Ellsworth American., 1876-05-18
Misrell
How | Learned to Sew on Buttons.



Any one l0okins into my chamber at
about haii-pasi ten o'clock ON the morning
after Mrs. Granger- great party. would
have seen me, Frederick Elliot, IN my shirt
sleeves. and WITH my hair ,.gcyS.led. pull;
acAnow ledge with >orroN. swearing fear
fully.
The truth Was. | had OVERSIGHT myself.
and was accordingly. in very bad humor;
beside, tai, | had promised faithfully TO
bc at Jacks office at eleven. and as a mat
ter of course, everything coEspired 70 hin-
der mc.
l., the ir-t place. had lost the key of
my wardrobe, and, therefore, was obliged
- put on an old shirt which had been len
out by accident; in the next place. had
in my hurry. spilled glass OF cold water
over the only pair OF socks outside OF The
wardrobe, and consequently, when at
tempted TO pull on my boots, they sircnu-
ou.ly resisted.
All this was bal enough; but to cap the
climax Of my troubles. as gave an unus-
uallv savage jerk 10 the straps. which fore
Cd nv wet foot solidly into my boot, the
impi.h little button on my left wrtst-band
gave an exultant leap. and disappeared
under the wAsh-stand.
Here's pretty go." | calculated, a
dropped down on my knees and gropea
vainlv around after the trnant. "A very
pretty 20 indeed. | can go down town
without my breakfast. but can't 90 with
my sleeve flying in this style; and as for
pnning il. | could pin a board sooner,
and rising from nv suppiiant position. |
looked obviously out OF the window.
.Coniouud il ALL | sad at last. If II
hadn't been for that party, | should not
have lost that miserable little key, and
2ud''-but talking did no good, and sat
down on the side of the bed 10 cosltaie.
suddenly bright thought flashed
through my brain. Why couldn't sew a
button on myself: ! mentally congratulate
ed myself on the brillancy of my intellect,
aud began to consider the best way OF ac-
compli>hing the feat.
knew that MOllie kept her work-oa>ket
on the little table near the fire place In the
sittiny-room; there | was sure 10 find
Thread and needles. thimble, too, as the
children say; and trustin. 10 the fatigue OF
the girls 10 keep them in retirement ior
some time 10 come. | softly opened my
chamber door. and casting no thought on
/ INV somewhat startling appearance, stole
down the stairs, and entered the sitting
room.
Once there. felt safe. and drawing the
piano-stool up to the glowing hre, sat
comfortably down, and began To lnvesti-
gate the contents of the dainty basket with
its bows of blue ribbon, which held my
sister Mollie's sewing implements
With all my comfortable appearance
however, | had an uneasy ana stinglnS
conscience. | knew in my heart OF hearts
that Mollie would not have allowed me to
touch her pretty basket for anything IN the
world; and my fingers. always awkward
and clumsy. seemed ten times more 50
| when turning over the bright silks and
| many-coloIed worsteds.
tried nv very best not TO tangle the
| things, for intepded, il possible, to con
ceal nv raid from Mollie; bur they, Ike
/ everything else .on that particularly Ill
/ tated morning. seemed imbued with tht
very spirit of mischief and looked VIII
! horror. while my ears tingled proph eticai
/ ly. at the complicated, and. as 1t seemed
/ to me. ineXtricable snarl of silk, worsted
/ and thread of every description, which my
prying fingers left behind.
At last | succeeded in drawing out from
the confusion which had created. small
needle book. adorned. like the basket, witt
intinitesimal bows of blue ribbon, from
which | extricated large-sized needle
| and a very small-siZed. gold thimble; tber
| with a last frantic dive at card OF button
which had shaken out of one OF the lltti'
I bags of blue silk which were attached Il
the affair. set the basket down on tn
floor beside me, and prepared tor work.
threaded the needle easily enough
with the very finest thread which | coul'
find. and then. after trying the thmble ol
each OF my fingers in succession, and final
ly crowding it down on the only one whlc
it could be persuaded to remain on ltha
being the last finger on my left hand),
held the button firmly on its proper place
and began to sew.
will drop the veil OF oblivion for IN
next fifteen minutes. Let ii sufflce TO say
that at the end of that time had broke
the points off half dozen needles, spl
four buttons, and met with dlfhcuitie
enough to have discouraged any but til
hardest and most determined Of markint
was, however, nearly desperate by tn
time, and looking fiercely at the clock @
the mantel. whose sleuder hands pointe
mockingly at five minutes to eleven, hel
the ffth button on its proper place, no
stained with drops Of blood from my lace