The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-01-08
LOTIIE'S BALL DRESS.


chanted gold shine of the honeymoon
and now, upon this clear December
morning, the young wife sat It the
breakfast table, in a most becoming
1legtige OF rOse-ribbons and dove-col-
ored cashmere, with an open note in her
hand, and her blue eyes sparkling with
delighted animation. A pretty picture
to look upon, for Mrs. Mellen was very
pretty-a tall, velvet checked blonde,
with her hair shining like braided snn,
beams, beneath the coquettish little
breakfast-cap she wore. L.
BEST, Clarence? /? Why, of course, II
is best! Lulu Sparks would give he,
ears to get cards to Mrs. Benedict:
ball."
"I dare say" said Mr.. MelIen, dryly,
q But did you ever read La Fontaine'.
Fables ?"
What do yOu mean, Glare ?"
"Only that it contains a story con,
corning an iron pot and crockery pot,
that swan down stream together. Ol
course, the china pot gots mashed"
Il don't see what your ridiculous
old fables have to do with me-"
A great deal, my love Mr.. Bane-
dict is rich banker. I am only conf
4Eential clerk, in his brothers employ.
Mr.. Benedict has a thousand dollars,
probably, where have one. Our spheres
lie spart. Is it best, then, for MS to
compete with them in any one respect?'
Because we attend ball at their
house, We needn't necessarily compete
with them, " pouted the yeung wife, be-
ginning to pull at the fringe of her
breakfast napkin. "Of course, if they
invite rs, it is only natural to suppose
that they want us to come"
/ presume, my dear, we are invited
out of compliment to Mr.. Benedict's
brother, who is kind enough to think
favorably of your humble servant"
And it would be very rude not to
CO."
"I don't think regrets would be
taken in bad part, Charlotte. Besides,
what have you to wear that would COM
pare with the toilets of Mrs. Bentley
Benedict's fashionable friends ?"
That's just what I was going to
speak about" said Mrs. MelIen. "
really did need a new silk dress. That
pea green affair is actually beginning to
look shabby, and the black silk 1 had
when we were married is positively old
fashioned by this time"
" 1t is only thirteen months, Lottie. u
"But fashions alter SO, Clarence, YOU
know. Now there's a lilac moire an
tique at Grant's-the lovliest shade You
ever saw, and positive bargain, on ac-
count Of there being only twenty-five
yards in the pattern. I can get it for
eighty five dollars, and sister Helen
will lend me her point-lace founces to
trim it with, and"
Eighty five dollars, Lottie And
for a mOire antique dress? Do you
know, my dear, that that is almost one
tenth of my years salary ?"
Gone must look decent, once in q
while"
He shook his head gravely.
No, Lottie. am sorry to seem
hard or unkind, but this is so wild an
idea that I can only conclude that Won
have not thought sufficiently about it
yourself. Mrs. Benedict is very kind
o invite us to this ball, but you must
write deelination. -
Charlotte burst into tears, and for the
first time since their wedding-day, Mr..
Melien stalked out of the room without
a goodbye kiss.
That afternoon came up a hurried
note from the Cffice, as follows:
DARLING LoTTIE Please send. by
the bearer. nv vail, e, with a few
changes of linen and other necessaries,
Tor an absence of eight or ten DAYS on
business for the firm. Tnclosed Won
Will ti1d fifty dollar bill for the paint
Cr-a debt which ought to have been
at'eDded to before. Take recent.
Be careful of yourself while am gone.
J wish | cOuld have run up to say adieu.
but time presses. If YOU are lonely.
gee one of your sisters to come and stay
with you. Ahectionatelv,
CLARENCE.
Lottle had been crying all the
morning, but now her eyes glittered.
A . ew brightness came into her face as
che hurried hither and thither, putting
mp her husbands things. And after the
messenger had gone, che looked down
at the fifty dollar bill in her hand.
Eight or ten days." she repeated to
herself. "Pll 60 to the ball, after all,
with Helen and her husband. I'll take
this money and buy the moire antique.
Grant will wait on me for the other
thirty-five, I am sure and as for the
painter, just as likely as not he's in no
hurry for his money, and if he. is, I'll
write to Uncle Jesse to lend me fifty
dollars. / was always Uncle jesse ia
vOrite niece"
And this eager young woman threw
on her bonnet and shawl, and hurried
down to Grants to buy the remnant OF
lilac moire antique.
"Oh, certainly certainly Mr..
Graut was in no hurry at all for the
money. He would wait Mrs. Mellen's
convenience any length of time she
chose to mention"
And he unfolded the rich fabric, skill
fully holding it up so that the light
should strike it's rosy sheen to the best
possible advantage.
How beautiful it was Amethysts
shot with glimmering lines of silver
bUds of spring violets in the sunshine
midsummer sunsets LOttie thought
of all these beautiful things as she
looked at t.
P.ay send 1t home at once, she
said, laying down her fifty dollar bill,
and credit this on my account"