Fair play., 1876-06-08

ture, who spared herself all superiluous
comforts, who pinched and pared and
labored to lay up little for some day
Of rain, or perhaps for Nely's wedding.
Who knows?
Her husband had been dead this fif-
teen years. Had he lived, she would
probably have been still poorer. He
was a country clergyman, studious,
dreamy, helpless. 1t is true, his wife
loved and mourned him, but every body
knew it was better for her that he died
and left her his life-insurancc. If she
did not think so, it was owing to fool
ish way women have of preferring 4
living loving husband to five thousand
dollars. Folly? Of course; but then
they are women.
Now she had only Nelly, and she loved
her after that same fashion; but GER
tain crisp cOmmOn-sease and prOvident
maternal instinct helped her no: to spoil
the child, however much she would have
liked to.
Only calico! But when Nelly left her
little room next morning dressed for the
expedition, Mrs. Day was altogether
satisfied with her aspect.
"Mother" had made the gown her
self. It was simple enough; black
and white stripe, more white than black,
a single deep ruille on the skirt bound
and headed with black cambric bands;
jacket fitting closely but not tightly
to the delicate rounded figure, finished
with black cambric ruille, a like trim
ming around the throat, but within it 4
pleated linen frill, both kept in order by
band of black velvet, from which hung
a white spar cross, her solitary trinket,
and one that was her mothers before
her; little black cloth sacque Of 4
singularly graceful shape, braided on
the edge in Greek pattern; 4 wide
leafed black hat with 4 bit of snow white
feather trimming round the crown; and
a pair Of black gloves, much mendled,
and = little purple and shabby about
the iingcr-tips, completed the costume;
but when you put this simple attire on
to \ slight graceful figure with bloom
ing face, starry dark eyes, and abundant
rich brown hair turned back from the
white temples and knotted up high on
the small head, while dozen little
fluffy tendrils fluttered over the tiny pink
ears and low white forehead, You did not
remember that the dress was calico.
And even an ugly calico might have
been forgotten if you peeped into the
clean new lunch basket-only COM
mon splint basket, with an old damask
towel folded over the contents, but filed
with such dainty sandwiches: some Of
tongue that Mrs. Day had cured her.
self, rosy, tender and havorous; some
of quince marmalade in firm-grained
slices translucent as clOudcd amber;
some Of acid jelly; and some Of maple
sugar. . benighted reader, who never
ate this last-named dainty, you have a
new experience before You! here were
slices of whitest wheat and some of
freshest rye bread, well spread with
golden butter, and then thickly spread
again with maple sugar stirred while
hot into q thick paste, sweet rs honey,
but spicy even in sweetness with the
taste of the trees heart, the forest odOrs,
the clean fine aroma of Northern woods
and wilds. No wonder that Mrs. Days
were prOverbial in Beckett!
The widow looked with satisfaction
at her pretty daughter; she had fash
ioned rs well as made those graceful
garments, and if the sacque was ingen-
iously pieced from ParsOn Days Sum
day coat, the dress ten-cent calico,
and the white band of feathers plucked
from the breast of two Thanksgiving
chickens and scwed by her own fingers,
she knew that the patterns of those
economic garments her own quick eye
had copied from Partisan outfit sen,
to Beckett for one of the HOldridge girls
wedding, and did not Lima Holdridge
lend Nelly the Ba=ars every week?
Moreover, Mrs. Day had an artists
eye for dress; she would have been q
treasure in some great dressmaking
and she knew very well
that Nely's array was thoroughly in
keeping, and then it was on Nelly!
So her treasure set of to meet the
party at the depot, and perhaps the lit
tie girls heart sank Il bit when she saw
the elaborate walking dresses of dove
colored cashmere, seal brown de bege.
French gray serge, or shining poplin.
frilled, pleated, shirred, punched, tied
back, and elaborated in a fearful and