present moment. Five dol
lars apiece she has for them"
"Well?"
81 shall do them up"
"Nanny! You"
"Well, why not? Think what a golden
stream of pactelous ten dollars would
be in our empty Golfers! Ask yourself
how Oh earth you or l could earn ten
dollars any other way. And after all,
q Swiss muslin dress is a pretty poetical
sort of fabric to wash and iron; and into
the bargain, poor Mrs. Barker keeps her
customers"
"Oh, Nanny! have you come to that?"
"Now, you look and talk exactly like
dear old grandmamma! Don't be a
goose, Minute! just you invent some
story about my promenading in the
park, or taking lessons in wax flower
making, to- delude her credulous soul,
while / 20 up stairs and coin money"
''But 1 may help you~
"By-and-by, perhaps, if my wrists gel
tired. But now, some one must stay
with grandnamma:"
'It is very strange" said Miss Georg.
ictte Appleton, "that my dresses haven't
come homel Positively, shall have
nothing to wear tonight"
she was lounging before the sea-coal
fire, in blue silk neglige, trimmed with
swan down, and a little French tangle Of
blue ribbons and lace pinned among hel
lyellOw tresses, with a pearl-headed jave
lin, while novel lay in her lap.
"What an awful easew observed the
brother carelessly. "Where's the ame
!, thyst silk"
"Oh, l wore that to their last recep
tion."
; "And the pink crape?"
~ look like an owl in pink. Twas {
goose ever to buy that silk"
1.-The Nile green silk with white
houncesW
"Sarah Howard has one, just shade
. lighter, that she'll be sure to wear, ant
l believe the .spiteful thing got it on pur.
pose to kill mine. No, must have the
+ Swiss muslin with knots of blue corr
flowers, and Roman sash figured will