The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-12-21

already that 1 thought ia rather give it
to those poor starving people" Essie
said TO her sister as they were going to
bed that night,
" Certainly not, little gOosey. think,
like. papa, than you put i to good
use"
Nettie lay awake a long while that |
night, for a Sudden, startling and per |
picking question presented itself uncere- |
moniously to her consideration if Essie |
had made 8 wise use of her money, was |
not she going to make a very foolish use |
of hers She debated the question in all !
its bearings. and tumbled and tossed I'M
easily on her very easy and comfortable
bed. Nettie was not used TO making
sacrifices. There had been no need of
any selt-sacri6ce in her bright young life,
and this was the first time she had ever
felt called upon to deny herself in any
way.
% Fifty dollars will go but little way
in relieving their great distress" she
thought; and there is ne use of wear
ing my old dress, and having all the girls
make disagreeable remarks about me, be-
cause a lot of people whom / never saw
and never will see, and who, Pm sure,
would never help ne, happen to be poor
and needy. There are plenty of people
| who will help them, and there is no need
of giving up my dress.
! But then if every one should think as
she did, and selfishly leave it to some one
! else to relieve the necessities of the poor?
/ But then. again, everybody was going to
have new dress for this party; and Phil
would be there, and he always liked her
to appear among the best. Well, it was
perplexing and disagreeable either way,
so why not decide on the most agreeable
alternative?
Cpl buy my dress the first thing in
the morning; then | can't be tempted
to--No, Iii ask papa which | ought TO do
No, can't do that, for he'll only say, as
he did to Essie, Spend your money as
you like; it is your own and will con
trast the difference between our modes of
using it, and think hew selfish | am to
spend it for myself Oh dear ! wish l
had bought my dress this morning; then
there would have been no question OF
right and wrong"
Nettle ran up to her room the first
thing after breakfast. to take a look at
the old blue silk. She threw it on the
bed and looped the lace dress over it with
some pale pink rose-buds, and it certainly
/ looked lovely-not much of a sacrifice
, after all, to wear such a beautiful dress
most girls would have thought. But
then Nettie had certainly worn the dress
many times before, and her friends were
well acquainted with all its defects, a;
well as its beauties.
r There's where Eve Mason put he
foot on the train the first time | wore 1t
/ ALWAYS thought she did it on purpose
mean, spIteful thing, although she apollo
gized and was 80 sweet and 20 sorry
= Here's where Allen Page dropped
chocolate-ice over the back width l CA
cover that with the lace and flowers
= There's IL where Arthur Delano splasheo
/, it with champagne the night he was $
I dreadfully under It's influence; that
the worst place, and ] don't know how
/ shall conceal it; perhaps l can drape m
. sash gracefully over it, pinning it tish
Y TO the skirt beneath the lOopes. and
e won't look so dreadful Oh, dear ate
b all, the worst thing about it is that "
g worn il half a dozen times already, an
I every body knows it, and will say, Their
comes Nettie Locke in her old blu
l. again.
This last thought Swas so narrowing
Nettie couldn't restrain few tears, an
they fell; drip, drip, on the "old blue,
and added another stain to its already
u damaged beauty.
Right on the bosom, too" Netti
!, said, drying her tears quickly " How
{ ever, it isn't 50 bad; can cover 1t wit
some natural roses"
- She sat down on the bed beside tn
still lovely dress-though it had certainl
+ seen Its best days-aud pinned a h0we
y here and a ribbon there, singing softly tn
" while one of Strauss exquisite waltze'
7 The delicious air she was singing too
- her thoughts captive presently, and Cal
- ried them far away from the present an
>, all its perplexities. She dropped tn
- flowers, rich ribbons and laces from he
listless hands, as a mental vision passe'
: before her of the coming ball--a visiol
! OF fair young CARL IN a cloud of mist
- like tulle and rosy blossoms; a vision al
- Turing as Aurora herself when she come
: through the gates of the dawn, scatterin.
roses and dewy diamonds in the pathwa,
Of the dav god q vision that brings
s flush 10 her cheeks and a sparkle to he
ewes. She sees the tender light in he
" lovers eyes as he bends to tell her how
fair she is in his eyes and in the eyes 0
all men; she hears the passionst,
sweetness of waltz and galOp, the passion
ate sweetness of whispered words anC
= low replies but above the music of tht
: bands, above the sweeter music of he
: lovers voice, above the sound of laugh
ing voices and dancing feet, she hears
cry for help and succor5 She gave las
, deciding look at the old blue, with it
: s.ains of wines and sweets, and last de
: spairing thought to the vision of herself
radiant, beautiful, in ffeecy tulle and rosy
: blossoms; then drew her purse from he
= pocket She checked back a few rising
= sobs, but resolutely counted out tn
amount necessary to purchase shoes anC
. gIoves, and laid the remainder aside t,
bear ESTES mite company on its mission
of charity and mercy.
" Mamma" she said, as she seated her
self at the luncheon table, " | am goin.
to wear the old blue, after all and
Phil doesen't like me in it-well, l can
! help it."
"Phil will like you in anything,
fancy" her mother said, smiling. Blu
! why have you abandoned the diaphanOui
robe that was to be 70 becoming 81
Because" she returned, between {
laugh and a sob, " | am going to use my
money as Essie did hers"
Well, my dear" her mother said
softly, "I can only echo your father's
words to Essie-vou have made wise
use of it; for has not He who suffered
all things for us said, Inasmuch as We
have done it unto one of the least oil
these My brethren, We have done it unto
Me- '"-Harper's Basar.