Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-08-13
"THE PEARL, BEYOND ITS CASE"

"THE PEARL, BEYOND ITS CASE"
He'll prize the pearl, beyond its case. e."-CottoH.
"AH, well the world is not such bad
place, after all, )" | eXclaim, throwing down
my book and feeling thoroughly satisfied
will the world in general and myself in
particular. Yes, l am very happy this
glorious summer morning as gaze out of
the window on the broad lawn and try to
account for the feeling of entire satisfac-
tion which possesses me; and then
thought flashes across me-the new bon
nets from Louise. Yes, reader, to whom
l am now almost ashamed to make the
confession, the new bonnets from Louise.
They arrived this morning, two of them,
in a neat wooden box; such pretty little
things, all pale blue crepe and ostrich tips !;
not much to make one feel happy, you
will say, but our pleasures are few, and
did we not take an interest in small
things our lives would be comparatively
dull.
"We," are the vicar of Thornington's
only children; Maud is twenty and am
eighteen. We have lived in this most
primitive of places ever since our mothers
death. some ten years ago, and have been,
and still continue to be, sole mistresses of
our fathers home and heart. Dear old
father! how good and kind he is to us.
To him we are indebted for everything,
and we have nothing to give in return but
our love. However, of the latter he
possesses, perhaps, an over-abundant
share; at least, so it cannot fail to strike
him at times for instance, this morning,
on the arrival of the new bonnets-which
were surprise he had in store for US
we Rugged and kissed the dear old man,
both at once, and were only induced to
strations of gratitude by his repeate
ed threats that, did we not do so, the
bonnets should be exchanged for others of
more somber hue and graver form. Yes,
they are to be worn on the morrow, to
which we are so anXiously looking for
ward 1t is to be grand occasion; one
of the great events of our quiet life-even
now we do not know how great! Our ia
ther is to drive us in the pony trap to Mrs
Wilmots house, some eight miles off,
where the scene of the coming festivities
| is laid There is to be croquet in the af-
| ternoon and dancing in the evening, with
a band, and, what is more than all these
| things, lot of young men brought down
from town on purpose for the entertain
ment by the eldest son of the house. This
is an occasion too rare to be lost; for in
almost all the parties given in Thorning-
ton there is a total absence of anything in
the male line, excepting, of course, the
curate. But this brings me back to my
| bonnet, and the soul satisfying thought of
how envious it will make the rival dam
sells of the village when my sister Maud
enters the room. Maud, looking so pret-
ty and blooming, with peach-like cheeks
and ROSY lips, large blue eyes and soft
brown hair, and crowning her lovely face,
with the ostrich tips nesting lovingly
in her wavy locks, one of the new bon
| nets.
She stands still for some moments with
| a pretty, conscious smile on her face.
am lost in admiration; suddenly it vents
itself in words. How lovely! how beau.
tifulr' exclaim, jumping up violently
| from my seat. :" must try mine on at
once" And in another moment l hav-
flown upstairs and find myself before the
mirror in my own ROOM bonnet in hand,
ready for action. 1t is on but as l look
at myself in the glass chill feeling of dis
appointment comes over me. The effect is
totally different
Il might have known it all along"
say to myself passionately and bitterly
when did thing ever suit my plain
faceP Dress Maud in rags and she is
pretty. Dress me in satins and am plain
1t is always the same-always the same
Maud is courted, and admired and loved
and L Well, people certainly say
might have had curate," / add, with 1
savage laugh; "but as his income is e9C
per annum, prefer my own comfortable
home to his poverty. BAH" / eXclaim
"I'd see the little beast" But my ir
reverent mention of one of the pastors o.
the flock is cut short by the entrance O
my sister.
"Maudr' l say, suddenly, "is your bon
net the same as miner fancy there mus
be some difference" for a thought ha
flashed across me that the bonnet may b.
most in fault.
We compare them. They are exactl,
alike; one is quite as pretty as the other
at is not the bonnet" murmur to my
self, "it is the face" and, unable to re
strain my disappointment at the bad etfec
produced by the pale blue against my sal
low complexion, / wrench it OFF my heaC
with no gentle hand, and burst into tears
Maud says nothing She picks up tn
bonnet, replaces it tenderly in its box, ant
then, coming up TO me, puts her hand OF
my shoulder.
fHelen," she says, quietly, "you ar
wicked" and leaves the room without an
other WOru.
After few minutes of solitude l be
come aware that / have been behavin
like a fool, and, bathing my eyes an
brushing my hair, l walk wn-stairs. 1
the dining-room find Maud, sitting wit
my father, having an afternoon cup of tea
She gives me sweet little smile as l en-
ter, and my father, drawing a chair clos
to his side, says;
Come along, my little woman, and S
! by me. What do you mean by desertin
| your poor old father in this wayS"
And as he takes my hand and pats m
{ cheek l feel how foolish and how III
4 grateful my conduct has been, thinkin
r only Of what have not and forgetting a
D the blessings that are mine. SO the ever
/, ing passes away calmly and pleasant
! without any further outbreak on my par
I The morrow arrives, and the weath'
D is all that heart can desire. Not clOu
is to be seen on the sky andt is r
/. freshing little breeze, which prevents an
feeling Of excessive heat. Maudis In sue