Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-02-04
FIVE POUNDS OF CHINA MON.
BY HOLME MAXWELL.

BY HOLME MAXWELL.
They don't name girls "Roxy," aud
"Polly," and Patty" and "Sally," nova
days; but when the little miss who is my
heroine was a baby, those short, funny old
names were not at all old fashioned.
"RoXy," especially, was considered very
sweet name indeed, All these new names
eva" aud "Ada," and "Sadio," and "Iil-
lie," and the rest OF the finclul "icS," were
not in vogue. Then, IL a romantic, high
flown young mamma wished to give her
tiny grl-baOy an unusually fine name, sho
selected such Us "Sophronia," matilda"
"Lucrela," or "ophella." In extreme
cases, the baby should be called Victoria
Adelaide"
In this instance baby's mother was Il
plain, quiet woman; and she thought ba-
by's grandmother's name was quite 6ne
enough for baby; and so baby was called
"Roxy," and, when she was ten years old,
you would have thought little Roxy fully
as old fashioned as her name.
think it is her clothes that makes her
image look so funny as she rises mp before
me. She herself had brown hair and eyes,
and good country complexion OF milk
and roses-Such a nice complexion, girls I!
You see she had plenty OF bread and milk
to eat; and big chamber, big as sitting
room. down stairs. TO sleep mall windows
and her bed stood, neat and cool, in the
middle of the floor; and she had to walk
ever SO far to get anywhere-it was II re-
spectacle little run even out to the barn for
I.,. 4 I,,1F ..
her cousin uannah's, and 1t was three
quarters TO school, and just a mile TO the
very nearest stick Of candy or cluster of
rasus. Nuts were a littl0 nearer; for
Roxy's father had a noble butlernut or
chard, and it was as much a part of the reg
ular farm work in the fall to gather tho
"burnuts' as it was to gather the apples.
Don't you see, now, why sho had such Il
nice complexion But if you think it
don't quite account for such plump, rosy
cheeks, why, then, she had TO chase ever so
many ways for the Strawberries. Not a
strawberry was raised in common folks
gardens in those days. They grew mostly
in farmers meadows; and very angry
those farmers used to be at such girls as
lNpAl III sAldh AihiN oNA1N DIAiS
time" comes before knowing" you know
for how they did wallow and trample tho
grass Besides the raspberries and black
berries, instead of being Dooliltle Black
caps, and Kittatinnies, aud tied up to nice
stakes in civilized little plantations, grew
away Off upon steep hill sides, and in the
edges Of woods, by old logs and around
~ a,,1 Ioal- AZ langt tl,ron iril nd
half a day, and lunch basket and torn
dresses, and such clambering, and such fun
to get them! OF course Roxy had red
cheeks, and sweet breath, and plump,
firm white fesh-so white wherever it
wasn't Drowned by the sunshine.
But otherwise she certainly was old.
fashioned, almost quaint. Her hair was
braided tight in two long btaids, crossed
on her neck, and tied with bit Of black
thread there was a pair of precious little
blue ribbons in the drawer for Sundays
and high days. Roxy's mother would have
been awfully shocked at the wavy flowing
hair Of your Wide Awake girls, do assure
you!
Aud Roxy's dress. Younevcr saw "low
dresses were all "hOmc-made"-n mere
ly cut aud scwed at home bui RoXy's fi-
ther raised tho ilaX in the field north of the
house, and Roxy's mother spun the fax
and tow into thread upon funny little
wheels. Then she colored the thread, part
Of it indigo blue, and part of "copperas
color" and alter that wove it into cloth
not just enough for tt dress, but enough for
two Dresses for Raxy, two for herself, and
some for the men iolks's clothes, besides
yards and yards of dreadful coarse cloth
for "lIousers :" and perhaps there was a
fine white piece for sheets ond pillow cases.
Bless me how the farmers wives did work
eighty years ago!
Aud how that "blue and cUpperas check''
did wear, and how II did shine when it was
freshly washed and ironedi Only it was
made up so ungracelully-iust plain, full
skirt, plain straight waist, and plain straight
sleeves. You never saw dress made so,
because chidren's clothes have been cut
| pretty and cunning for great many years,
| RoXy's dresses were short, and she wore
straight, full "pantalets," that came down
| to the tops of her shoes for Mrs. Thomas
Gildersleeve would have thought 1t dread
ful 10 allow her daughter to show the shape
of her round little legs, as all children dc
nowadays.
To finish up, Roxy wore a 'lie apron
This was simply a straight breadth of"store
Calico" gathered upon a band with long
ends, and tied around the waist. Very i'm.
portant little girl felt when allowed tc
leave Of the high apron and don tho ''tiC
apron"
The first day she came to school with il
on, her mates would stand ono side and
look at her. so, dear, you feel blg-don'l
your" they would say 10 her. May be she
would be obliged to associate by herself
for day or so, until they became aecus.
toned TO the sight of the 'tie apron," OF
until her own good nature got the belleI
A Of Nhafr anuu