Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-09-20

these economic garments her own quick
eye had copied from Partisan outfit
were sent to Beckett for one of the Hold
ridge girls wedding, and did not Lima
Holdridge lend Nelly the Bazars every
week?
Moreover, Mrs. Day had an artists
eye for dress: she would have been q
treasure in some great dress-making es-
Enlistment, and she knew very we'll
that Nely's array was thoroughly in
keeping, and then it was on Nelly
So her treasure set off to meet the
party at the depot, and perhaps the lit
tie girls heart sank bit when she saw
the elaborate walking dress of dove
colored cashmere, seal brown de bege
or shining poplin, frilled, pleated shir-
red, punched, tied back, and elaborated
in fearful and wonderful manner,
that the Holdridge girls and their two
friends from NewYork were, even the
village girls had done their utmos} to
be fine in emulation. Addie Mason
was a spectacle to behold, in pea-green
alpaca trimmed with black velvet, and
pink roses in her turban of felt; while
Jane Glass was gotten up in her best
black silk, furbelowed with yak lace,
and her new Sunday bonnet Of white
straw with blue ribbons and tips of
pink, ugh! Nelly shuddered at the
| sight, for Jane was sallow-hair, eyes,
skin and teeth. Rut here was 8 sort of
counterpoise, surely she looked better
than Jane or Addie, and one is not so
strong-minded at seventeen as to des-
pise q crumb of comfort in any
shape.
Pretty soon Nelly forgot her dress al
together. Lima Holdridge brought a
gentlem an toward her seat and intro
duced him as Mr.. Fearing. How pleas
ant he was What nice gray eyes he
had and how they watched Nelly while
he talked to her in such gentle,
respectful, deferential way that Nelly
could not be shy; and pretty soon her
eyes sparkled, the color rose softly, her
red lips opened to stream Of gentle,
playful talk, and her bright laugh rang
cheerily, if softly. How soon they
came to Pine Hill stations and then,
Mr.. Fearing carried her lunch basket,
and she threw her sacque across her
arm, the sun was so hot; aud in five
minutes they were at the wood road,
while the rest Jagged behind, heated
with their heavy dresses, and tired Of
holding up the long skirts. So Nelly
and Mr.. Fearing stoed still and waiting,
and when the palting company arrived,
her quick wits and nimble fingers were
speedily at work to help them.
81 always carry pins and salt and
matches to q picnic" said Nelly with a
laugh, for noticed often that no.
body ever remembers those things"
1t was well she did to-day, and they
all voted thanks to her on the spot, as,
with lightened burdens and smiling
faces, they began to walk up the steep
hill road to the bare fields on the north
side of Pine Hill, where the, arbutus
grew. The day was lovely, sweet with
1.-The delicate, inaffable perfume of early
spring; the sun shone warmly down,
the south wind blew softly, the resinous
odor of pine boughs sighed from the
soft gloom of the woods, and the bright,
| full brook poured over a little fall at
the hill foot, as if it were SO glad to be
free once more, it must leap and laugh
to express its delight. r r--~
Here, under the brown grass, hiding
shy faces of baby bloom with it's thick,
dull leaves, clustering closely to the
shelter of great stone, Or creeping
among bushes of sweet fern, low white
birches and tangled strings of last
years grass, the arbutus grew in pro-
fusion; and Nelly with glowing face
and deft fingers, coaxed the delicate
clusters of tinted white or rosy pink
from their low beds, and gathered
them in = great shesf. Her calico
dress neither impeded her graceful mo-
tons. nor vexed her soul with anxiety.
Mr.. Fearing, who was a young artist
from New York, rapidly rising to fame
delighted in the picture she uncon-
sciously made, rs she lifted her lovely
face to call some other girl to better
place for finding the treasures, or ran
lightly across the steep slope to- rescue
one of of those fine gowns from drag
ging brier Or pitiless bush. For now
the 6nery came to grief; where the
bushes had been stubbed," knife
pleatings, SHRED raffles, folds, all found
Astounding enemies; the woody seeds of
faded golden-rods ground their small
spikes into Addie Mason's pea green
SOWu, dIlu d. uCICc ION DldCk UcIIy vine
had laid hold of it and affected three
triangular rents; Jane Glass's yak lace
left shred on every bush, Gin mem
DRY Of" Lima Holdridge said; while
Lina's own pretty de bege was not only
torn in the founce badly but was sown
all over with those small black seeds
that ON two sharp legs sat themselves
in any soft fabric by the thousand, and
leave their traces even when picked
out. Before long they were all hot and
tired, and adjourned to the waterfall to
lunch; and happy was the man or
woman who shared Nely's sandwiches;
even Mr.. Fearing, who had tasted deli
cat les Beckett never even knew, in Par
is cafes and New York clubs, came
more than once for a supply of this
new-found dainty-whether because he
really liked them, being hungry with
the keen air, or because he wanted to
see Nely's face brighten with innocent
satisfaction, we can't tell, or will not.
He was awkward enough to spill a cup
of hot coffee on her skirt, but it never
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