The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-16
girls wedding, and had not Lima Holdridge

dress; She WOnl0 nave DeeH treasure ~
some great dress-making establishment, anu
she knew very well that Nely's array was
thoroughly in keeping, and then 1t was on
Nelly!
SO her treasure set off to meet the party az
the depot, and perhaps the little giris near
sank a biz when she saw the elaborate walk,
ing dresses Of dove-colored cashmere, s se
brown de bege, or shining PophI a,ct lrll and
pleated, shirred, punched. tied pack, anu
elaborate in fearful and wonderiu nl ~
that the Hodrdge girls and their Two Irlenqs
from New York wore: even the village girls
had done their utmost to be fine In emula-
ton
Addy Mason was spectacle TO behold, Ia
pea green Ialpaca trimmed with black velvet.
and mink 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
shuddered at the sight, for Jane was sallow-
hair, eyes. skin and teeth. But here was a
sort OF counterpoise; surely she looked bet
ter than Jane or Addy, and one is not SO
strong minded ut seventeen as to despise
crumb of comfort In any shape.
Pretty soon Nelly forgot her dress alto
gether. Lima Hodridge brought gentle
man toward her seat and introduced. him as
Mr.. Fearing. How pleasant he was! what
nice gray eyes he had and how they watched
Nelly while be talked to her in such gentle,
respectful, deferential way that she 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
they came 20 Pine Hill station then Mr.. Fear
ing carried her lunch basket; she threw her
saCque across her arm, the sun was so hot;
and In five minutes they were at the wood
road, while the rest Jagged behind heated
with their heavy dresses and tired with hold
ing up the long skirts. SO Nelly and Mr..
Fearing stood still and waited, and when the
halting company arrived, her quick wits and
nimble fingers were speedily at work to help
them.
II always carry pins, salt and matches to q
picnic" said Nelly with laugh, for I've no.
ticed often that nobody ever remembers those
things"
II was well she did to-day, and they all
voted thanks to her on the spot, as with light
ened burdens and smiling faces they began
the walk up the steep hill road to the bare
fields on tho north side of Pine Hill, where
the arbutus grew. The day was lovely; sweet
with the delicate, ineffable 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 little fall at the hill foot as II 1t were 50
glad to be free once more more 1t must leap and
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
strings OF last years grass, the arbutu5 grew
In profusion; and Nelly, with glowing face
and deft fingers eoaxed the delicate clusters
Of tinted white or rosy pink from their low
beds, and gathered them in q sheaf. Her
calico dress neither impeded her graceful
motion nor vexed her soul with anxiety. Mr..
Fearing, who was young artist from New
York, rapidly rising to fame, delighted In the
pictures she unconsciously made. as she lift
ed her lovely face TO call some other girl to
f..rH nIi nCt1f nc fnrr
lightly across the steep slope to rescue one OF
those fine gowns from dragging brier or pitt
less bush. For now the finery came to grief;
where the bushes had been .'stubbed,' knife
Astounding enemies; the woolly seeds of
faded golden-rods ground their small spikes
into Addy Mason's pea-green gown, and
fierce low. blackberry vine laid hold
of it and effected three triangular las1
shred on every bush, sin memory Of" Lima
Holdrdge said; while Lina's own pretty dc
beige was not only torn in the fiOunce badly,
but was sown all over. with those small
black seeds that on two sharp legs set them
selves 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 hap
by was the man or woman who shared Nely's
sandwiches; even Mr.. rearing, VINO had tast-
ed delicacies Beckett even never knew, In Paris
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 Nelys face brighten with inno-
cent satisfaction. we can't tell, or will not. He
was awkward enough to spill a cup of hot
coffee on her skirt, but 1t never clouded the
pretty face moment.
"Never mind it will wash" said she, and
sent grateful thought home to her mother
to think it was not her precious black silk.
But Miss Bristow's dainty cashmere had Its
own libation Of claret from the hands OF q
dreadful boy, who stumbled over @ stone with
the bottle In his hands, and literally sprln.kled
that dove-colored garment with irremediable
spots The lady',s dark eye flashed, and she
BIT her beautiful lips. TO be sure, she had
other dresses but how should she get back to
New York without q travelling dress She
looked at Nelly, and envied her, though the
next half hour brought her companion in
misery for her cousin, Miss Ryelxer. in an
embroidered batuse, just imported, slipped
fairly into the brook and sat down ignomini-
ously in shallow pool, of which she made
ish the elegant dress from head to foot, and
making the wearer thoroughly uncomfort-
able. Other slight mishaps befell the party,
but they forgot them in the fragrant bios
SONS and keen sweet air.
Nely had filed her basket to the brm with
carefully chosen sprays. fastened bunch OF
the deepest hued at her throat and another in
the jet buckle that fastened her feather hat
band. 1t was no special vanity in her, for
they were all adorned with their spols Even
the gentlemen were decked with button-hole
boquets. But nobody looked like Nelly; and
Mr.. Fearing thought SO too, as she stood on
the brow of the hill. looking over the long
valley that ran northward, threaded by a
bright stream, and closed at the end Of the
vista by a great dark mountain. Behind our
little girl deep green growth Of young pines
made verdant shaded background. Her
black hat hung on her arm; her face was full
OF keen pleasure and simple, fresh beauty !;
the red lips, warm color, open, INNOCENT eyes,
dark-sweet as pansies are, and the fluttering
rings of hair, which the sun threaded with
gold Furnishing in deep brown as the wind
breathed gently among the shining tresses,
lists eye took in the whole picture and re-
membered it, but the mans heart took In
more vivid and lasting guest; for here he
found real woman-not a doll of fashion, or
a queen Of society, but bright, pure, tender
creature, fresh and sweet as the blossoms she
wore unaffected, sweet tempered, delicate.
vet withal piquant in her manner and speech
from native wit and quick perception.